Tracy van der Schyff

#Office365Challenge – You might be building great solutions in SharePoint, but if users cannot easily navigate to it – you’ve failed. Let’s face it – not everyone has evolved into “Search Mode” yet – so we have no choice than to ALWAYS plan for navigation.

The next couple of posts will be ALL about Promoted Links in SharePoint, as well as how to use PowerPoint to create your own Promoted Link Images (Icons). I actually think I could write 365 blogs just about SharePoint and PowerPoint – I would wine and dine it, buy it chocolates and roses if I could, because I love it THAT much!

So let’s look at creating the Promoted Links. This is not as easy for End Users as I’d like it to be, but if you follow this post step by step – you’ll be ok – I promise.

Step 1 – Create a separate library for your promoted link images (yes, I know they can be uploaded in any Site Assets or Picture Library, but I prefer keeping them separate – for administration purposes I find this easier).

Settings Wheel > Site contents > Create an app > Choose Picture Library (Remember to use an Acronym for naming – read my previous blog HERE for more details on creating and naming of apps).

Now that the picture library is created, you can add images to it which will be used for your promoted links. SharePoint will automatically resize images to fit, but it’s important to use square images. In this example I’ve used abstract images which all have orange, red or black in them. Upload 8 – 10 Images depending on how many you would like to display on your page. Keep in mind that low resolutions won’t show more than 7/8 icons without having to scroll.

Once you’ve uploaded all your images, you need to create the Promoted Links List which will bring everything together – Images, URL, Launch Behaviour and Description.

Step 2 – Create the Promoted Links List
Site Contents > Add an app > Promoted Links (see previous post for the how)
Navigate to the newly created Promoted Links List. When the list opens, You’ll see a message “The list is empty. Add tiles from the All Promoted Links view.” Click on the hyperlink to open the view, now click on New Item to start adding items.

Add the Title (1), Background Image Location (2), Description (3), Link Location (4), Launch Behaviour (5) and Order (6). Click Save (7) to save your link.
You have to repeat this process to add all 8 – 10 links necessary. I use Quick Edit, because I’m lazy like that.

Last thing to do is to add this list to your page.
Step 3 – Add Promoted Links to Page
Edit the page, icon will be in same place as Save (1), click on the page where you want to insert the Promoted Links, then on the Insert Tab (2), Web Parts (3), Under Apps (4), you will find the Promoted Links List (5) you’ve built. Careful not to add the picture library, it must be the links list. Click on Add (6) to add this web part to your page.

Save the page and there you go!!
Note: Before saving the page, edit the web part and set the chrome status (under Appearance) to “None”. This will remove the header name at the top.

If you ever need to change an image / URL it points to – edit the Promoted Links list – not the page. In the next couple of posts I’ll share some crazy ideas on creating your own promoted links images in PowerPoint.

See ya’all tomorrow.

Overview of my challenge: As an absolute lover of all things Microsoft, I’ve decided to undertake the challenge, of writing a blog every single day, for the next 365 days. Crazy, I know. And I’ll try my best, but if I cannot find something good to say about Office 365 and the Tools it includes for 365 days, I’m changing my profession. So let’s write this epic tale of “Around the Office in 365 Days”. My ode to Microsoft Office 365.

Keep in mind that these tips and tricks do not only apply to Office 365 – but to the overall Microsoft Office Suite as well as where applicable, SharePoint.