SharePoint: New Document Library UX 2025

Key insights

• Video summary: A YouTube video overview explains the new SharePoint document library user experience and key changes rolling out from preview in November 2025 into general release in early 2026.
  It highlights design, AI, and navigation improvements for site libraries and clarifies this update is not the same as Teams or OneDrive experiences.
  
• Simplified Command Bar: The New and Upload buttons combine into a single "Create or Upload" control to reduce clutter.
  A new AI actions button brings Microsoft 365 Copilot features for summarizing documents, comparing versions, and generating FAQs directly in the library.
  
• Improved breadcrumb navigation: The breadcrumb now shows clearer context and clickable parent folders for faster folder switching.
  Dropdowns let users create folders or upload files at the current location and the root includes quick library switching on the site.
  
• Custom views and filter pills: Custom views appear prominently as pills under the breadcrumb so users can find and switch views quickly.
  Filter pills show active filters and let users apply or clear file-type and other filters with one click.
  
• Options button and customizations: A new Options button groups layout, sorting, grouping, column visibility, and formatting controls for easier access.
  Most SPFx, column, and view customizations continue to work, though some command-bar formatter behavior is updated and should be tested.
  
• Performance, editing, and forms: Libraries load faster, scroll more smoothly, and support grid editing in grouped views with a refreshed properties pane and right-click menu.
  A new forms experience lets sites collect metadata and documents with less manual work, improving document intake and management.
  

Video overview and author note

Ami Diamond [MVP], a long-time Microsoft watcher and presenter, published a YouTube video that walks through the upcoming SharePoint document library interface changes planned for late 2025 and early 2026. In his video, Ami — who is male — summarizes the redesign and highlights the main changes that Microsoft will roll out to SharePoint document libraries. He presents screenshots, explains feature behavior, and points out where administrators and developers may need to pay attention. Consequently, his coverage gives practical context for IT teams planning updates.

Overall, the video frames the update as a user-focused refresh that combines small interface shifts with emerging AI tools. Ami emphasizes that the changes are intended to make common tasks faster while keeping existing customizations intact in most cases. Thus, the update aims to balance familiarity with modern capabilities. However, he also flags a few areas where admins should test changes before broad deployment.

Key interface changes: command bar and AI

The most visible change shown in the video is a Simplified Command Bar that merges the prior separate buttons into a single Create or Upload control. Moreover, Ami points out a new AI actions button that surfaces Microsoft 365 Copilot features directly in the library, allowing quick tasks such as document summarization, version comparison, and FAQ generation from files. He explains that the integration aims to speed routine workflows and reduce manual work. Yet, this also raises questions about governance and accuracy, which Ami recommends teams explore before enabling widely.

Importantly, the video notes that the command bar formatter behavior receives updates, and developers should validate customizations that touch the command bar. While Microsoft says most SPFX and column formatting will continue to work, Ami advises testing any scripts or custom command extensions under the new layout. Consequently, organizations that heavily customize SharePoint need a brief compatibility check window. This helps avoid surprises when the update reaches production tenants.

Navigation and view improvements

Ami highlights a redesigned Breadcrumb Navigation intended to make folder movement faster and clearer, with clickable parent folders and dropdowns that support folder creation or file uploads at the current location. Additionally, the video shows that custom views are now more prominent and appear as clickable pills beneath the breadcrumb, and Filter Pills make active filters obvious. These visual changes are meant to reduce the time users spend hunting for the right view or filter. However, Ami explains that teams should evaluate whether these cues fit their users’ habits, since stronger visuals can both help and clutter depending on library complexity.

The update also groups layout, sorting, grouping, field visibility, and formatting under an Options button to simplify access to view settings. Ami demonstrates how this keeps the main command area cleaner while still exposing important controls in one place. This change can streamline tasks for typical users but may require a short retraining step for power users accustomed to older menus. Therefore, IT trainers should prepare quick-guides to smooth the transition.

Performance, editing, and new forms

Beyond the interface, the video describes performance work such as faster page loads, smoother scrolling in large libraries, and improved Grid view editing that now supports grouped views. Ami stresses that these enhancements target common pain points when libraries scale to thousands of files. Consequently, large organizations stand to gain noticeable productivity improvements. Still, he cautions that real-world gains will vary by tenant size, network conditions, and custom code.

Moreover, Ami covers a new forms experience that enables creating custom forms inside document libraries to gather metadata or required files. This low-code option can reduce manual entry and centralize document intake, which is useful for onboarding or compliance workflows. Yet, the video warns that teams should plan form design and testing to avoid data quality issues later. Ultimately, the feature offers clear benefits but requires thoughtful setup and governance.

Rollout, tradeoffs, and implementation challenges

Microsoft signaled a preview in November 2025 with a staged rollout beginning in January 2026, according to the video, and Ami recommends administrators schedule testing during the preview window. He notes that the changes do not affect libraries opened inside Teams or the OneDrive app at this time, which narrows the immediate scope but adds complexity to support plans. Therefore, help desks should prepare guidance that distinguishes experiences across clients. Additionally, Ami suggests coordinating with compliance and security teams around any Copilot-related features.

Finally, the video balances optimism with realism about tradeoffs: the simplified UI reduces clutter but may hide familiar controls, and AI can boost productivity while creating governance and accuracy questions. For developers, the update largely preserves customizations, yet subtle behavior changes mean testing remains essential. Consequently, Ami’s coverage encourages early testing, clear communication, and short training bursts to make the transition smooth for users. Overall, his summary provides practical steps for teams planning to adopt the enhanced SharePoint document library experience.

Keywords

New SharePoint document library overview 2025, SharePoint user experience 2025, SharePoint modern document library features, SharePoint UX improvements 2025, SharePoint document management best practices 2025, SharePoint collaboration and file sharing 2025, SharePoint metadata and search improvements 2025, SharePoint document library migration 2025