Display Three Items in a SharePoint News Web Part Side-by-Side Layout
Question details
The user wants the Side-by-side layout of a SharePoint News Web Part to display exactly three news items when the web part is placed in a narrow column.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Configuring a SharePoint News Web Part on a modern SharePoint page, especially in a narrow page column, to show three news posts side by side.
- Observed behavior
- The Side-by-side layout initially offers item counts from 0 to 10 in increments of two and does not expose a three-item option until the layout is switched.
Open the SharePoint page in edit mode and confirm you have permission to edit the News Web Part. Have at least three published news posts available so you can verify the three-item display after changing the settings.
Switch to List layout, select three items, then return to Side-by-side
Use this method when the Side-by-side layout hides the three-item option in a narrow SharePoint column.
SharePoint may restrict the Side-by-side item-count options based on the available column width. Switching layouts temporarily resets the item-count control, which can expose the three-item option.
In SharePoint, open the news page, select Edit, click the News Web Part, and then choose Edit web part.
In the web part properties panel, expand Layout and select List.
In the item count control, change the value to 3.
Select Side-by-side again. The three-item option should now be available or remain selected in many configurations.
Click Publish or Republish to save the updated News Web Part.
Use an alternative SharePoint News layout that already supports three items
Use this when you do not need the Side-by-side layout and want a quick way to show three news posts.
Use WPS Office as a Free, Lightweight Suite for SharePoint-Ready Office Documents
WPS Office is a free, lightweight Office alternative that opens, edits, and saves Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with high compatibility. It has a familiar ribbon interface and supports seamless migration for files you later upload to SharePoint document libraries, although SharePoint News Web Part layout settings must be changed in SharePoint itself.
- 1. Download and install WPS Office: Go to the official WPS website, download WPS Office, and complete the installation.
- 2. Open Microsoft Office files: Launch WPS Office, open Writer, Spreadsheet, or Presentation, and edit DOCX, XLSX, or PPTX files with Microsoft Office format compatibility.
- 3. Save and upload to SharePoint: Save your file in the original Microsoft Office format, then upload it to the relevant SharePoint document library or news post attachment.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the SharePoint News Web Part Side-by-side layout not show a three-item option?
In narrow columns, SharePoint may restrict the Side-by-side item-count options to even numbers. Switch the web part to List layout, select 3 items, and then switch back to Side-by-side to make the three-item option available.
Which SharePoint News Web Part layouts can display three news items?
List, Carousel, and Tiles layouts can provide different item-count options. The Side-by-side layout can also display three items after applying the List layout workaround.
Can the first news item stay fixed while other items change automatically?
The standard SharePoint News Web Part does not provide a built-in option to freeze only the first item. This behavior requires custom SharePoint development support or a custom web part solution.
Do I need SharePoint development support for custom CSS in the News Web Part?
Yes, custom CSS changes to the SharePoint News Web Part require SharePoint development support because the standard web part settings do not expose custom CSS controls.
