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Fix SharePoint Highlighted Content Web Part Not Displaying PDFs
Question details
The user needs to make PDF files visible in the SharePoint Highlighted Content web part.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Displaying documents dynamically using the Highlighted Content web part on a SharePoint page.
- Observed behavior
- PDF files are missing or do not appear in the web part, even when the document type is explicitly set to 'Any'.
Ensure you have Site Owner or Administrator permissions in SharePoint to modify web parts, check indexing settings, and confirm that the missing PDF files are successfully uploaded to the target document library.
Verify Indexing, Permissions, and Search Scope
Ensure the basic SharePoint search and permission settings are correctly configured before assuming a web-part defect.
The Highlighted Content web part relies on SharePoint search to display files. If PDFs are not indexed, or if users lack permission to view them, they will not appear in the web part.
Edit the SharePoint page, select the Highlighted Content web part, and click the pencil icon to edit its properties. Ensure the 'Source' dropdown is pointing to the correct site, document library, or page library where your PDFs reside.
Navigate to the document library containing the PDFs. Check the sharing and permission settings to confirm that the intended audience has at least 'Read' access to the files.
Go to the Document Library settings by clicking the gear icon. Select 'More library settings', then 'Advanced settings'. Scroll down and click the 'Reindex Document Library' button to force SharePoint to crawl the PDFs again. Wait for the crawl to complete.
Escalate Known Bug to Microsoft 365 Support
If the issue persists across different tenants and configurations, it is likely a backend bug requiring Microsoft's intervention.
Manage and Edit Your PDFs Locally with WPS Office
While waiting for Microsoft to resolve backend SharePoint web part bugs, you can rely on WPS Office to effortlessly manage, read, and edit your PDF documents locally. WPS Office provides a robust, lightweight, and completely free alternative to Microsoft Office.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and click the 'Free Download' button.
- 2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the setup.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and open your PDFs or Microsoft Office documents directly to start working.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the Highlighted Content web part show Word documents but not PDFs?
This usually occurs due to an indexing issue where the search crawler fails to pull PDF metadata, or it may be a known Microsoft backend bug affecting how the web part filters file types. Setting the document type filter to 'Any' and re-indexing the library is the first troubleshooting step.
How long does it take for PDFs to appear after re-indexing a SharePoint library?
Re-indexing is processed by SharePoint's background search crawler. It can take anywhere from 15 minutes to up to 24 hours, depending on the size of the library and current Microsoft 365 server loads.
Do I need admin rights to fix the Highlighted Content web part?
You need Site Owner or Site Member permissions to edit web parts and re-index a document library. However, if the issue is a bug requiring a Microsoft 365 support ticket and HAR log analysis, you will need Microsoft 365 global or support admin privileges.
