SharePoint Document Issues

Fix SharePoint Online Discussion Board Like Button Missing

Rana Garcia Oct 20, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is trying to find and use the Like or rating button in a SharePoint Online discussion board.

Fix SharePoint Online Discussion Board Like Button Missing

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up or interacting with a discussion board inside a SharePoint Online modern team site.
Observed behavior: The Like or rating button is completely unavailable and hidden from the discussion board topics.

Before you start

Verify that you have SharePoint Administrator privileges, as you will need access to the SharePoint Admin Center to create a classic site and adjust list settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Classic Team Site to Enable Ratings

Since modern team sites do not support the Like feature for discussion boards, you must create a classic team site and enable ratings within its list settings.

Microsoft handles user interactions differently in modern SharePoint experiences. The native Like and rating buttons for traditional discussion boards are strictly supported only in classic team sites.

To restore this functionality, you need to deploy a classic team site from the admin center and manually toggle the rating settings.

Open SharePoint Admin Center

Create a Classic Team Site

Click on 'Sites' in the left menu, then 'Active sites'. Select 'Create', click 'Other options', choose 'More templates', and explicitly select 'Team Site (classic experience)'.

Set Up the Discussion Board

Navigate to the newly created classic team site and add the Discussion Board app to your site contents.

Enable Ratings in List Settings

Open the discussion board, click the gear icon to access 'List settings'. Find the 'Rating settings' option, and toggle the setting to enable ratings and the Like button.

Verify the Like Button

Return to the discussion board homepage and verify that users now have the option to like and rate discussion topics.

Create a Classic Team Site to Enable Ratings

Modern Alternatives: If your organization is phasing out classic sites, consider using Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) or Microsoft Teams for modern social discussions, as they natively support modern interaction features.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I force the Like button to appear on a modern SharePoint site?

No, the traditional discussion board Like button relies on classic SharePoint architecture and is not supported in the modern experience. You must use a classic team site to access it.

How do I switch between Star Ratings and Likes?

In your discussion board's 'List settings', click on 'Rating settings'. Under 'Which voting/rating experience you would like to enable for this list?', you can select either 'Likes' or 'Star Ratings'.

Why did the rating feature disappear after connecting to a Microsoft 365 Group?

Connecting a classic team site to a Microsoft 365 Group modernizes the site's homepage and default behaviors. While the underlying classic lists still exist, modern pages do not render classic discussion board web parts with the Like button properly.

Document & File Issues