SharePoint Document Issues

How to Create a SharePoint Blog Without the Classic Blog Site Template

Elise Williams Oct 21, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users need an alternative method to publish blog-style content in their SharePoint environment because the traditional blog site creation option is no longer available.

How to Create a SharePoint Blog Without the Blog Site Template

Product: SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up a space to publish regular company news, updates, or articles similar to a traditional blog format.
Observed behavior: The classic Blog site template is missing from the template selection menu when attempting to create a new SharePoint site.

Before you start

Verify that you have Site Administrator or appropriate creation permissions in your Microsoft 365 environment to set up a new SharePoint communication site.

Solution 1Recommended

Use a Communication Site and News Posts

Since the retirement of the classic blog template in July 2020, Microsoft recommends using a modern communication site combined with the News web part to replicate blog functionality.

Modern communication sites offer a far more responsive, visually appealing, and feature-rich experience compared to the old classic blog sites. By treating individual news posts as your blog entries, you can easily distribute updates across your organization.

Create a new communication site

Navigate to your SharePoint start page and click 'Create site'. Select 'Communication site', choose a design (such as the 'Topic' layout), enter your site name, and click 'Finish'.

Add a News web part to the homepage

Go to your new site's homepage and click 'Edit' in the top right corner. Hover your mouse over the section where you want the blog feed to appear, click the '+' icon, and select the 'News' web part.

Configure the News layout

Click the 'Edit web part' icon (pencil) next to the newly added News section. Choose a layout that mimics a blog feed, such as 'List', 'Side-by-side', or 'Hub News', and then republish the page.

Publish your first blog entry as a News post

Click 'New' from the site menu and select 'News post'. Choose a page template, write your blog content, add any relevant images, and click 'Post news' to make it live on your site.

Mobile Ready: Unlike the classic blog templates, modern news posts automatically adapt to mobile screens and integrate seamlessly with the Microsoft SharePoint mobile app.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Draft Your Blog Content Effortlessly with WPS Office

While SharePoint handles your site hosting, writing well-formatted blog drafts requires a reliable word processor. WPS Office is a lightweight, free alternative to Microsoft Office that lets you compose and format your articles seamlessly before publishing them online.

1. Open WPS Writer: Launch WPS Office and open a new Writer document to start drafting your blog post.
2. Format your draft: Use the intuitive ribbon to apply Heading 1, Heading 2, and body text styles just as you would in Microsoft Word.
3. Copy to SharePoint: Once your draft is complete and proofread, simply copy the text and paste it into your new SharePoint News post. The modern SharePoint canvas will recognize and retain most of your basic formatting.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) formatsFree built-in AI writing and proofreading toolsLightweight installation with blazing fast launch speedsFamiliar tabbed interface requiring zero learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did Microsoft remove the SharePoint blog site template?

Microsoft retired the classic blog site template in July 2020 to encourage users to adopt modern communication sites, which offer better mobile responsiveness, improved accessibility, and seamless integration with Microsoft Teams.

Can I categorize my SharePoint news posts like a traditional blog?

Yes. You can add a custom 'Choice' column in your Site Pages library for categories (e.g., HR, Tech, Events). You can then edit your News web part to filter and display posts based on those specific category tags.

Is it possible to migrate an existing classic blog to the modern format?

Yes, administrators can use the SharePoint Page Transformation open-source tool provided by Microsoft to convert classic blog pages into modern site pages on a communication site.

Can users leave comments on modern SharePoint news posts?

Yes, page comments are enabled by default on modern SharePoint site pages. Visitors can leave comments and reply to threads at the bottom of your news post, replicating traditional blog engagement.

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