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How to Fix SharePoint News Web Part Thumbnail Size and Cropping
Question details
Users need a way to control the thumbnail dimensions for SharePoint Online News web parts because auto-generated thumbnails from page banners are often cropped or positioned incorrectly.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Publishing news posts where the thumbnail preview in the News web part cuts off important parts of the image.
- Observed behavior
- SharePoint automatically generates thumbnails from the banner image without a built-in dimension control, leading to poorly cropped images in the news feed.
Before modifying the page, prepare an image on your computer specifically cropped to a 16:9 aspect ratio to serve as your custom thumbnail replacement.
Manually Upload a Custom Thumbnail via Page Details
Since SharePoint lacks a universal thumbnail size control, the best approach is to override the auto-generated banner image by manually uploading a customized thumbnail.
By default, SharePoint News web parts pull the thumbnail directly from the page banner. Because banners are responsive and stretch based on screen size, the resulting thumbnail often crops unpredictably.
To ensure your image displays perfectly, you can bypass this default behavior by uploading a separate, pre-sized image directly into the page properties.
Navigate to the SharePoint news page that has the cropping issue. Click the 'Edit' button located at the top-right corner of the page.
On the top command bar, click on 'Page details' to open the properties pane on the right side of your screen.
Scroll down the properties pane until you find the Thumbnail section. Click 'Change thumbnail' and upload the custom image you prepared earlier.
Check the thumbnail preview. You can adjust the focal point of the banner if needed. Once satisfied, click 'Update news' or 'Republish' to apply the changes.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the recommended aspect ratio for a SharePoint News thumbnail?
While exact pixel sizes vary by screen size and specific web part layout, an aspect ratio of 16:9 is generally recommended to minimize awkward cropping in SharePoint.
Why is my SharePoint News thumbnail different from my page banner?
By default, SharePoint generates the thumbnail from the page banner. However, if a custom thumbnail was manually uploaded via the 'Page details' pane, it will override the banner image in the News feed.
Can I set a default thumbnail size for all SharePoint News posts globally?
No, SharePoint Online does not currently offer a global or universal setting to strictly control or lock the thumbnail dimensions for the News web part across a site.
