SharePoint Document Issues

Why Is the SharePoint Vertical Section Option Disabled and How to Fix It

Jason Miller Oct 15, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is unable to add a vertical section to the home page of a SharePoint communication site because the option is greyed out or disabled in the page editor.

Why Is the SharePoint Vertical Section Option Disabled?

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing the layout of the home page on a SharePoint communication site.
Observed behavior: The vertical section layout option appears in the section editor menu but is disabled and cannot be selected.

Before you start

Ensure you have Site Owner or Designer permissions on your SharePoint communication site, as you will need to create new pages and modify the site's default home page settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a New Site Page and Set It as the Home Page

Bypass the default home page limitation by creating a new communication site page where vertical sections are fully supported, then assigning it as the new home page.

By design, SharePoint disables the vertical section feature on the default home page of a communication site. However, the feature is fully available on any newly created modern page within the same communication site or on team-site pages.

Create a new modern page

Navigate to your SharePoint communication site. Click 'New' in the top navigation bar and select 'Page'. Choose a 'Blank' layout or your preferred template, then click 'Create page'.

Add a vertical section

In the new page editor, click the '+' (Add a new section) icon located on the left margin of the page. Select 'Vertical section' from the layout options. The option will now be enabled and ready to use.

Populate and publish the page

Add your desired web parts into the main sections and the newly added vertical section. Once you have finished building the page, give it a title and click 'Publish' in the top right corner.

Set as the new home page

Click the settings gear icon in the top right corner and select 'Site contents', then navigate to the 'Site Pages' library. Right-click the newly published page (or click the three dots next to it) and select 'Make homepage'.

Create a New Site Page and Set It as the Home Page

Team Sites vs. Communication Sites: If you are working on a SharePoint Team site rather than a Communication site, the vertical section option is generally available directly on the default home page without needing to create a replacement page.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I force the vertical section to enable on the existing communication site home page?

No, Microsoft explicitly disables the vertical section layout on the default, out-of-the-box home page of communication sites. You must use the workaround of creating a new page and setting it as the home page.

Why is the vertical section missing entirely from my SharePoint page?

The vertical section option is only available on modern SharePoint pages. If you are using a classic SharePoint page, or if your modern page has a restricted layout inherited from an older template, the option will not appear.

How does a vertical section look on mobile devices?

Because modern SharePoint pages are responsive, a vertical section will not appear side-by-side on smaller screens. Instead, it moves to the bottom of the page, displaying below the main body content when viewed on a mobile device.

Can I adjust the width of the vertical section in SharePoint?

No, the width of the vertical section is fixed by SharePoint's responsive design grid (taking up approximately one-third of the page on standard desktop screens) and cannot be manually resized.

Document & File Issues