Fix SharePoint News Web Part Cannot Find a Valid Site URL
Question details
The user is unable to link a SharePoint site to the News web part because the system returns an error stating it cannot find a valid site URL, despite the site being accessible.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Adding or configuring a News web part on a SharePoint page to aggregate news from a specific site.
- Observed behavior
- The web part fails to recognize the provided site URL, returning an error, even though the target site appears in the site selector and opens normally in a browser.
Ensure you have the appropriate permissions to edit the SharePoint page and verify that the target site is active, accessible, and not recently deleted.
Use the Home Page URL Instead of a Deep Link
Verify the URL format and test with alternative site URLs to determine if the issue is isolated to a single site or caused by an incorrect link structure.
The News web part relies on top-level or subsite root URLs to properly aggregate news posts. Using deep links pointing to specific document libraries, lists, or backend pages often triggers a validation error.
Open your SharePoint page in Edit mode, click the Edit web part pencil icon next to the News web part, and check if your target site appears naturally in the 'Select sites' list.
Navigate to the target SharePoint site in a new browser tab and copy the root home page URL (e.g., https://tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/sitename). Do not copy URLs that include paths to specific files or libraries.
Return to the News web part properties pane, paste the copied home page URL into the site URL field, and wait for the system to validate it.
If the error persists, paste the home page URL of a completely different SharePoint site. If the other site is accepted, the issue is isolated to the original site's settings or permissions.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the News web part say my site URL is invalid?
This commonly happens if you provide a deep link to a specific page or folder instead of the site's main home page URL. It can also occur if the site has been deleted, or if you lack the necessary permissions to read news from that destination.
Can I pull news from external websites into the SharePoint News web part?
No, the SharePoint News web part is specifically designed to roll up news posts created within SharePoint sites. To display content or news from external websites, you should use the Embed web part or an RSS web part.
How do I select multiple sites for the News web part?
In the News web part properties pane, choose 'Select sites' as the source. You can then search for and check the boxes next to multiple frequent, followed, or recent sites to aggregate their news posts into a single view.
