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Fix SharePoint People Web Part Background Changed to White
Question details
The user needs to fix an issue where the SharePoint Online People web part ignores applied section colors and defaults to a white background.
- Product
- SharePoint Online
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Customizing site pages and applying background section colors in SharePoint Online.
- Observed behavior
- The People web part displays a white background on multiple pages, failing to inherit or display the selected section color.
Verify that your browser is up to date and clear your browser cache to ensure the white background is not caused by a localized display glitch.
Verify the Issue and Contact Microsoft Support
Since this behavior often indicates a product or service issue rather than a configuration error, confirming its scope and escalating to Microsoft Support is the recommended approach.
When the People web part consistently defaults to white despite section color settings, it is typically a server-side bug in SharePoint Online. Testing across multiple pages helps confirm that it is a widespread tenant issue requiring Microsoft's intervention.
Create a new SharePoint site page, add the People web part, and apply a section color. Check if the white background persists to confirm the issue is reproducible across the site.
Ensure you have Microsoft 365 administrator rights. If you are a standard user, you will need to contact your organization's IT administrator to proceed.
Log in to the Microsoft 365 admin center, navigate to the 'Support' section, and select 'New service request'. Describe the People web part background issue in detail.
Generate a HAR (HTTP Archive) log from your browser's Developer Tools while reproducing the issue, as the SharePoint product team will likely request this for troubleshooting.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the SharePoint People web part ignore my section color?
This is typically caused by a styling bug or backend update applied by Microsoft to SharePoint Online, which overrides the inherited section theme and forces a white background on the web part.
How do I generate a HAR log for Microsoft 365 support?
Open your web browser, press F12 to open Developer Tools, and navigate to the Network tab. Check the 'Preserve log' box, refresh the SharePoint page to reproduce the issue, right-click the network requests grid, and choose 'Save all as HAR with content'.
Can I fix the People web part background using custom CSS?
Modern SharePoint Online restricts custom CSS injections for security and stability reasons. Unless you are using a custom SPFx (SharePoint Framework) web part, you cannot easily override default modern web part styling, making a support ticket the best solution.
