How to Use Out-of-the-Box SharePoint Options to Display Events
Summary
SharePoint provides several native, built-in options for displaying events without requiring custom development or third-party solutions. Events can be presented through dedicated web parts, calendar views, board views, and highlighted content controls. This article explains how to use these out-of-the-box (OOTB) features to create event displays that meet common organizational needs, from simple calendar listings to featured event highlights on modern pages.
Understanding Your Event Display Options
SharePoint's out-of-the-box event capabilities serve different use cases and technical requirements. Before selecting an approach, consider your audience, frequency of updates, space constraints, and whether you need filtering or multiple viewing formats.
Events Web Part
The Events web part is the most straightforward way to display upcoming events on a SharePoint page. This web part connects to an Events list and automatically shows calendar entries based on configurable filters and date ranges.
To add the Events web part to a page:
Navigate to your SharePoint page and select Edit
Click Add a new web part (the plus icon)
Search for "Events" in the web part gallery
Select the Events web part and click to insert it
Once added, configure the web part properties:
Events source: Select the specific Events list that contains your event data
Display options: Choose whether to show upcoming events, past events, or all events
Date range: Set the number of days forward or backward to display
Number of events: Control how many events appear before users see a "View all" link
Layout: Select between list view and card-based layout depending on available space
The Events web part automatically handles date filtering and respects the time zone settings configured in your SharePoint tenant, meaning event times display correctly for users across different regions.
Calendar Views on Event Lists
Calendar views transform event list data into a traditional calendar grid. This approach is useful when users are accustomed to calendar navigation and prefer seeing events organized by date blocks.
To create a calendar view on an Events list:
Open your Events list
Select All Items view dropdown or the view switcher
Click Add view
Choose Calendar as the view type
Name the view (for example, "All Events Calendar" or "Upcoming Events")
Configure the calendar settings:
Title field: Select which column contains the event title
Start date field: Map to your event start date/time column
End date field: Select the end date field (if your events span multiple days)
Month/Week/Day views: Choose which viewing options to enable
Calendar views allow users to click individual dates to see all events scheduled for that day, and some users find this more intuitive than list-based presentations. However, calendar views may display fewer details about each event compared to a list view, so they work best when the event title alone provides sufficient context.
Board View for Event Organization
Board view presents events as cards organized into columns, typically useful for workflow-based event management or categorical grouping. While Board view is not exclusively for events, it can be effective for displaying events grouped by status, category, or event type.
To implement a Board view:
Open your Events list
Add a view and select Board
Name the view
Configure the board columns by selecting which list column represents your grouping (for example, event category, event type, or approval status)
Customize card display to show the most relevant event fields
Board view works best when your events have a natural categorization that helps users scan and discover events of interest. It can feel overcomplicated if your primary goal is simply listing upcoming events chronologically.
Using Events Web Parts with List Filtering
When you need to display events filtered by specific criteria—such as only showing departmental events or events within a certain category—configure the Events web part with list filtering options.
Most modern Events web parts support configuring filters based on list columns. Common filtering approaches include:
Event Category: Display only events tagged with "Town Hall" or "Training"
Department: Show only events relevant to a specific organizational unit
Audience: Limit display to events tagged for particular user groups
Status: Display only approved or published events
To enable filtering in the web part, access the web part properties and look for filter configuration options. The exact interface depends on your SharePoint version, but typically you can set default filter values that automatically populate when the page loads.
Highlighted Content Web Part for Featured Events
The Highlighted Content web part can be configured to show a featured selection of events, useful for emphasizing high-priority or upcoming significant events on your organization's home page or hub site.
To set up Highlighted Content for events:
Add the Highlighted Content web part to your page
Configure the content source to pull from your Events list
Set filter criteria to show only events you want featured (for example, events starting within the next 7 days, or events with a "Featured" tag)
Adjust the layout—choose cards, compact list, or other display options
Set the number of items to display (typically 3 to 5 for featured content)
The Highlighted Content web part gives you layout flexibility and can create visual emphasis for priority events, particularly when paired with images or thumbnail graphics associated with each event.
Creating and Structuring an Events List
Regardless of which display method you choose, the underlying Events list structure matters significantly.
Core Columns for an Events List
At minimum, include these columns:
Title (required): The event name
Start (Date/Time): When the event begins
End (Date/Time): When the event concludes
Location: Physical or virtual location
Description: Event summary or details
Optional But Useful Columns
Category: Tags events by type (Town Hall, Training, Social, etc.)
Department: Identifies which team organizes the event
Capacity: Number of attendees the venue can accommodate
Registration Required: Yes/No flag for RSVP events
Event Image: A featured image for the event
Cancelled: Boolean to mark cancelled events without deleting them
Choosing the right column structure upfront saves effort later. Avoid creating too many columns—a list with 20+ columns becomes difficult to manage and may slow page loading.
Organizing Events in a Dedicated List vs. Multi-Purpose List
Most organizations benefit from a dedicated Events list rather than adding event data to a general announcements or projects list. Dedicated lists are easier to filter, maintain consistent structure, and connect to specific web parts optimized for event data. The only exception is very small organizations where a single shared list saves administrative overhead.
Common Configuration Mistakes
Mistake 1: Forgetting to set correct date/time zones. Events may display at incorrect times if your list's time zone setting doesn't match your organization's time zone. Verify this in list settings, not just in the web part.
Mistake 2: Overloading the Events list with too many columns or complex fields. Excessive columns slow down the list and make it harder for organizers to add new events. Stick to essential fields and use metadata (tags, categories) for filtering instead.
Mistake 3: Using Calendar view when you need chronological list view. Calendar view works well for browsing a month at a time, but if users primarily want to see "the next 10 upcoming events," a list view or Events web part is more appropriate.
Mistake 4: Not hiding cancelled or past events. Configure views and web part filters to exclude past events unless that's explicitly needed, keeping the display focused on actionable information.
Mistake 5: Mixing event types in one list without clear categories. If your organization has very different event types (training sessions vs. social events vs. board meetings), consider separate lists with targeted web parts rather than one cluttered list.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can I embed a calendar view directly on a page without using a web part?
A: The Events web part is the standard method for embedding calendar functionality on a page. Calendar views exist within the list itself but are not web parts. If you need calendar display on a page, use the Events web part rather than trying to embed the list view directly.
Q: How far into the future does the Events web part display by default?
A: This depends on how you configure it, but many organizations set it to show events for the next 30, 60, or 90 days. You control this in the web part settings.
Q: Can I display events from multiple lists on a single page?
A: Add multiple Events web parts to the same page, each configured with a different list source. This approach works but can make the page crowded. Consider whether a single consolidated list might be better.
Q: Do I need a content approval workflow to publish events?
A: Not required, but it's a good practice for high-visibility event announcements. You can enable content approval on an Events list to require a manager or administrator to approve event postings before they appear in web parts.
Q: Can I export event data from SharePoint to other calendar systems?
A: SharePoint integrates with Outlook and Teams calendar through standard protocols. Users can subscribe to a SharePoint calendar in Outlook, and some organizations use third-party tools to sync SharePoint events to external systems, but this requires configuration beyond basic OOTB features.
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