Managing Departments

Admin  This guide is for SharePoint administrators who want to customise how departments are displayed.

By default, TeamBook Employee Directory reads department names directly from the Department field in Microsoft Entra ID. No configuration is needed for this to work.

However, if you want to:

  • Use friendlier display names than the raw Entra ID values
  • Add descriptions or photos to department tiles
  • Hide certain departments from the people hub

…you can set up a custom Departments SharePoint list and point the web part to it.

Creating the Departments list

  1. Go to the SharePoint site where the web part is installed.
  2. Click the Settings gear → Add an app → Custom List.
  3. Name it TB_Departments (or any name you prefer — you will provide the URL in the property pane).
  4. Add the following columns:

Required columns

Column nameTypeDescription
TitleSingle line of textThe display name shown in the departments tile (e.g. “Human Resources”)
EntraID_DepartmentSingle line of textThe exact value from the department field in Entra ID (e.g. “HR”) — used to match users to this department

Optional columns

Column nameTypeDescription
DescriptionMultiple lines of textA short description shown on the department tile
PhotoImageA banner image for the department tile
SortOrderNumberControls the order departments appear in the tile grid (lower numbers first)
HiddenYes/NoSet to Yes to exclude this department from the people hub

Populating the list

Add one item per department. The EntraID_Department value must match exactly what is stored in Entra ID — it is case-sensitive. If it doesn’t match, users in that department will not appear under the tile.

Example:

TitleEntraID_DepartmentDescription
Human ResourcesHRPeople, hiring, and wellbeing
EngineeringEngineeringProduct development and infrastructure
Sales & MarketingSalesRevenue and growth

Linking the list to the web part

  1. Edit the SharePoint page containing the web part.
  2. Open the property pane (click the web part, then the pencil icon).
  3. Under Departments data source, change the dropdown from Entra ID to SharePoint List.
  4. In the Departments list URL field, enter the URL of your list (e.g. https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com/sites/intranet/Lists/TB_Departments).
  5. Click Apply and publish the page.

Maintaining the list

  • Add a new list item whenever a new department is created in your organisation.
  • Update Title if a department is renamed.
  • Update EntraID_Department if the Entra ID value changes.
  • Set Hidden = Yes to temporarily remove a department from the people hub without deleting the list item.
Note: Deleting a list item removes the department tile from the people hub. People whose Entra ID department matches it will simply appear under "All people" in the directory — they are never hidden from search.