How To Create Web Part Page In SharePoint 2013: Custom Layouts With Minimal Coding

I cut my teeth on SharePoint 2013 during the Windows 10 rollout days. This platform still powers countless enterprise sites, and web part pages remain its most flexible building block.

The process looks intimidating at first glance, but it breaks down to three core steps. You’ll create a page template, add your web parts, then customize the layout—all without touching complex code.

What you’ll get is a dynamic page that pulls content from lists, libraries, or external sources. The same approach works for dashboards, team sites, or public-facing portals.

No special tools required—just SharePoint Designer and a browser. I’ve built dozens of these for clients, and the workflow hasn’t changed.

What Youll Need

Instructions

Here’s the procedure I follow to get a clean web part layout with minimal coding effort.

Open your SharePoint 2013 site and click the gear icon to access Site Settings. Under Site Actions, select Manage site features. Here’s the thing—you need to activate the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure feature at the site collection level first.

Once activated, return to Site Settings and activate the SharePoint Server Publishing feature for the specific site. This enables the Web Part Pages library, which is essential for creating custom layouts. Wait for the activation confirmation message to appear.

Go back to the site homepage and click Site Contents. Locate and open the Site Pages or Pages library. Click the Files tab in the ribbon, then select New Document and choose Web Part Page from the dropdown.

You’ll see several template options. Select the layout that best fits your needs, such as Header, Left Column, Body or Full Page, Vertical. Give the page a name like CustomDashboard and click Create. Verify the page opens in edit mode, ready for customization.

In edit mode, click Add a Web Part in any zone. The Categories pane will appear. Browse through the available web parts—Lists and Libraries, Media and Content, or Search are common choices. Select the web part you need, such as a List View or Content Editor, and click Add.

Once added, hover over the web part to reveal the edit dropdown. Click the arrow and select Edit Web Part. Configure properties like List Name, View, or Chrome Type. I always set the Chrome Type to None for a cleaner look. Click OK to save, then verify the web part displays the expected content.

To adjust the layout, click Edit Page in the ribbon. You can drag and drop web parts between zones or resize them by clicking and dragging the edges. For more advanced layouts, use the HTML Form Web Part to inject custom scripts or styles, but keep it minimal—this is where things can get messy.

Real talk: always check the page in both Edit and View modes. Some web parts behave differently when the page is published. Once satisfied, click Save & Close in the ribbon. Confirm the page loads correctly and all web parts render as intended.

With the page still in edit mode, click the Publishing tab in the ribbon. Select Publish to make the page visible to all users. If your site uses versioning, you may need to approve the page in the Pages library afterward.

Verify the page is live by navigating to it as a regular user. Check that all web parts display correctly and that the layout holds. If something breaks, revert to the last saved version from the Page History option in the ribbon.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These insights come from years of building SharePoint pages and learning the hard way.

Activation Order Matters: Always enable the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure at the site collection level first, as mentioned in Step 1. I learned this the hard way after spending hours troubleshooting why the Web Part Pages library wasn’t appearing. The site-level Publishing feature won’t work without it.

Template Selection Tip: In Step 2, when choosing a layout template, consider your future needs. The Header, Left Column, Body template is versatile for dashboards, but Full Page, Vertical works better for immersive content. Don’t overthink it—you can always adjust zones later in Step 4.

Chrome Type Pro Move: As I do in Step 3, setting the Chrome Type to None for every web part creates a seamless, professional look. This removes borders and titles that clutter your layout. It’s a small change that makes a big visual difference.

Always Test Both Modes: In Step 4, checking the page in both Edit and View modes catches issues before publishing. I’ve seen web parts render perfectly in Edit mode but collapse or disappear when published. Trust me on this one.

Frequently Asked Questions

Creating a Web Part Page in SharePoint 2013 is a straightforward process that unlocks powerful customization for your site. 🎯 With minimal coding, you can design dynamic layouts tailored to your needs. Now that you’ve mastered the basics, try experimenting with different web parts to enhance functionality and engagement!