What is Viva Connections? The boundary between the internal portal gateway available in M365 E3/E5 and additional Viva licenses
About this article
This article was created using an automated generation workflow powered by generative AI. Official Microsoft Viva Connections information was reviewed as of September 17, 2026, to help Microsoft 365 E3/E5 users determine what is included by default and where additional licensing is required.Verification Status: 📘 Official Microsoft information verified, actual device not tested
Viva Connections is an employee-facing gateway that makes SharePoint internal portals, news, links, and card-based work paths easy to use from Microsoft 365 and Teams. Rather than being a product for creating a new document repository, it is best understood as a front door designed to help users reach existing SharePoint and Microsoft 365 information without getting lost.
How far can it be used in E3/E5?
According to official Microsoft documentation, users with E, F, or A series Microsoft 365 subscriptions cancreate and use one experience. To create and use two or more experiences (up to 50), all users in the tenant must have a Microsoft Viva Suite or Viva Communications and Communities license.
| What you want to do | Basic scope of E3/E5 | Check additional licenses |
|---|---|---|
| Create one company-wide Connections | ○ | – |
| Use the SharePoint home site as the entry point | ○ | – |
| Place work cards on the dashboard | ○ | Check rights for card-side services separately |
| Use multiple experiences, such as by department | – | Check Viva Suite, etc. |
Try it first: Design with a single entry point
Rather than building out a company-wide portal from the start, begin with a plan that includes only the following three types.
1. 今日見る情報：全社ニュース 2. よく使う場所：申請・規程・FAQ 3. 自分が行うこと：勤怠や業務システムへの導線
Check this
Instead of checking whether information exists, verify whether usersknow what to click next. The value of Connections lies not in the number of pages, but in reducing confusion at the entry point.
Try changing one thing
Target just one link differently by user group and check if unnecessary navigation paths decrease for general staff and administrators. Increase large-scale targeting only after deciding on operations and update responsibilities.
Differences from SharePoint
SharePoint is the foundation that constitutes sites, pages, documents, lists, and more. Viva Connections is an experience that aggregates these for employees and makes them easily accessible from Microsoft 365 and Teams. Therefore, it is not an either-or choice between SharePoint and Connections.
Best practices for work
Do not put all information on the top screen
Determine the official source of truth for linked destinations
Designate someone responsible for deleting outdated news and links
Check the smartphone display as well
Keep audience targeting settings simple
Reconfirm additional Viva licenses when multiple experiences become necessary
Points for administrators to check
Managing Viva Connections is closely tied to SharePoint, involving Viva settings in the Microsoft 365 admin center and SharePoint administrator permissions. Check home sites, audience targeting, services connected by cards, and availability differences for mobile/GCC.
Official and primary sources
Plan Viva Connections for your organization: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/viva/connections/plan-viva-connections
Set up Viva Connections in the Microsoft 365 admin center: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/viva/connections/set-up-admin-center
Microsoft Viva service description: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/office365/servicedescriptions/microsoft-viva-service-description
Instead of thinking of Viva Connections as building another new intranet, it is easier to adopt if you start byorganizing the initial layer to reach existing information.
