Archives

Whimsical forest scene with three gnomes at a stone bridge labelled Identity Transition: on the App Registration side, a gnome holds old keys beside a chest of secrets and tokens and a scroll listing client secret and certificate; in the middle, a gnome hands a glowing OIDC token scroll across the bridge; on the Managed Identity side, a gnome stands among shields reading No Secrets, Auto-Rotated, and Secure Access — symbolizing the move from stored credentials to federated identities.

Goodbye, Client Secrets: Passwordless CI/CD to SharePoint with App Registrations, Managed Identities, and Federated Credentials

How GitHub Actions, Azure DevOps, and GitLab CI/CD authenticate to Microsoft Entra ID and create SharePoint sites without a stored secret — workload identity federation with app registrations and managed identities, plus the PnP PowerShell and CLI for Microsoft 365 contributions that came out of building the demos.

Fabian Hutzli

2026-07-27

17 minutes to read

Two gnome artisans guide a teal SPFx panel into a purple Copilot conversation while light travels in both directions, representing intent flowing to the component and a follow-up returning to Copilot.

Potentiate Your SPFx Development with Copilot

SPFx components can now run inside Microsoft 365 Copilot and continue the conversation in both directions. Let’s explore why SharePoint Copilot Apps are such an exciting next step for SPFx.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-07-14

9 minutes to read

Whimsical enchanted forest scene with two gnomes wielding magical wands beside a giant tree. On the left a cloud holds scattered, disordered documents; on the right an organized bookshelf with glowing orbs — symbolizing the cleanup of old file versions into structured, well-governed storage.

SharePoint Online Storage Optimization: Cleaning Up the Red Category

A phased version-history cleanup of the largest Teams-connected SharePoint sites reclaimed 10.1 TB of storage — with reporting, owner communication, and governance built into the process.

Fabian Hutzli

2026-06-29

8 minutes to read

A warm gnome workshop: one gnome paints a framed landscape on a brass easel while another holds up an unfurled page-scroll, golden threads carrying the page's content into the canvas; a third gnome shelves finished framed images. A visual metaphor for imageo generating page-grounded images in SharePoint.

imageo — generating page-grounded images inside SharePoint with Microsoft Foundry’s MAI-Image-2

Microsoft released MAI-Image-2-Efficient, a fast and low-cost version of its image model. I wanted to see what it could do inside SharePoint, so I built imageo: an open-source SPFx 1.23 Application Customizer that generates brand-styled images grounded in the page you’re editing.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-05-28

6 minutes to read

A gnome reviewer at a wooden lectern under spring light, reading a long unfurled scroll. Beside the scroll, a stack of small folded note-cards labelled with red ribbons, each held by a brass MCP connector lowering onto the document at exactly the right line. A second gnome — the author — standing back, watching the comments arrive. Warm sunlit golds, parchment whites, a sense of careful inline annotation rendered as craftsmanship.

MCP365 Explorer — Read, reason, annotate: chat-driven Word document review via MCP

Second post in the agentic track. Same Tiny Agents loop, different scenario shape — the LLM reads a Word document, identifies what’s worth flagging, and writes inline comments back via the Work IQ Word MCP server. One prompt, one chat, no inline-comment plumbing on my side.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-05-18

5 minutes to read

A bright airy gnome workshop on a late-spring morning. Three diverse gnome artisans work across a long pale-oak workbench divided into three numbered sections — write, read, reason. A Black woman gnome adds a glowing brass entry at 'write.' A Middle Eastern man gnome leafs through earlier ledger pages at 'read.' An East Asian woman gnome stands hands clasped at 'reason,' no tool in hand, with a faint thought-cloud of brass-glowing characters rising above. A SharePoint scroll on the back wall threads brass MCP connectors and JSON-RPC ribbons through each workstation. Sunlit golds, sky-blues, pale-oak, motes of pollen in the sunbeam. Slightly more refined composition than earlier posts in the series, in a brighter seasonal mood.

MCP365 Explorer — From buttons to language: chat with the SharePoint Lists MCP server

First post in the agentic track of the MCP365 Explorer series. I connect Microsoft Foundry to the Work IQ SharePoint Lists MCP server with a thirty-line tool-calling loop in the browser, hand-rolled rather than pulled from a framework.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-05-03

9 minutes to read

A bright airy gnome workshop on a late-spring morning, sunlight streaming through an open window onto a group of four diverse gnome artisans collaborating around a tall sealed wooden-and-brass vault etched with subtle Easy Auth and managed-identity glyphs. In the foreground, a Black woman gnome holds up a softly glowing brass token-key. Beside her, a Middle Eastern man gnome works at an anvil; an East Asian woman gnome annotates glyphs on the vault; an older Latina woman gnome inspects an ordinary plain brass key that has been retired to the workbench. Fine JSON-RPC threads of light catch the sun as they weave through the room. Soft sky-blues and warm sunlit golds, pale-oak floors, brass tools and small wildflowers on the bench — a scene of shared craft on a clear seasonal morning. Slightly more refined composition than earlier posts in the series, keeping the artisan-warmth of the puntobello style in a brighter, more open seasonal mood.

MCP365 Explorer — a hardened SPFx → Microsoft Foundry path, open-sourced

Using an LLM backend from an SPFx web part is becoming routine. Wiring it up securely is still where projects bleed time. spfx-foundry-deploy is a small Node script framework that provisions a Microsoft Foundry resource and a hardened Function App proxy from one config file.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-04-27

7 minutes to read

A gnome scribe at a tall wooden writing desk composing a glowing parchment document. Ink bottles line the desk, a brass MCP connector feeds JSON-RPC threads into document pages with illuminated chapter letters. Floating comment scrolls tied with red ribbons show reply arrows looping back to their parents. Warm candlelight, rich blues and golds, a sense of craftsmanship and collaborative annotation.

MCP365 Explorer — Work IQ Word: creating, reading, and annotating documents

Exploring the Work IQ Word server with 4 tools — create documents, read content, and annotate with comments and replies — all from an SPFx webpart, no backend required.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-04-19

4 minutes to read

A gnome archivist in a cozy workshop surrounded by floating file scrolls and folder boxes, a brass MCP connector feeding JSON-RPC threads into a tall wooden cabinet organizing files. A glowing magnifying glass hovers mid-search, a quota meter shows a fill level, and a small cloud icon drifts above the cabinet. Warm candlelight, rich blues and golds, wooden textures, a sense of personal archive and file stewardship.

MCP365 Explorer — Work IQ OneDrive: browse, search, and manage personal files

Exploring the new dedicated Work IQ OneDrive server with 13 tools — from getting drive metadata and searching files to a full CRUD surface for personal OneDrive, all from an SPFx webpart.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-04-12

4 minutes to read

A friendly squirrel mascot wearing a small toolbelt, sitting on top of a stack of SPFx upgrade reports next to a softly glowing terminal window. Cyan and green accents, a workshop atmosphere, methodical and unhurried.

Introducing PANTOUM — automated SPFx upgrades, inside guardrails

Introducing PANTOUM, an open-source SPFx upgrade automation tool. Deterministic patches for the repetitive work, AI inside guardrails for the tricky migrations, and reports you can attach to a pull request.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-04-09

10 minutes to read

A gnome messenger stands in a cozy workshop with floating conversation bubbles connected by golden threads. Each bubble contains tiny team icons and channel symbols. A brass MCP connector on the workbench feeds JSON-RPC threads into the bubbles. Some bubbles have reply arrows looping back. Warm candlelight, rich blues and purples, a sense of collaboration and communication.

MCP365 Explorer — Work IQ Teams: teams, channels, and messages

Exploring the Work IQ Teams server with 28 tools — from listing teams and channels to sending messages, all from an SPFx webpart.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-04-02

3 minutes to read

Azure Container App Job running SharePoint maintenance tasks on a scheduled basis.

Azure Container App Jobs: Run Maintenance Tasks Without the Overhead

How to use Azure Container App Jobs with PowerShell, managed identity, and Terraform to run scheduled Microsoft 365 governance checks — no secrets, no always-on infrastructure, no image rebuilds for script changes.

Fabian Hutzli

2026-04-01

9 minutes to read

A gnome postmaster stands in a warm workshop sorting glowing letter envelopes that float through the air, each sealed with a different colored wax seal. A brass MCP connector device on the workbench feeds golden JSON-RPC threads into a mail sorting rack. Some envelopes have small attachment icons glowing on them. A reply arrow loops back from one envelope to the sorting rack. Warm candlelight, rich blues and golds, a sense of communication and organization.

MCP365 Explorer — Work IQ Mail: search, draft, send, and reply

Exploring the Work IQ Mail server with 22 tools — including a Copilot-powered semantic search that summarizes your emails with citations.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-03-30

4 minutes to read

A gnome timekeeper stands before a large magical calendar floating in the air, with glowing event cards sliding into time slots. Golden clock hands and meeting room icons orbit around the calendar. A brass MCP connector at the base pulses with JSON-RPC threads. Warm candlelight, rich blues and golds, a sense of time and scheduling.

MCP365 Explorer — Work IQ Calendar: events, meetings, and availability

Exploring the Work IQ Calendar server with 13 tools : from listing events and finding meeting times to creating Teams meetings, all from an SPFx webpart.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-03-26

3 minutes to read

A delivery pipeline platform for the Microsoft Power Platform, illustrating automated CI/CD stages from development through pre-production to production.

Building a Delivery Platform for the Microsoft Power Platform: Lessons from My Master’s Thesis

How I designed and built an automated delivery platform for Microsoft Power Platform as part of my master’s thesis — covering ALM, CI/CD with GitLab, quality gates, and real-world validation in an enterprise environment.

Fabian Hutzli

2026-03-24

19 minutes to read

A gnome craftsman stands in a workshop filled with glowing SharePoint list scrolls stacked on shelves. The gnome is assembling a miniature project board from golden columns and rows that float into place — each row carrying tiny task cards with status badges (green, amber, red). A brass MCP connector on the workbench feeds structured JSON threads into the floating board. Warm candlelight, blues and golds, a sense of building and organizing.

MCP365 Explorer — Work IQ SharePoint: 35 tools for sites, lists, and files

Exploring the consolidated Work IQ SharePoint server with 35 tools — from finding sites to creating folders and uploading files, all from an SPFx webpart.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-03-23

5 minutes to read

A gnome developer sits at a workbench surrounded by eight glowing crystal orbs — each representing a Microsoft 365 MCP server — with delicate golden JSON-RPC threads connecting them to a central testing apparatus made of glass and brass. The workbench is covered in scrolls showing tool schemas, and a magnifying glass hovers over one of the orbs revealing the tools inside. Warm workshop lighting, rich blues and golds, technical yet magical atmosphere.

MCP365 Explorer — Microsoft 365 Work IQ MCP Servers

A hands-on developer series on Microsoft 365’s Work IQ MCP servers — SharePoint, Calendar, Mail, Teams and more — called directly from an SPFx web part over JSON-RPC, no backend.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-03-19

12 minutes to read

Enchanted forest atelier where a gnome painter stands before a large canvas on an easel, painting with brushes that trail glowing code instead of pigment — golden TypeScript symbols, blue React components, and purple SVG paths swirl from the brush strokes onto the canvas which shows the emerging face of a friendly magical book creature (a grimoire) with expressive eyes. A gentle blue AI spirit floats beside the gnome, guiding the brush hand with soft light. Paint pots on the floor contain glowing colors labeled with tiny Microsoft 365 logos. Warm candlelight, cozy atmosphere, rich forest greens and warm golden tones.

Painting GriMoire

How AI transformed building a SharePoint AI assistant from engineering into something closer to painting — my SharePoint Hackathon 2026 submission story.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-03-16

7 minutes to read

Whimsical enchanted forest scene with two gnomes wielding magical wands beside a giant tree. The tree holds a cloud of scattered documents on the left side and an organized bookshelf with glowing orbs on the right, symbolizing storage optimization — transforming cluttered data into structured, well-managed information.

SharePoint Online Storage: Usage, Main Consumers, and Optimization Strategies

A real-world look at SharePoint Online storage management — from identifying the biggest consumers to optimizing version history and building a phased action plan for an 8,000-user tenant.

Fabian Hutzli

2026-02-26

8 minutes to read

Enchanted forest observatory where a diverse group of gnomes — different genders, skin tones, and ages — peer through an ornate crystalline looking glass mounted on a golden pedestal, revealing swirling layers of glowing data — golden document fragments, blue semantic threads connecting related concepts, and tiny sparkling relevance scores floating like fireflies. Warm ambient light emanates from the looking glass, illuminating two distinct magical pathways in the background: a retrieval path of scattered text scrolls, and a search path of neatly ordered tomes on shelves. An elder gnome with dark skin strokes her chin thoughtfully while a younger gnome with red hair points excitedly at the swirling data. No humanoid spirits or ghostly figures. Cozy, warm atmosphere with rich forest greens and golden tones.

Exploring the Microsoft 365 Copilot APIs with an SPFx Webpart

An SPFx webpart to explore and test the Microsoft 365 Copilot Retrieval and Search APIs — understanding semantic search and AI-powered retrieval in your tenant.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-02-24

6 minutes to read

Whimsical gnome illustration showing the evolution from manual scripting to modern cloud deployment, representing the progression of the PuntoBello Installer

Evolution of the PuntoBello Installer

We regularly evolve our internal tools as our projects, artefacts, and delivery requirements change. This post explains what has changed with the PuntoBello Installer since September 2024 and why the tool is now much more flexible than before.

Fabian Hutzli

2026-02-04

4 minutes to read

A diverse group of guardian elves at a magical gateway in an enchanted forest, protecting SharePoint from shadow creatures while allowing trusted glowing orbs to pass through

SharePoint Online CSP Enforcement: A Practical Guide

Prepare for SharePoint Online CSP enforcement — trusted script sources, DelayContentSecurityPolicyEnforcement, and how to test Content Security Policy before it’s enforced.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-01-12

5 minutes to read

Enchanted forest workshop scene where gnome engineers transition from a rusty orange-gold clockwork machine (old Gulp system) to a crystalline teal magical forge (new Heft system), with glowing environment variable orbs floating across a transformation bridge

Environment Variables in SPFx 1.22+ with Heft: 4 Approaches

An opinionated guide to implementing environment variables in SPFx 1.22+ with the new Heft build system, covering four approaches with code examples and recommendations.

Nello D'Andrea

2026-01-07

6 minutes to read

Retro arcade cabinet displaying SharePoint Christmas games with pixelated Santa and snowflakes

A Christmas Gift: Redefining the SharePoint Central Administration

Having moved to the cloud years ago, I was missing one important piece: the SharePoint Central Administration. So I redesigned it to be a bit more fancy and Christmas-like.

Nello D'Andrea

2025-12-10

6 minutes to read

Enchanted forest coding academy where wise gnome masters teach apprentices seven magical techniques, each represented by a glowing scroll. A blue AI spirit (Claude Code) hovers above, channeling knowledge through golden streams of light. Different workstations show gnomes practicing: code exploration with magical telescopes, cross-solution bridges, context management with crystal orbs, and bold experimentation at the edge of possibility

An Anthropologic Approach to Coding : Mastery and Methods

Seven powerful techniques I’ve mastered for maximizing productivity with Claude Code - from fast code exploration to bold experimentation

Nello D'Andrea

2025-10-03

6 minutes to read

Enchanted forest workshop scene with bearded gnomes gathered around ancient scrolls filled with crossed-out plans and lessons learned, some gnomes scratching their heads in confusion while others nod wisely. A friendly blue AI spirit (Claude Code) hovers patiently above, emanating soft golden light that illuminates floating error messages transforming into butterflies. Magical chalkboard shows 'Plan Mode' in glowing runes, with broken gears being carefully repaired, symbolizing learning from mistakes

An Anthropologic Approach to Coding : Field Notes on Failure

Lessons learned from failures with Claude Code - from abandoned plans to lost work, each mistake taught me valuable insights about AI-assisted development

Nello D'Andrea

2025-09-10

8 minutes to read

Enchanted forest workshop scene with bearded gnomes gathered around a glowing computer terminal, a friendly blue AI spirit floating above, and magical code symbols cascading like golden fireflies, bridging 1984's Electric Dreams with modern AI coding

An Anthropologic Approach to Coding : Introduction

From 1984’s Electric Dreams to 2025’s AI reality - my journey with Claude Code and why it’s transforming how I write software.

Nello D'Andrea

2025-09-02

8 minutes to read

Microsoft Innovation Hub in Zürich with developers working on SharePoint Copilot and Declarative Agents

Two Days at the Microsoft Circle: Building with SharePoint Copilot and Declarative Agents

A recap of two PoC cases implemented at the Microsoft Innovation Hub in Zürich using SharePoint and Declarative Agents

Nello D'Andrea

2025-05-19

4 minutes to read

Clock and cache optimization diagram showing deferred caching strategy with time intervals

The right time to cache, a deferred approach

Why you should avoid caching data just in time and instead optimize for a better user experience.

Nello D'Andrea

2025-02-17

5 minutes to read

Software upgrade process diagram with version arrows and SPFx components

How to Upgrade SPFx Solutions to the Latest Version

A step-by-step walkthrough for upgrading SPFx solutions to the latest version — package bumps, breaking changes, and the manual steps the official upgrade guide skips.

Nello D'Andrea

2025-01-08

4 minutes to read

European SharePoint Conference venue with attendees and presentation screens

The Fantastic European SharePoint Conference

And why you should attend it

Nello D'Andrea

2024-12-11

4 minutes to read

Developer workspace showing successful SPFx development with code editor and SharePoint interface

Succeeding with SPFx

A guide on how to set up your SPFx development and succeed

Nello D'Andrea

2024-11-14

6 minutes to read

Data flow diagram showing SPFx components connecting to Azure Service Bus with message queues

Two-Way Ticket from SPFx to Azure Service Bus and Back

How to use the Azure Service Bus directly from SPFx

Nello D'Andrea

2024-11-11

4 minutes to read

Soccer training field with libero player position highlighted and multilingual communication bubbles

Training the Libero 🛡️

Customizing multilinguality when using SPFx

Nello D'Andrea

2024-11-07

4 minutes to read

Authentication flow diagram with security keys, certificates, and login interfaces, illustrating the complex world of authentication mechanisms for PowerShell and Azure services

Navigating the Complex World of Login Mechanisms: Real-Life Insights with PnP.PowerShell

In this post, we’ll dive into the world of login mechanisms and explore how they work in real-life scenarios.

Fabian Hutzli

2024-11-01

11 minutes to read

Code editor showing SharePoint page parsing with JSON structure and HTML elements

Parsing SharePoint Pages with CanvasContent1

How to read a modern SharePoint page’s CanvasContent1 with SPFx and PnPjs, then parse it with DOMParser to extract headings, web parts, and section structure.

Nello D'Andrea

2024-10-30

5 minutes to read

An in-page navigation interface showing a table of contents sidebar with clickable anchor links and a scroll-to-top button for easy page navigation

Long Content Pages – Stay on Track with In-page Navigation

Being able to access the necessary information quickly and efficiently is essential for our employees today. Particularly with extensive content pages, this can pose a challenge. With our in-page navigation, we offer a solution that not only enhances clarity but also maximises user-friendliness.

Nicole Beck Dekkara

2024-10-29

2 minutes to read

A dynamic news feed interface displaying corporate news articles with channel subscriptions, sticky news highlights, and multilingual content options

News – The Heart of the Intranet

For corporate communications, the news section for internal communication is the heart of our intranet. Our employees can read company-wide news tailored to their needs in their preferred language.

Nicole Beck Dekkara

2024-10-16

3 minutes to read

Azure cloud infrastructure and development tools visualization, showcasing the integration of Azure resources with the PuntoBello Installer deployment process

Deploy Az resources and integrate PuntoBello Installer

The PuntoBello Installer enables the deployment and configuration of SharePoint elements and the build and deployment of SPFx solutions.

Fabian Hutzli

2024-10-15

6 minutes to read

Network socket connections warming up with glowing data streams

Warm Up Your SOCKet 🧦

Load Testing WebSockets as Winter Approaches

Nello D'Andrea

2024-10-15

5 minutes to read

A hierarchical taxonomy structure visualization showing term groups and term sets organized in multiple languages for multilingual content management

I Love Term Store – Why Terms are so Useful in a Multilingual Intranet

The love for the Term Store was not immediate; it developed over time as I realised how greatly it addresses many challenges that a multilingual intranet presents.

Nicole Beck Dekkara

2024-10-09

4 minutes to read

Introducing the Libero 🛡️

Understanding multilinguality when using SPFx

Nello D'Andrea

2024-10-09

5 minutes to read

Soccer ball with multilingual text representing SharePoint language features

Playing S⚽ccer with SharePoint Online, Part 2

Understand multilingual publishing in SharePoint Online, Part 2

Nello D'Andrea

2024-10-02

9 minutes to read

Automated deployment pipeline with interconnected gears and workflows in a forest setting, representing the streamlined build and deployment process for SharePoint Framework solutions

Automate the Build- and Deployment Process with the PuntoBello Installer

If you’re working with SharePoint Framework (SPFx) solutions, you know how important it is to have a smooth deployment process. However, it can get tricky, especially when different environments require specific configurations.

Fabian Hutzli

2024-10-01

9 minutes to read

Soccer field layout with SharePoint components as players in different positions

Playing S⚽ccer with SharePoint Online, Part 1

Understand multilingual publishing in SharePoint Online, Part 1

Nello D'Andrea

2024-09-25

6 minutes to read

Code injection and observation patterns visualized with dependency arrows

To Observe and to Inject: Enhancing SharePoint with React Components

How to handle React component injection with the observable pattern

Nello D'Andrea

2024-09-18

6 minutes to read

A personalized application launcher interface showing a grid of business application icons and tiles for quick access

My Applications: One of the most popular use cases in the intranet - despite browser favorites

Why is ‘My Applications’ one of the most popular features on our intranet? There are several good reasons for this. Firstly, the links are maintained centrally and in multiple languages so they are always up to date. Secondly, they are accessible from any intranet page, any device, any browser, and they can be customised!

Nicole Beck Dekkara

2024-09-17

4 minutes to read

A collection of multilingual document cards displaying the same document in different languages with language labels and connection indicators

Document cards: these are the benefits for our users and publishers

Does this challenge sound familiar? Need to get documents in multiple languages up on your intranet fast and easy? And you do not want to republish all the content pages in all languages? If that sounds like something you could use, our multilingual document cards are definitely worth checking out.

Nicole Beck Dekkara

2024-09-03

3 minutes to read

Creative lightbulb moment representing the inception of PuntoBello blog

PuntoBello: Open-sourcing our SharePoint enhancements

Inspired by the Microsoft 365 community, we’re contributing by open-sourcing our SharePoint intranet solutions with PuntoBello.

Nello D'Andrea

2024-09-02

3 minutes to read

Welcome to PuntoBello.ch

PuntoBello.ch is your resource for insights and components related to Microsoft 365, SharePoint, SPFx, and Azure.

2024-09-02

One minute to read