check before: 2025-11-15
Product:
Entra, Microsoft 365 Groups, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Viva Engage, Teams
Platform:
Online, US Instances, Web, Windows Desktop, World tenant
Status:
In development
Change type:
Admin impact, New feature, Updated message, User impact
Links:
Details:
Summary:
Microsoft Viva Engage is introducing flexible, precise audience targeting for Storyline Announcements, allowing leaders to define custom audiences using organizational attributes, groups, or individuals at posting time. Public preview runs mid-November 2025 to mid-March 2026; general availability follows. No admin action needed, but validating organizational data is recommended.
Details:
Updated February 5, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
We're introducing more flexible and precise audience targeting in Viva Engage, starting with Storyline Announcements. This update allows leaders and their delegates to define a custom audience at the time of posting-without relying on pre-configured Leader Audiences. Audiences can include organizational attributes (such as reporting structure, country, department, job title), existing groups (Microsoft 365 Groups, DLs, SGs), or individual users by name. This flexibility enables more timely, targeted communication, helping leaders reach the right people with the right message. Notifications and delivery channels (such as Teams, email) will continue to follow existing Storyline Announcement behavior, ensuring a seamless experience for recipients.
This feature is ideal for leaders who want to tailor communications to specific departments, locations, or existing groups, enhancing relevance and engagement across the organization.
This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 499895.
[When this will happen:]
Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins mid-November 2025 and completes by mid-March 2026 (previously early February).
General Availability (Worldwide): Begins mid-March 2026 (previously early February) and completes by mid-April 2026 (previously early March).
Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:
General Availability, Preview
Created:
2025-11-05
updated:
2026-02-06
Task Type
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Docu to Check
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MS How does it affect me
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MS Preperations
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MS Urgency
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MS workload name
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linked item details
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summary for non-techies**
Microsoft Viva Engage is introducing a feature that allows leaders to target Storyline Announcements based on specific criteria like department or job title, enhancing communication precision without requiring prior setup, and is available on desktop and web versions with a premium license.
Direct effects for Operations**
Inaccurate Targeting of Announcements
Without preparation, leaders may target the wrong audience due to outdated or incorrect organizational attributes, leading to confusion and disengagement among users.
- roles: Leaders, Delegates
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/organizational-data, https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=499895
User Experience Degradation
If leaders do not validate audience data, users may receive irrelevant announcements, negatively impacting their experience and reducing the perceived value of communications.
- roles: End Users, Communications Team
- references: https://learn.microsoft.com/viva/organizational-data, https://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-365/roadmap?filters=&searchterms=499895
Configutation Options**
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Data Protection**
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IT Security**
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explanation for non-techies**
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** AI generated content. This information must be reviewed before use.
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change history
| Date | Property | old | new |
| 2026-02-06 | MC MessageTagNames | New feature, User impact, Admin impact | Updated message, New feature, User impact, Admin impact |
| 2026-02-06 | MC Summary | Microsoft Viva Engage introduces flexible, precise audience targeting for Storyline Announcements, allowing leaders to define custom audiences using organizational attributes, groups, or individuals at posting time. Public preview starts mid-November 2025; general availability begins February 2026. Requires premium licensing and accurate organizational data. | Microsoft Viva Engage is introducing flexible, precise audience targeting for Storyline Announcements, allowing leaders to define custom audiences using organizational attributes, groups, or individuals at posting time. Public preview runs mid-November 2025 to mid-March 2026; general availability follows. No admin action needed, but validating organizational data is recommended. |
| 2026-02-06 | MC Last Updated | 11/19/2025 22:30:20 | 2026-02-05T18:55:12Z |
| 2026-02-06 | MC Messages | We're introducing more flexible and precise audience targeting in Viva Engage, starting with Storyline Announcements. This update allows leaders and their delegates to define a custom audience at the time of posting-without relying on pre-configured Leader Audiences. Audiences can include organizational attributes (such as reporting structure, country, department, job title), existing groups (Microsoft 365 Groups, DLs, SGs), or individual users by name. This flexibility enables more timely, targeted communication, helping leaders reach the right people with the right message. Notifications and delivery channels (such as Teams, email) will continue to follow existing Storyline Announcement behavior, ensuring a seamless experience for recipients.
This feature is ideal for leaders who want to tailor communications to specific departments, locations, or existing groups, enhancing relevance and engagement across the organization. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 499895. [When this will happen:] Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins mid-November 2025 and completes by early February 2026. General Availability (Worldwide): Begins early February 2026 and completes by early March 2026. | Updated February 5, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
We're introducing more flexible and precise audience targeting in Viva Engage, starting with Storyline Announcements. This update allows leaders and their delegates to define a custom audience at the time of posting-without relying on pre-configured Leader Audiences. Audiences can include organizational attributes (such as reporting structure, country, department, job title), existing groups (Microsoft 365 Groups, DLs, SGs), or individual users by name. This flexibility enables more timely, targeted communication, helping leaders reach the right people with the right message. Notifications and delivery channels (such as Teams, email) will continue to follow existing Storyline Announcement behavior, ensuring a seamless experience for recipients. This feature is ideal for leaders who want to tailor communications to specific departments, locations, or existing groups, enhancing relevance and engagement across the organization. This message is associated with Microsoft 365 Roadmap ID 499895. [When this will happen:] Public Preview (Worldwide): Begins mid-November 2025 and completes by mid-March 2026 (previously early February). General Availability (Worldwide): Begins mid-March 2026 (previously early February) and completes by mid-April 2026 (previously early March). |
| 2026-02-06 | MC Title | Microsoft Viva Engage: Flexible targeting of Storyline Announcements | (Updated) Microsoft Viva Engage: Flexible targeting of Storyline Announcements |
| 2026-02-06 | MC End Time | 04/03/2026 09:00:00 | 2026-05-18T09:00:00Z |
| 2025-11-20 | MC Last Updated | 11/05/2025 01:23:20 | 2025-11-19T22:30:20Z |
Last updated 2 weeks ago ago
