MC1184647 – (Updated) Retirement of Assignments and Courses adaptive card extensions (ACE) in Viva Connections and SharePoint

Product:

Microsoft 365 suite, Microsoft Viva, Microsoft Viva Connections, SharePoint

Platform:

Developer, Education, Online, Web, World tenant

Status:

Change type:

Admin impact, Retirement, Updated message, User impact

Links:

Details:

Summary:
Assignments and Courses adaptive card extensions (ACEs) and equivalent SharePoint dashboard webparts in Viva Connections for Education tenants will be retired and unsupported after June 30, 2026. Users will lose access, no admin action is needed, but users should be informed and documentation updated.

Details:
Updated January 5, 2026: We have updated the timeline. Thank you for your patience.
[Introduction]
As part of our ongoing efforts to simplify and modernize the Viva Connections experience, we will retire the Assignments and Courses adaptive card extensions (ACEs) for Education customers. ACEs are modular components built using the SharePoint Framework (SPFx) that allow developers to create rich, interactive dashboard cards in Viva Connections. These cards surface data and actions from Microsoft 365 services or custom sources, helping users engage with content directly from their dashboard. The equivalent SharePoint dashboard webparts will also be retired. This change is intended to streamline the experience and reduce redundancy across platforms.
[When this will happen:]
Existing components will reach end of support on June 30, 2026.

Change Category:
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Scope:
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Release Phase:

Created:
2025-11-11

updated:
2026-01-06

Task Type

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MS How does it affect me

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summary for non-techies**

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Direct effects for Operations**

Loss of Access to Educational Tools
Users will lose access to Assignments and Courses ACEs and equivalent SharePoint webparts, impacting their ability to manage and track educational assignments.
   - roles: Educators, Students
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/retirement-of-assignments-and-courses-adaptive-card-extensions/ba-p/3741230

Disruption in User Experience
The removal of these components may lead to confusion and frustration among users who rely on them for their educational activities.
   - roles: Educators, Students
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/retirement-of-assignments-and-courses-adaptive-card-extensions/ba-p/3741230

Need for Alternative Solutions
Users will need to seek alternative methods or tools to manage assignments and courses, which may not be readily available or familiar to them.
   - roles: Educators, IT Support Staff
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/retirement-of-assignments-and-courses-adaptive-card-extensions/ba-p/3741230

Increased Support Queries
The change may lead to an increase in support queries from users seeking assistance with the transition away from the retired components.
   - roles: IT Support Staff, Administrators
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/retirement-of-assignments-and-courses-adaptive-card-extensions/ba-p/3741230

Documentation Updates Required
Internal documentation referencing the retired components will need to be updated, which may require additional time and resources.
   - roles: Administrators, Content Managers
   - references: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/microsoft-viva-blog/retirement-of-assignments-and-courses-adaptive-card-extensions/ba-p/3741230

Configutation Options**

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Potentional Risks**

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IT Security**

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explanation for non-techies**

Microsoft is planning to retire the Assignments and Courses adaptive card extensions (ACEs) and the equivalent SharePoint dashboard webparts for Education tenants in Viva Connections by June 30, 2026. This means that after this date, these specific tools will no longer be available or supported. Think of it like a popular app on your phone that the developers have decided to discontinue. While the app might have been useful, the company believes that moving forward without it will make their overall service better and less cluttered.

These ACEs are like small, interactive cards that appear on a dashboard, much like widgets on a smartphone home screen. They allow users to see and interact with information from Microsoft 365 services directly from their dashboard. The decision to retire these components is aimed at simplifying the user experience by reducing overlap between different tools and services.

For those using these features, there's no need for administrators to take any specific actions. However, it's important to inform users about this upcoming change and update any documentation that mentions these components. Imagine you had a section in a manual about how to use a feature on a car that’s being phased out; you’d want to update that manual to avoid confusion.

Although there is no tool to track who is currently using these ACEs, it's a good idea to communicate with your team or organization about the change. If there are alternative tools or methods that can be used instead, sharing this information will help users transition smoothly.

In summary, while the retirement of these features might initially seem inconvenient, it's part of a broader effort to enhance the overall functionality and user experience of Viva Connections and SharePoint.