Over the past few years, SharePoint has evolved dramatically from a traditional document management tool to a modern, intelligent intranet platform that underpins Microsoft 365.
With innovations like hub sites, modern pages, Microsoft Search, and integration with Viva and Teams, it’s now faster, more scalable, and easier to govern than ever.
For technology leaders, that progress represents real value. SharePoint’s modern architecture makes it simpler to maintain consistency across global environments. Its integration with Viva brings content and communications directly into Teams, and its modern framework (SPFx) makes extending and customizing the intranet far more secure and sustainable than before.
But even with all these improvements, there are still gaps in the everyday employee experience, and these practical challenges affect adoption and engagement.
Employees still need better ways to find colleagues, understand team structures, and connect across departments.
That’s where Cloudwell’s intranet accelerators come in.
They’re built to extend the power of Microsoft 365 and fill the gaps that native SharePoint doesn’t quite fill, helping organizations create intranets that people actually use.
One of those accelerators is our Staff Directory app.
Why People-Findability Still Matters
In many organizations, employee data is scattered across multiple systems, directories, and spreadsheets. Search often focuses on files, not people, and information like reporting lines or locations quickly becomes outdated.
That lack of visibility doesn’t just frustrate users, it also affects trust in the intranet as a whole.
When people can’t find each other, collaboration slows, onboarding takes longer, and the intranet becomes something employees visit only when they have to.
Staff Directory by Cloudwell: A Better Way to Connect
Like all our apps, Staff Directory was developed in response to customer challenges. In this case, one of the simplest but most persistent intranet challenges: helping people find people.
It’s a modern, visually rich directory app for SharePoint and Microsoft Teams that provides a fast, intuitive way to locate and connect with colleagues.
Key capabilities include:
Dynamic staff search and filtering – Quickly locate colleagues by name, job title, department, or location.
Integration with SharePoint and Microsoft Teams – Works as a SharePoint web part, full-page app, or Teams tab.
Configurable profile cards – Use the interactive card builder to design layouts that reflect your organization’s data.
Optional celebrations view – Recognize birthdays and work anniversaries to strengthen culture and connection.
Centralized directory data – Pulls live information from Microsoft 365 (Azure Active Directory / Entra ID) to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Built using the SharePoint Framework (SPFx), it seamlessly fits into the modern Microsoft 365 ecosystem, leveraging Microsoft Graph to respect existing permissions and deliver real-time information.
A Practical Win for Tech Leaders
For CIOs and digital workplace leads, Staff Directory represents a quick, visible win.
It doesn’t require separate infrastructure or complex configuration, it simply connects to what’s already there in Microsoft 365 and makes it usable in a way that will benefit employees every day.
It also helps solve common governance and adoption challenges:
Governance: Because it uses Microsoft 365 data, Staff Directory becomes a single source of truth for people information.
Adoption: By offering a genuinely useful, everyday feature, it encourages repeat visits to the intranet.
Integration: Because it lives in SharePoint and Teams, it aligns naturally with users’ existing workflows.
The result? A more connected, findable, human digital workplace.
Here’s what one of our customers had to say about Staff Directory:
“This app is so simple to use. I installed it and within minutes, I had a full-page staff directory experience with the exact filters and experience that I was expecting. My HR department is loving the decision to purchase the app because it will save them so much time doing manual updates for our old solution.”
How Staff Directory Complements Microsoft’s Intranet Vision
Microsoft has invested heavily in the employee experience layer with Viva Connections, Viva Engage, and Microsoft Search, but each organization still needs to tailor that foundation to how its people work.
Cloudwell’s approach is to enhance that foundation with purpose-built intranet accelerators that close functional gaps and fast-track adoption.
Staff Directory is one example, alongside apps like Calendar Overlay, Org Chart, Team Members, and Viva Announcements, which bring structure, visibility, and usability to modern SharePoint environments, quickly and easily.
Together, they turn SharePoint’s modern capabilities into a complete, connected intranet experience that’s not only scalable but engaging for end users.
Your questions answered: Staff Directory by Cloudwell
Q. What is Staff Directory by Cloudwell?
A. Staff Directory is a modern directory application for Microsoft 365, designed to sit in SharePoint Online (as a web part or full-page app) and Microsoft Teams, giving organizations a searchable, filterable view of their people.
Q. Which platforms does it support?
A. It works in SharePoint Online (web part or full page) and as a tab in Microsoft Teams.
Q. What are the key features?
A. Some of its core capabilities include:
- Search and filter by properties like department, job title, location and more.
- Custom sorting of directory entries by alphabet, role, department, etc.
- Advanced configuration options to set defaults and fine-tune the directory result set.
- Export directory data to Excel or CSV.
- Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 directory via Azure Active Directory / Entra ID for live data.
- Multilingual support, covering 22 languages and adapting to regional settings.
Q. How is the staff data managed?
A. Staff Directory connects to the Microsoft 365 directory (Azure AD / Entra ID) so that it uses live user profile data maintained in Azure AD, ensuring the directory stays up to date without separate manual lists.
Q. Can I export the directory data?
A. Yes, there’s an export feature allowing directory data to be exported to Excel or CSV formats.
Q. What are common use cases?
A. Typical scenarios include:
Onboarding: new employees exploring team structures, roles and colleagues.
Cross-functional project work: finding relevant colleagues in other departments.
Multi-location/remote working: locating staff by office location or region.
Team planning & events: managers using the directory for organizing relevant attendees.
Q. How is the app licensed and supported?
A. The subscription includes free product updates, premier support channel, unlimited web part usage, and feature request prioritization.
Q. Is there a trial available?
A. Absolutely! A free 15-day trial is available via the Microsoft AppSource listing.
Q. Does the app support multiple languages?
A. Yes, Staff Directory supports 22 languages and aligns with regional settings out of the box.
Q. Does this replace Microsoft Search or native people web parts in SharePoint?
A. No, Staff Directory complements the native SharePoint/Teams experience by providing enhanced search/filter/sort capabilities and a rich people directory experience built on Microsoft 365 directory data. It’s designed to enhance findability and usability rather than replace core platform search functionality.
Ready to enhance your SharePoint intranet experience?
If you’re already investing in Microsoft 365 and SharePoint, the building blocks of a world-class intranet are already in place.
The next step is bridging the remaining gaps that stop users from getting the most out of it.
That’s where Cloudwell can help.
Start by exploring Staff Directory or speak to us about our broader suite of intranet accelerators designed to enhance your organization’s SharePoint intranet experience.