top of page

How to Add Your Own Training Courses in SharePoint and Publish Them to Viva Learning

  • echotransformation
  • Jul 28
  • 3 min read

What is Viva Learning?


Viva Learning is a Microsoft 365 learning hub that can be integrated into Microsoft Teams that brings learning into the flow of work. It allows employees to discover, share, and complete training from multiple content providers including Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn Learning, third-party platforms, and your own internal SharePoint-based content.


The benefit? Learning becomes part of everyday collaboration, not a separate task.


How can organizations utilize Viva Learning academies?


Organizations can use Viva Learning academies to:


  • Centralize all learning content in one place

  • Assign or recommend courses to users or groups

  • Track completion and engagement (when paired with Viva Learning Premium or LMS integrations)

  • Customize learning experiences based on roles, departments, or onboarding needs


Viva Learning acts as a front door to learning, whether the content is external (e.g. LinkedIn Learning) or internal (e.g. onboarding guides stored in SharePoint).


Did you know that organizations can create their own training courses?


Many teams already create valuable training materials using Microsoft 365 PowerPoint walkthroughs, Word guides, or Stream videos. What most don’t realize is that you can turn this internal content into a structured course and make it discoverable through Viva Learning.


For example, your HR team can build a SharePoint training course to help new hires learn how to:


  • Navigate the company intranet

  • Find HR forms and policies

  • Submit time-off requests

  • Use SharePoint to collaborate with teams


Instead of sending links by email or repeating the same walkthroughs, you can publish a self-paced course that’s accessible in Teams anytime.


Recommendation: Where to store internal training content


We recommend storing training content in a Documents library on your organization wide HR SharePoint site that everyone already has access to.


For example:



Use consistent file names and organize content by topic or module (e.g. PDFs, PPTs, Stream links). This makes it easier to manage and easier for Viva Learning to display properly.


How to connect SharePoint to Viva Learning and publish your course


Here’s how to make your custom content appear in Viva Learning:


Step 1: Add SharePoint as a content source


Your Microsoft 365 admin must:

  1. Go to the Viva

  2. Navigate to Viva Learning > Admin

  3. Select Add Provider

    1. Providers in Viva Admin
      Providers in Viva Admin

  4. Select SharePoint

    1. SharePoint Provider
      SharePoint Provider

  5. Enter the URL of your HR or Communications site (not the library or folder — just the site root)

    1. Enter Display Name and URL of SharePoint Site
      Enter Display Name and URL of SharePoint Site

  6. Confirm and save


Note: It may take a few hours (up to 24-72) for the connection to be established. You’ll see a new list in Site Contents called Learning App Content Repository created automatically.

Step 2: Add a folder with your learning materials


Once the content repository appears:

  1. Go to your HR/Comms site in SharePoint

  2. Open the new Documents library

  3. Create a folder (e.g. SharePoint Training)

    1. SharePoint Training Folder
      SharePoint Training Folder

  4. Upload your course materials PDFs, PPTs, Stream video links, etc.

    1. Use clear titles and file names (these appear in Viva Learning)

  5. Add the item to the Learning App Content Repository list

    1. List Entry
      List Entry
Note: Viva Learning only supports Microsoft 365 Groups or Security Groups for content visibility. Make sure the folder you add is shared with the appropriate group, not individual users or it won't appear for learners in Viva Learning.

Step 3: Promote your course


After a short indexing period, your course will appear in Viva Learning. From there, you can:


  • Assign it to users

  • Recommend it in onboarding kits

  • Link to it from your intranet homepage

  • Add it to Teams apps for better visibility


How to add Viva Learning in Team apps
How to add Viva Learning in Team apps

Final Thoughts


You don’t need a separate learning platform to deliver internal training. With just SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and Viva Learning, you can create discoverable, trackable courses that support your team’s growth using tools you already have.


Whether you're rolling out Viva Learning, building custom training libraries, or designing a SharePoint site that works for everyone, we’ll help you make it clear, sustainable, and people-first.



Book a free discovery call with us to explore how your organization can turn everyday content into structured, accessible training without extra platforms or complexity.


Visit echotransformation.ca to learn more or schedule a conversation.



Watch out for our next Quick Tips Friday, where we’ll walk through how to create a course step-by-step in more detail.

 
 
 
bottom of page