💡 Our Technical Review in summary
Summary
- Microsoft is introducing flexible audience targeting for Viva Engage Storyline Announcements, allowing leaders and their delegates to define specific audiences at the time of posting.
- This update removes the dependency on pre-configured “Leader Audiences,” providing leaders with the autonomy to target communications dynamically.
- Targeting options include organizational attributes (reporting structure, department, country, job title), existing groups (Microsoft 365 Groups, Distribution Lists, Security Groups), or specific individual users.
Impact
- Leader Autonomy: Leaders and delegates no longer need to wait for IT to pre-set audience definitions. They can act immediately to reach specific segments of the organization.
- Improved Relevance: Employees are more likely to receive highly relevant notifications, reducing “notification fatigue” across the tenant.
- Data Dependency: The effectiveness of attribute-based targeting (e.g., by Department or Country) is strictly dependent on the accuracy of your data in Microsoft Entra ID or Microsoft Organizational Data.
- Licensing Requirements: This is a premium feature. It requires a Microsoft Viva suite license or a Communications and Communities (C&C) license.
- Deployment Schedule: Public Preview is currently rolling out and expected to complete by mid-March 2026. General Availability is scheduled to begin in mid-March 2026 and complete by mid-April 2026.
Action Required
- Audit Directory Data: Validate that organizational attributes such as “Department,” “Country,” “Job Title,” and “Manager” (reporting structure) are accurate and populated in Microsoft Entra ID.
- Verify Leader Assignments: Review the “Leaders” and “Delegates” currently configured in Viva Engage to ensure the correct individuals have access to these new targeting capabilities.
- Update Internal Documentation: Inform corporate communications teams and executive delegates about the new targeting options so they can transition from static Leader Audiences to flexible targeting.
- Review Premium Licensing: Ensure leaders who intend to use this feature are assigned the necessary Viva or C&C licenses to avoid service interruptions.
Microsoft Official Update
Service: N/A
Category: stayInformed
Severity: normal
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).
[How this affects your organization:]
Who is affected: Leaders and delegates using Viva Engage Storyline Announcements in tenants enrolled in public preview.
What will happen:
- This capability is being introduced as part of the public preview for Viva Engage. During this phase, leaders and their delegates can actively experiment with flexible audience targeting for Storyline Announcements—defining a custom audience at the time of posting, rather than relying solely 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.
- Notifications and delivery channels (Teams, email, Viva Engage Inbox) remain unchanged for recipients.
- No dependency on IT or advance audience setup—leaders can act immediately when communication needs arise.
- Available only in public preview; functionality and targeting options may evolve before general availability.
- Admins should ensure organizational attributes in Entra ID or Organizational Data in Microsoft are accurate to support successful targeting.
- Available platforms: Desktop and web.
- Licensing requirements: This feature requires a premium license available through Viva or Communications and Communities (C&C). Availability may vary depending on your organization’s Microsoft 365 licensing agreement.
[What you can do to prepare:]
No admin action is required for rollout. To prepare, you may want to:
- Validate organizational attributes (reporting structure, country, department, role, job title) in Microsoft Entra ID or Organizational Data in Microsoft.
- Confirm leader and delegate assignments to ensure the right people can use Storyline Announcements and the new targeting control.
Learn more:
[Compliance considerations:]
No compliance considerations identified, review as appropriate for your organization.
