Writing & StyleStyle guide

Avoiding Custom Layouts With Learn Columns

Avoiding Custom Layouts With Learn Columns records a distinct Microsoft Learn authoring convention and keeps it scoped to that documentation environment rather than presenting it as a universal writing rule.

Quick answer

Do not use the Microsoft Learn columns extension to create custom page layouts; although the extension still works, Microsoft recommends standard Learn features because custom column layouts can create accessibility or style problems.

Key details

Core Issuecustom layouts with the Learn columns extension
RegisterMicrosoft Learn technical documentation

Important caveats

Scope Boundary

This guidance is about using Learn columns as custom layout machinery; it does not say that every existing column block is syntactically unsupported.

Further guidance

Content

Do not use the Microsoft Learn columns extension to create custom page layouts; although the extension still works, Microsoft recommends standard Learn features because custom column layouts can create accessibility or style problems.

Purpose

Keep Microsoft Learn source readable, accessible, reusable, and predictable while following current contributor-platform conventions.

Sources and evidence

Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.

  1. Markdown reference for Microsoft Learn — Contributor guide (opens in a new tab)Microsoft · Current Microsoft Learn contributor reference for Markdown authoring, including headings/navigation, conceptual images and icons, includes, lists/checklists, nonlocalized strings, alerts, comments, tables, and other Learn extensions.

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