Knowledge vs Communication Workspace Types

Microsoft uses two types of workspace, Knowledge and Communication, each with their own set of features and permissions architecture. When you provision a workspace within Atlas a decision needs to be made as to which type of workspace you would like.

This article aims to provide an overview of each and the differences between them so that you can make an informed choice as to which type of workspace you want whether it be a stand-alone workspace or to be used as a source workspace for ConneX Studio templates.

It's important to note that the type of workspace cannot be changed afterwards, and the differences will be permanent.

Thankfully, recently, Microsoft have been making changes to more closely align these two types, but there's some important differences to highlight.

Main Differences

Architecture & Permissions

The primary difference between these workspaces, and a key driver for use, are how Permissions is going to be managed. Please see this article for details on the difference in permissions management, however a summary can be seen below:

Knowledge workspace permissions

are managed via an Active Directory Security Group automatically created against the workspace with both an Owner and Member permissions level inside the AD Group. You will need to manage workspace permissions through this AD Group (as an Admin with permissions to Azure Entra/AD) or via our tool ConneX. However, as AD Groups do not have a Visitor level (as seen in Microsoft Teams) this level is managed via a SharePoint Group - which you can add AD Groups into, but this will not be through AD, just through ConneX.

The AD Group for the workspace can have Dynamic Group Permissions switched on.

All of the rules and guidelines which apply to Knowledge workspace permissions also apply to out-of-the-box Teams.

Importantly, you cannot nest/embed other AD Groups into an AD Group permissions level - as this breaks down the separate AD Group into individual users and cannot be used for ongoing permissions management, however this does not apply to the Visitor Level of permissions where the AD Group will remain whole (this is usually where the 'everyone' or 'All' AD Group will sit to grant the majority of users with read only access

Communication workspace permissions

are managed via SharePoint groups, attached to each workspace for each permission level (Owner, Member and Visitor). Although you can add a separate AD Group into each SharePoint level via ConneX and then manage from the AD Group themselves, the workspace does not have dedicated AD Groups.

The separate AD Groups can have Dynamic Permissions switched on. Nested AD groups are supported.

Permissions Summary

We recommend 365-groups are used as this is the direction Microsoft are moving, with permissions managed from inside SharePoint groups now being seen as old-fashioned with limited options. It is possible to embed these AD Groups within SharePoint group permissions (such is seen on both Visitor levels) but this creates an extra layer of management should the workspace permissions (not the AD Group) need to be changed. However this can be done through our tool ConneX.

If there is an overriding requirement which helps dictate which workspace to use, this often comes from your Permissions Governance and roadmap laid out by your IT Department. As AD Groups are fast-becoming the preference, strategizing how you will manage permissions will help drive which type of workspace you will select.

Full-width Section

Full width sections (which go from the edge-to-edge of a page) are only available in Communication workspaces. This can be used for webparts, but mainly imagery, to design page breaks and dividers which can add shape, colour, and intrigue to your page designs:

Full width images highlighted in red below:

This is why we recommend the Altas Home workspace (and subsequent Home page) are built as Communication workspaces.

If you would like full width sections in your workspace, please select Communication type workspace

Site Navigation (in-page/second level menu)

• Knowledge workspaces can have a vertical or horizontal site navigation
• Communication workspaces can only have a horizontal site navigation

365 Group Apps

365 group based workspaces (Knowledge types) have 365 apps provisioned as part of the workspace, and include;

• Exchange Shared Mailbox
• Exchange Shared Calendar
• Email address for the AD Group
• OneNote Notebook
• Planner Site/board

This is often why we refer to them as Workspaces, because they come with a lot more than just a site. It is not possible to have these within a Communication based workspace.

Summary

There can be some specific requirements which help drive the selection of which workspace type you might want to use. However if you are in doubt, please reach out to your Atlas representative to discuss which option might be best for you.

Feature Comparison

Feature	Team Site	Communication Site
Security	Microsoft 365 Groups	SharePoint Groups
Full-width Sections available	No	Yes
Default Navigation	Left	Top
When you create, you ALSO get …	Planner board, OneNote notebook, Email address for the group, Shared Calendar, shared mailbox, opportunity to connect with a Microsoft Team (if the site wasn't created as part of provisioning a Microsoft Team)	NOTHING but a SharePoint communication site!