Planner’s Task Details Sidecar: Streamlining Task Management Without Losing Context

REPORT: The New Task Details Sidecar Experience in Microsoft Planner

Microsoft Planner is introducing the Task Details Sidecar, a feature going GA in August 2026 (Roadmap ID 566866). This enhancement allows users to open and edit task details in a right-hand side panel without navigating away from their Board, Grid, or My Tasks views. Unlike the prior modal dialog, the Sidecar provides contextual editing, keeping the main Planner workspace visible. This change surfaces now as part of Microsoft’s broader effort to unify UX patterns across Microsoft 365 workloads, aligning with similar sidecar paradigms in Teams, Outlook, and To Do.

WHAT’S NEW THIS CYCLE

• Task Details Sidecar — GA August 2026, enables persistent, docked task editing on Board, Grid, and My Tasks views.
• Planner API v1.0 updates — New /planner/tasks endpoints support Sidecar-integrated metadata, rolling out alongside Sidecar GA.
• Admin Center Location — No direct admin toggle; feature is enabled tenant-wide by default. User experience can be viewed in Microsoft Planner web app (tasks.office.com), not through classic admin centers.
• PowerShell — No direct cmdlet to toggle Sidecar, but task metadata can be audited and modified via Microsoft Graph PowerShell (see DETECT section).

IMPACT: Who Is Affected?

Every user of Microsoft Planner, including those accessing tasks via Teams, To Do, or the standalone Planner web app, will see the Sidecar interface from August 2026. There is no admin setting to disable the Sidecar. Custom integrations that automate or prefill task details should validate that their workflows and field mapping remain consistent with the new pane experience. For compliance and audit, note that task access patterns (e.g., edits, comments) will now occur within the main Planner browser session, not a modal window.

• End users: Seamless context retention, improved bulk/multi-task workflows.
• Admins: Minimal direct change management, but potential uptick in support queries as UI shifts.
• Developers: Any custom automation or UI injection based on the old modal may require re-testing.

EDUCATE: Understanding the Sidecar Paradigm

“Sidecar” refers to a persistent side pane (typically right-aligned) that overlays detailed information or editing controls on the main application UI without forcing a navigation away or opening a blocking modal dialog. This approach is already familiar from OneDrive file details, Teams chat/channel info, and Outlook’s message preview pane. In Planner, opening a task now reveals the full details—description, checklist, attachments, comments—in the side panel. Users can continue scrolling, searching, and interacting with the main task list or board while editing. This model:

• Reduces friction from context switching
• Supports multitasking and reference-checking
• Improves accessibility for keyboard and screen reader users

From an admin perspective, there are no data model changes, but you may see new telemetry in Unified Audit Logs as interaction patterns shift from modal to pane-based events.

DETECT: Auditing Planner Task Usage with Microsoft Graph PowerShell

While you cannot directly detect “Sidecar” usage, you can audit Planner board and task activity to gauge who will be affected most. The example below queries all Planner plans and their tasks, paginated, using Microsoft.Graph PowerShell. It reports task counts per plan, which can be cross-referenced with user activity logs.

# Requires Microsoft.Graph.Planner module
# Connect to Graph with required permissions: Tasks.Read.All, Group.Read.All
Connect-MgGraph -Scopes "Tasks.Read.All","Group.Read.All"

# Get all Groups with Planner plans
try {
    $groups = Get-MgGroup -Filter "resourceProvisioningOptions/Any(x:x eq 'Team')" -All
} catch {
    Write-Error "Failed to fetch groups: $_"
    return
}

$allPlans = @()
foreach ($group in $groups) {
    try {
        $plans = Get-MgGroupPlannerPlan -GroupId $group.Id -ErrorAction Stop
        $allPlans += $plans
    } catch {
        Write-Warning "No plans for group $($group.DisplayName)"
        continue
    }
}

# Paginate through tasks for each plan
$report = @()
foreach ($plan in $allPlans) {
    $planTasks = @()
    $skip = 0
    $pageSize = 50
    do {
        try {
            $tasks = Get-MgPlannerPlanTask -PlannerPlanId $plan.Id -Top $pageSize -Skip $skip
            $planTasks += $tasks
            $skip += $tasks.Count
        } catch {
            Write-Warning "Could not fetch tasks for plan $($plan.Title)"
            break
        }
    } while ($tasks.Count -eq $pageSize)
    $report += [PSCustomObject]@{
        PlanTitle = $plan.Title
        GroupName = $plan.Container.DisplayName
        TaskCount = $planTasks.Count
    }
}

$report | Format-Table

Notes: Pagination may be required for both groups and tasks if your tenant has hundreds of each. Always run in read-only mode—this script does not modify any data.

REMEDIATE SAFELY: Preparing Your Users for the Change

There is no switch to disable the Sidecar, so admins should focus on user readiness and documentation updates. Consider:

• Reviewing and updating internal user guides to reflect screenshots and navigation steps for the new side pane.
• Communicating the upcoming UI change via Teams announcements or adoption champions.
• For custom automation: Re-test UI automation scripts that interact with Planner tasks to ensure they do not assume modal dialogs.
• Reviewing task activity patterns using the detection script above to identify heavy Planner users who may require targeted communication.

There is no PowerShell or admin center action to roll back or selectively apply the Sidecar; all updates are tenant-wide. Do not attempt unsupported client-side overrides or browser extensions to suppress the Sidecar.

PORTAL EQUIVALENT: Where to See the Change

The Sidecar experience is visible in the Planner web app and within the Tasks by Planner and To Do app in Teams. There is no corresponding control in the Microsoft 365 or Entra admin centers. For audit purposes, Planner usage data is available via:

• Microsoft 365 Admin Center → Reports → Usage → Planner activity
• Microsoft Graph → /reports/getPlannerActivityUserDetail

WHAT’S COMING IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS (Related Roadmap Items)

• Planner and To Do Integration enhancements (Q3 2026) — Unified task lists, with cross-app details editing.
• Planner Copilot integration (Public Preview) — Generative AI for task summarization and suggestions, visible in Sidecar.
• New task auditing endpoints (Graph beta) — Improved task change history for security/compliance.
• Teams Tasks app upgrades — Sidecar becomes default in Teams embedded Planner, matching the web experience.

THE UPGRADE: Real-World Benefits

• Productivity: Users can edit, comment, and attach files to tasks while monitoring related work, reducing disruption and double-handling.
• Security: Sidecar aligns with Microsoft’s accessibility and auditing standards, reducing risk of untraceable edits or lost context.
• Cost: Less time lost to UI navigation means better Planner adoption and fewer support tickets for “lost” or unsaved task edits.

Compared to the previous modal dialog, the Sidecar supports multitasking, fewer accidental context losses, and an overall smoother workflow—especially for teams handling large boards or running simultaneous project streams.

RECOMMENDATION: What Should Admins Do?

1. Inventory active Planner usage (see PowerShell DETECT section) to prioritize support and communication.
2. Update internal documentation and training to reflect Sidecar usage patterns and UI changes.
3. Re-test any business process automation linked to Planner tasks before the August 2026 rollout.
4. Monitor the Microsoft 365 roadmap for updates on related Planner, To Do, and Teams integration changes.

The Sidecar is a mandatory upgrade—embrace the productivity boost, and proactively prepare your most active Planner users now.