What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Configure tenant-wide branding in Microsoft Entra admin center > Entra ID > Custom Branding, using the supported image, color, layout, header, footer, and text controls. Check licensing and administrator roles first, then test the sign-in routes your users actually take. Do not make new designs depend on custom CSS: tenant eligibility is restricted by creation date, and Microsoft is retiring CSS layout controls.
Choose tenant-wide branding or application-specific themes
Default company branding sets the baseline sign-in experience for the tenant. Application branding themes are a separate option for selected apps, with unspecified theme properties falling back to the tenant’s default branding and then to neutral branding. Microsoft marks themes as preview for Microsoft Entra ID tenants; weigh that status before making them essential to a production workflow.
| Decision | Default company branding | Application-specific branding themes |
|---|---|---|
| Scope | Tenant-wide. | Selected applications; unspecified properties fall back to default tenant branding. |
| Status | Documented company-branding configuration. | Preview for Entra ID tenants; generally available for External ID. |
| Roles | Organizational Branding Administrator minimum. | Organizational Branding Administrator and Application Administrator for the target applications. |
| Limits and preview | Optional elements left unset retain default behavior. | Up to five themes per tenant; live preview does not show custom text overrides. |
| Useful when | You need a consistent sign-in baseline across the tenant. | Specific applications need distinct branding and preview status is acceptable. |
Microsoft’s company branding guide and branding themes guide describe the respective controls and prerequisites. Validate the tenant’s entitlements for the intended configuration: default branding lists Entra ID P1 or P2, Microsoft 365 Business Standard, or SharePoint Plan 1; themes list Entra ID P1 or P2.
Check access and prepare supported assets
For default company branding, Microsoft names Organizational Branding Administrator as the minimum role. For application themes, the operator also needs Application Administrator access for the targeted applications. Confirm both licensing and role assignment before preparing a change.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →#1 Best Overall
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key C NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key C NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key C NFC via USB-C and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
The documented asset examples below apply to particular fields in the default branding guidance, not to every image control. Follow the exact requirements shown in the portal for the field you are editing.
| Asset example | Documented dimensions | Maximum file size |
|---|---|---|
| Favicon | 32 × 32 px | 5 KB |
| Background image | 1920 × 1080 px | 300 KB |
| Header logo | 245 × 36 px | 10 KB |
| Banner logo | Dimensions not stated in the cited guide example | 50 KB |
These examples come from Microsoft’s default branding guide, which also documents available visual controls. Do not assume one asset’s size limit applies to another.
Rank #2
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5C NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5C NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5C NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
Configure default branding in the admin center
- Review the current experience. In the Microsoft Entra admin center, open Entra ID > Custom Branding. Check existing settings before changing them; branding elements are optional, and an unset property retains its default behavior.
- Set supported visual properties. Choose the background image or color, favicon, logos, and layout as needed, and configure header or footer controls available in the tenant. Use the portal’s requirements for each specific image field.
- Set sign-in text carefully. Keep public-facing messages generic and operational. Microsoft warns: “Anyone can see your sign-in page, so don’t put sensitive info here.” See its branding themes guidance.
- Save and allow for propagation. Microsoft says the time before changes appear varies by tenant geographical location, so check the experience after saving rather than assuming an immediate update.
Understand the custom CSS restrictions before changing an existing setup
CSS is not a sound basis for a new sign-in design. Microsoft’s CSS reference guide gives tenant-creation cutoffs and describes a separate retirement path for layout and positioning properties.
| Tenant or feature condition | Microsoft’s documented position |
|---|---|
| Tenant created after January 5, 2026 | Custom CSS is not available for company branding. |
| Tenant created before January 6, 2026, and not already using CSS | After July 21, 2026, it cannot configure custom CSS. |
| CSS layout and positioning properties | Microsoft plans to block affected properties when deprecated; they will stop functioning. |
| Full CSS feature | Microsoft says it will eventually be retired, with future notice and migration guidance. |
| Microsoft Entra External ID tenant | Not affected by this particular CSS change. |
The reference lists affected properties including position, directional positioning properties, z-index, margin variants, transform variants, opacity, overflow variants, filter, pointer-events, clip-path, display, visibility, inset, zoom, scale, rotate, grid placement properties, and masks. This is not the complete list: consult the current reference and inspect actual CSS in use. Microsoft says the deprecated properties have no supported migration or replacement.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
Rank #3
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The YubiKey 5 NFC is the most versatile physical passkey, protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with popular accounts like Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single YubiKey 5 NFC secures 100+ of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your YubiKey 5 NFC via USB and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC), to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required
- MOST SECURE PASSKEY: Supports FIDO2/WebAuthn, FIDO U2F, Yubico OTP, OATH-TOTP/HOTP, Smart card (PIV), and OpenPGP. That means it’s versatile, working almost anywhere you need it
- PRIMARY & SPARE KEYS: Just like having a spare house key, we recommend buying two YubiKeys - one for daily use and one as a spare. That way you’ll never get locked out of your accounts
Microsoft gives identity security and phishing resistance as the rationale for the changes, saying: “Retiring them keeps sign-in page layouts consistent and predictable in Microsoft Entra ID.” The cited guidance does not provide a measured phishing reduction or comparative security study.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Test the real sign-in paths, not only the preview
Branding can appear at different points depending on how a person reaches authentication. Include the relevant routes in your validation:
Rank #4
- POWERFUL SECURITY KEY: The Security Key NFC is the essential physical passkey for protecting your digital life from phishing attacks. It ensures only you can access your accounts.
- WORKS WITH 1000+ ACCOUNTS: Compatible with Google, Microsoft, and Apple. A single Security Key NFC secures 100 of your favorite accounts, including email, password managers, and more.
- FAST & CONVENIENT LOGIN: Plug in your Security Key NFC via USB-A and tap it, or tap it against your phone (NFC) to authenticate. No batteries, no internet connection, and no extra fees required.
- TRUSTED PASSKEY TECHNOLOGY: Uses the latest passkey standards (FIDO2/WebAuthn & FIDO U2F) but does not support One-Time Passwords. For complex needs, check out the YubiKey 5 Series.
- BUILT TO LAST: Made from tough, waterproof, and crush-resistant materials. Manufactured in Sweden and programmed in the USA with the highest security standards.
- Microsoft SaaS and multitenant apps: for services such as Outlook and My Apps, tenant branding appears after the user enters an email address or phone number and selects Next, when the service can identify the tenant.
- Home Realm Discovery: supported scenarios can use a custom URL or a
whrdomain hint to show branding on the initial screen. - B2B cross-tenant sign-in: the user’s home tenant branding appears.
- Language variations: check each relevant browser language. Microsoft supports localization, and right-to-left layout adjusts for languages such as Arabic and Hebrew.
For themes, add custom-text translations for every language needed: theme custom text is not localized automatically. The live preview shows sign-in page style and layout but omits custom text overrides, so verify those separately. See Microsoft’s company branding guide and themes guide.
Use Microsoft Graph with the same safeguards
Microsoft Graph exposes the organizationalBranding resource for retrieving and updating default branding, including properties for backgrounds, logos, favicon, text, and CSS. The resource reference was last updated July 22, 2024; check the current endpoint-specific API documentation and required permissions before scripting changes: organizationalBranding resource type.
A customCSS property in the Graph model does not mean CSS is available to every tenant or that deprecated styles remain supported. Apply the current CSS eligibility and retirement guidance when deciding whether a scripted CSS change is viable.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
