Umbraco's default Welcome dashboard shows HQ news and links, but developers building client sites often find it irrelevant. Instead of removing it, the current backoffice offers extension points. You can now customize the dashboard by implementing the INewsDashboardService interface in C#, returning a NewsDashboardResponseModel with items that include headers, body text, images, links, and priority levels.

This approach lets agencies repurpose the dashboard for client-specific content. Instead of generic Umbraco news, you can share project updates, release announcements, onboarding instructions, or internal documentation links. It becomes a direct communication channel within the CMS, improving client experience without removing a core UI element.

The implementation requires registering a custom service via a Composer. A sample code shows how to fetch external data, like weather from a random API, and populate the dashboard. While the example is whimsical, it demonstrates the minimal code needed to take control of the dashboard's content, making the backoffice feel more tailored and aligned with actual user needs.