SharePoint Site Columns: A Tutorial on Creating and Managing Custom Columns

In SharePoint, site columns are a vital component for effective document management and project collaboration. Site columns allow you to define and manage custom metadata that can be associated with various types of content in your SharePoint sites. This tutorial will guide you through the process of creating and managing custom columns in SharePoint, providing you with the necessary knowledge to optimize your SharePoint environment.

Understanding Site Columns

Before diving into the creation and management of custom columns, it is important to understand the concept of site columns in SharePoint. Site columns are reusable metadata definitions that can be applied to different content types across your SharePoint sites. They allow for consistent and structured data management, enabling you to categorize and classify your content effectively.

Site columns can be created at the site level or at the site collection level. Site-level columns are available for use within a specific site, while site collection-level columns can be used across multiple sites within a site collection. Both types of columns can be associated with content types, which define the metadata structure and behavior of specific types of content in SharePoint.

Creating Site Columns

Now that you have a basic understanding of site columns, let's explore how to create them in SharePoint. Follow these steps to create a site column:

1. Go to the site where you want to create the column.
2. Click on "Settings" and then "Site Settings" in the top right corner of your SharePoint site.
3. Under the "Web Designer Galleries" section, click on "Site columns".
4. Click on "Create" to start the column creation process.
5. Enter a name and description for the column. The name should be descriptive and reflect the purpose of the column.
6. Select the data type for the column. SharePoint provides a wide range of data types to choose from, including text, number, date and time, choice, and more.
7. Specify additional settings for the column, such as whether it should be required, whether multiple values can be selected, and whether it should be indexed for improved search performance.
8. Click on "OK" to create the column.

Managing Site Columns

Once you have created a site column, you can manage it to meet your specific requirements. SharePoint provides several options for managing site columns:

• Edit Column Properties: You can edit the properties of a site column to modify its name, description, data type, and additional settings. To do this, go to the "Site columns" page, click on the name of the column you want to edit, and then click on "Edit" in the toolbar.
• Delete Column: If a site column is no longer needed, you can delete it. To delete a site column, go to the "Site columns" page, click on the name of the column you want to delete, and then click on "Delete" in the toolbar. Note that deleting a site column will also remove it from any content types and lists where it is being used.
• Change Column Order: You can change the order in which site columns appear in the list forms and views of your SharePoint sites. To change the column order, go to the "Site columns" page, click on the name of the column you want to move, and then use the "Move Up" and "Move Down" buttons in the toolbar.
• Reuse Column: SharePoint allows you to reuse site columns across different sites and site collections. To reuse a site column, go to the "Site columns" page, select the column you want to reuse, and then click on "Reuse" in the toolbar. You can then choose the destination site or site collection where you want to use the column.

Associating Site Columns with Content Types

Site columns are typically associated with content types to define the metadata structure and behavior of specific types of content in SharePoint. To associate a site column with a content type, follow these steps:

1. Go to the site where you want to associate the site column with a content type.
2. Click on "Settings" and then "Site Settings" in the top right corner of your SharePoint site.
3. Under the "Web Designer Galleries" section, click on "Content types".
4. Click on the name of the content type you want to associate the site column with.
5. Under the "Columns" section, click on "Add from existing site columns".
6. Select the site column you want to associate with the content type and click on "Add".
7. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Using Site Columns in Lists and Libraries

Once you have created and associated site columns with content types, you can use them in lists and libraries to capture and organize metadata for your content. To use site columns in lists and libraries, follow these steps:

1. Go to the list or library where you want to use the site columns.
2. Click on "Settings" and then "List settings" or "Library settings" in the top right corner of the list or library page.
3. Under the "Columns" section, click on "Add from existing site columns" to add the site columns to the list or library.
4. Select the site columns you want to add and click on "Add".
5. Arrange the columns in the desired order by dragging and dropping them.
6. Click on "OK" to save the changes.

Conclusion

In conclusion, site columns play a crucial role in SharePoint for effective document management and project collaboration. By creating and managing custom columns, you can define and organize metadata in a structured manner, enabling you to categorize, classify, and search for content more efficiently. Take advantage of SharePoint's site column functionality to optimize your SharePoint environment and enhance your enterprise content management solution.