SharePoint Site Templates: A Tutorial on Creating and Managing Site Designs

SharePoint is a powerful platform that offers a wide range of features for managing content, collaborating on projects, and automating business processes. One of the key capabilities of SharePoint is the ability to create and manage site templates, which allow you to quickly create new sites based on a predefined design or structure.

What are SharePoint Site Templates?

SharePoint site templates are preconfigured designs that can be used to create new SharePoint sites. These templates include predefined lists, libraries, web parts, and other components that are commonly used in specific scenarios or industries. By using site templates, you can save time and effort by not having to recreate the same design and configuration for every new site you create.

Creating a SharePoint Site Template

To create a SharePoint site template, you first need to design and configure a site to your desired specifications. This includes defining the site structure, adding lists and libraries, configuring web parts, and setting up any required workflows or customizations. Once you have your site configured, you can save it as a template by following these steps:

Step 1: Navigate to Site Settings

Go to the site you want to save as a template and click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of the page. From the dropdown menu, select "Site Settings".

Step 2: Save Site as Template

In the Site Settings page, under the "Site Actions" section, click on "Save site as template". This will open the "Save Site as Template" page.

Step 3: Provide Template Details

In the "Save Site as Template" page, provide a name and description for your site template. You can also choose whether to include the content of the site in the template or not. Click on the "OK" button to save the template.

Managing SharePoint Site Templates

Once you have created a SharePoint site template, you can manage it by going to the "Site Settings" page of the site you created the template from and clicking on "Site templates" under the "Web Designer Galleries" section. This will open the "Site Templates" page, where you can view, edit, and delete your site templates.

Using SharePoint Site Templates

Now that you have created and managed your SharePoint site templates, you can use them to create new sites based on the predefined designs and configurations. To create a new site using a site template, follow these steps:

Step 1: Navigate to Site Contents

Go to the SharePoint site where you want to create a new site using a template and click on the gear icon in the top-right corner of the page. From the dropdown menu, select "Site Contents".

Step 2: Create New Site

In the Site Contents page, click on the "New" button and select "Subsite" from the dropdown menu. This will open the "New SharePoint Site" page.

Step 3: Choose Site Template

In the "New SharePoint Site" page, choose the desired site template from the available options. You can also provide a name and description for the new site. Click on the "Create" button to create the new site using the selected template.

Benefits of Using SharePoint Site Templates

Using SharePoint site templates offers several benefits for organizations, including:

• Consistency: By using predefined site templates, you can ensure consistency in the design and structure of your SharePoint sites.
• Time and Effort Savings: Creating new sites based on templates saves time and effort by not having to manually configure each site.
• Standardization: Site templates allow you to standardize processes and configurations across multiple sites.
• Easy Replication: If you have a successful site design or configuration, you can easily replicate it by creating a template.

Conclusion

SharePoint site templates are a powerful tool for creating and managing SharePoint sites. By using site templates, you can save time and effort by not having to recreate the same design and configuration for every new site. Whether you are using SharePoint for project management, document management, or collaboration, site templates can help you streamline the site creation process and ensure consistency across your SharePoint sites.