From 0 to 100 with Content Types

What are they?Why do I need them?

Saskatchewan SharePoint User Group

Sponsors@SKSPUGwww.skspug.ca

About MeMy background with SharePoint:

- Started in 2007 with SharePoint 2007 - Worked with SharePoint 2007/2010/2013 and O365- Worked extensively with Content Types in numerous

solutions- End-User, Power-User, BA, Dev, IT-Pro- Certifications:

- MCITP, SharePoint 2010 Administration- MCTS, SharePoint 2010 Developer

Most important … the school of hard knocks!!

About This Talk

Why is this important:- If I knew then what I know now…

- What do most SharePoint implementations focus on?

- What do most SharePoint implementations NOT focus on?

- Content types are an integral part of a strong IA

- Content types are applicable for any sized organization

Prerequisites

This is a 100-level talk, but I do assume a few things:

- You’ve used SharePoint as an end-user- You’ve (hopefully) used SharePoint as a Power User- You understand how to configure library/list advanced settings- You understand the concept of a site collection versus site in SharePoint- You either have permission to do what I’m about to show you or can

request it of someone in your organization who does have permission.

Don’t take notes unless you really want to…

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

Workflow

Information Management Policy

Content Organizer

Content Hub

To panel board main

Today’s Agenda

Definitions

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

• Metadata• Column versus Site Column• Content Type• Inheritance• Information Architecture

To panel board main

To panel list main

Definitions

• Additional information about somethingExample Passport: Name, ID, Date of Birth, Country

• Metadata is stored in columns in SharePoint

• Columns are defined on a list or library

Definitions - Metadata

Column Site Column

Definitions – Column/Site Column

Column

Site Column

Defined on a list or library

NOT reusable

In list/library Advanced Settings:

Defined independent of a list or library

Reusable (current site AND subsites)

Create in Site Settings…Web Designer Galleries

In list/library Advanced Settings:

Definitions – Column/Site ColumnColumn Site Column

Column types available: Column types available:

Definitions – Column/Site ColumnColumn Site Column

Column: DepartmentData type: ChoiceChoice Values: Technology Solutions HR Payroll Marketing Properties & Facilities

If 5 different team sites each create their own library with their own department column they will each have to maintain the department choice values.

** Okay, but could be better

Site Column: DepartmentData type: ChoiceChoice Values: Technology Solutions HR Payroll Marketing Properties & Facilities

If 5 different team sites each create their own library but use this site column, the department choices only need to be maintained in the 1 site column.

** Better!

Create once, use once!!! Create once, use many times!!!

• Defines a “type” of content in your organizationEg. Contract, Lease Agreement, Loan Amendment, Marketing Campaign

• Created in Site Settings … Web Designer Gallery

• Site columns are grouped together to form a content type

• Includes metadata (columns), behaviours and features

• Everything in SharePoint is a content type

Definitions – Content Type

Document

Image Folder

Blog Post Wiki Page

Task

• A Content Type must always have a parent. (Few exceptions)• A Content Type can be both a parent AND a child.

Definitions – Inheritance

Parent Content Type

Content Type

Child Content Type

Inherits behaviour and properties from its parent content type

Passes behaviour and properties to children content type(s)

Child Content Type

Event Content Type:Start Time/End Time/Title/Description

Company Event Content TypeCompany Location/Event Type

Meeting-in-a-box Event Content TypeCorporate Event Content TypeOrganizational Impact Event Content Type

• Content types are available in the site they’re created in and all below

Definitions – Inheritance

• Example: Document Content Type

• Site Columns:• Title• Created Date• Modified Date• Created By• Modified By• Checked Out To

• By default, every document library has the document content type included with it.

• Any content type inheriting from the Document Content Type will inherit these columns.

Definitions – Inheritance

From Information Architecture Institute

1. The structural design of shared information environments.

2. The art and science of organizing and labeling web sites, intranets, online communities and software to support usability and findability.

3. An emerging community of practice focused on bringing principles of design and architecture to the digital landscape.

Definitions – Information Architecture

What does IA mean in the SharePoint world?

Definitions – Information Architecture

• How content (lists, libraries, sites, pages) is organized across your SharePoint environment

• Building blocks of IA within SharePoint: Site Collections Sites and subsites Libraries and Lists Folders Metadata Managed Metadata Content Types

Definitions

Custom Content Types

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

You can build your own content type. This is called a “custom content type”

To panel board main

To panel list main

Must inherit from another content type

Include your own metadata (site columns), behavior and features to make it unique

Custom content types can become a parent for other custom content types

Up-front planning required before you begin

Custom Content Type

Scenario: Acme Leasing Co.1. Plan the types of content required for Acme Leasing Co.

– Lease Agreement– Sublease Agreement– Lease Amendment

2. Walk-thru of creating a Lease Agreement content type

3. Optional features we can use with a Lease Agreement

Demo Setup

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

• Associate a document template to a Content Type **Document parent onlyExamples: Lease document, Sublease document, Lease amendment

• Every time you create a new instance of the content type it will be created with this document

• Content Type Advanced Settings

To panel board main

To panel list main

Document Template

• Document Information Panel (DIP) is a convenient way for users to update metadata for a document

- Only available in Word, Excel, PowerPoint rich clients- Use InfoPath to customize- Per Content Type

To panel board main

To panel list main

Document Information Panel (DIP)

• Deprecated in SharePoint 2016

• DIP shows at the top of the document

Document Information Panel (DIP)

• If DIP isn’t showing or user accidentally closes it:File … Info … Properties … Show Document Panel

Create Custom Content TypeDocument Template

Document Information Panel (DIP)

Demo

Decide the parent content type for Lease Agreement

DOCUMENT

To panel board main

To panel list main

1. Create custom content type from parent content type (Lease Agreement inherits from Document content type)

2. Create site columns for Lease Agreement:- Property Type - Property Address- Lease Term - Tenant Name- Lease Start date - Tenant Phone- Lease End date

3. Associate site columns to Lease Agreement

4. Allow content types on library

5. Add custom content type to library and optionally remove default content type

Let’s recap the Lease Agreement content type

Custom Content TypeW

eb D

esig

ner G

alle

ryLi

st/L

ibra

ry

Setti

ngs

• Consistency

• Scalability and Extensibility

• Multiple types of content in 1 list or library– Lease Agreement, Lease Amendment, Sublease Agreement all in 1

document library each with their own site columns– You can’t do THAT without content types!!

• You control which content types are available for use

• Many additional features available

Custom Content Type Benefits

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

Search Webparts can query based on Content Type• Eg. Show all lease agreements in the organization

To panel board main

To panel list main

Search Display Templates can be based on Content Type• Eg. Display Lease Amendments in search results in a unique way

Search Refiners by Content Type• Eg. Refine by: lease agreement

sublease agreementlease amendment

Search

Leverages the search engine of SharePoint to query for results from the search index:

1. Content Search Web Part (CSWP)** Enterprise edition of SharePoint Server 2013, O365

2. Search Results Web Part** All editions

** You can filter your query by content type.

Search – Search Webparts

• Allows you to customize how search results are displayed

• You can create a display template based on content type

• Unique properties for each content type can be displayed

• Examples: – Icon to indicate a Lease Agreement– Bronze/Silver/Gold medals to indicate Leaser's rating

Search – Display Templates

Add ContentType as a refiner on the search refinement webpart:

Search – Refinement

Search – Display Templates

Search Refinement by Content Type

Lease Agreement

Item Display Templates for Content Type:

Lease Agreement

Sublease Agreement

Lease Amendment

Lease Agreement

Sublease Agreement

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

Workflow

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

Associate workflows with a content type. Wherever the content type is used the workflow is automatically associated to it.

To panel board main

To panel list main

Thru SharePoint UI: Associate approval workflow with a content type

Example: Whenever a new lease agreement is added to a library you want an approval task sent to Lease Administration.

(Publishing Approval Workflow Site Collection feature must be activated)

Workflow

Thru SharePoint Designer 2013 Create globally reusable workflow based on Content Type

Example: Whenever a new lease agreement is added you want a notification email sent to the Landlord and a calendar entry added for the lease start and end date.Within SharePoint Designer 2013:1. At the top-level site of your site collection, create a reusable workflow.2. Associate it with your custom content type3. Publish the workflow “globally”

To panel board main

To panel list main

Thru Visual Studio Fully customizable workflow scenarios based on content type can be

coded. (Outside scope of this talk)

Workflow

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

Workflow

Information Management Policy

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

• Implemented to enforce legal regulations, governmental regulations, or internal business processes

To panel board main

To panel list main

• Policies: – Retention

• “Move closed CONTRACT to an archive location”• “Delete COMPANY EVENT once the event date has passed”

– Auditing• “Audit all edits made to LEASE AGREEMENTs”

– Barcodes • “Include a barcode on every LEASE AGREEMENT”

• Policy can be set by Content Type– Associated directly to content type– Associated to site collection policy first which is then associated to a content type

Allow re-use by Content Types across multiple site collections as these policies are exportable.

Information Management Policy

Information Management Policy1

** Since this policy is defined at the content type level, everywhere a Lease Agreement is added this policy will be attached to it.

That’s awesome!!

2

3All DATE columns from the Content Type will appear in this dropdown

Move to Recycle BinPermanently DeleteTransfer to another locationStart a workflowSkip to next stageDeclare recordDelete previous draftsDelete all previous versions

• If out-of-the-box rules don’t meet your needs (Remember - date only!) Custom Information Management Retention Policy

- Visual Studio required, deployed as a solution.- Example: Archive a Lease Agreement when either the Lease Expiry Date is one year old

unless the Lease Province is Alberta in which case it can be archived after 6 months.

• Timer Jobs:- Information Management Policy

- Looks at all items adhering to a policy and decides which ones require action.- Expiration Policy

- Performs the action required as identified by the Information Management Policy job

Information Management Policy

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

Workflow

Information Management Policy

Content Organizer

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

• Central location to upload/route documents to alleviating the end-user from having to know where the document goes.

• Site Feature

To panel board main

To panel list main

• Creates a “Drop-off library”

• 2 additional site settings…

Content Organizer

• Content Organizer Settings– Ensures unique filenames per folder– Enforces everyone to go thru Drop-Off Library– Drop-off administrators– Provides webservice URL for “Send To” connection:

http://site url/_vti_bin/OfficialFile.asmx

Content Organizer

Content Organizer site URL

• Content Organizer Rules– Routing rules can be based on Content Type.

Example: route all Lease Agreements to document library and store in a folder with the name of the Lease City.

Content Organizer

Properties from Content Type will be in this

dropdown

“Send To” Connections• Allows other sites to send content to a content organizer

based on: Information Management Policy location

Archive completed LEASE AGREEMENTs to Archive Site Content OrganizerManual submission from ribbon

Visible across entire site collection

• Uses webservice URL defined in Content Organizer settings

• Send To Actions allowed: Copy, Move, Move with a link

Content Organizer

Setting up a “Send To” Connection– SharePoint Server: Central Administration/General Application Settings

– SharePoint Online: SP Admin Center/records management

Content Organizer

Actions:• Copy• Move• Move with Link

Content Organizer WebService URL

Content Organizer“Send To” Connections

Demo

Pros: - Users don’t have to know where a document goes- Folders can be automatically created based on metadata- Handles duplicate filenames

Content Organizer

Cons:- Uploading multiple docs at once- Administration of routing rules- Requires significant planning

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

Workflow

Information Management Policy

Content Organizer

Content Hub

To panel board main

Content Type Topic

Special site collection to hold content type definitions

To panel board main

To panel list main

Content Type “Syndication”Push content types down to subscribing site collections in the same or different web applications.

Significant setup required

Available in Enterprise edition of SharePoint Server 2013, O365

Content Hub

Why would you want to do this?

Content Hub

Define all content types in the Content

Hub.

Content HubSite Collection

Managed Metadata Service

Application

SubscribingSite Collection 1

Content Type Gallery

SubscribingSite Collection 2

Content Type Gallery

SubscribingSite Collection N

Content Type Gallery

PublishingTimer Job

SubscriberTimer Jobs (1-N)

Step 1: Identify content type hub site collection.

Content Hub

SharePoint Server: Create a site collection and identify it as a content type hub.

In the Managed Metadata Service Application identify the site collection URL as the Content Type Hub and set the publishing settings:

Content HubSharePoint Online: Content Type Hub automatically provisioned for each tenant at URL: o365url/sites/contentTypeHub

** Not visible in the SharePoint Admin CentreTo verify: Site settings …. Site collection Administration … Content Type Publishing

Step 2: Create all content types in the Content Type Hub- Lease Agreement- Sublease Agreement- Lease Amendment

For EACH content type, select ‘Publish’ the content type to all Web Apps & Site Collections consuming content types from this location.

Content Hub

Step 3: Syndicate changes to subscribing site collections:Subscribing Site Collection setting: Content Type Publishing – this checkbox controls if the published content types from the content type hub will be refreshed on the next timer job update.

Content Hub

** Differences between SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server:1. You need to create the content type hub site collection.2. You can control when the timer jobs run to push down the content

type changes. (Online – up to 48 hours)

Definitions

Custom Content Types

Document Template and DIP

Search

Workflow

Information Management Policy

Content Organizer

Content Hub

To panel board main

Content Type Topics

PLAN, PLAN, PLAN

Where do I start?

• What kind of content do you want to organize? • What features do you need for your organization?

• What naming convention will you use? • Who will administer this? • Do Power Users require training? • Find-ability versus Put-ability– “Sweet Spot” 4 to 7

• There are no golden rules

ResourcesPlanning content types: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262735.aspx

Planning spreadsheet: http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=165878&clcid=0x409

Content Types and Content Type Publishing: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Introduction-to-content-types-and-content-type-publishing-e1277a2e-a1e8-4473-9126-91a0647766e5

Sharegate blog posts:Start to Learn SharePoint Series - http://

en.share-gate.com/blog/sharepoint-content-types-understand-use-create SharePoint Content Types, Site Columns or Columns - http://

en.share-gate.com/blog/sharepoint-columns-site-columns-or-content-types

Thank you.

Contact me: email: joannecklein@outlook.com

twitter: @JoanneCKlein