Create SharePoint List and Understand the Column Types
A SharePoint List is an essential tool in SharePoint that allows users to store, manage, and collaborate on structured data. It serves as a flexible container for organizing information, such as tasks, contacts, or custom data relevant to your business needs. SharePoint offers various column types to define how data is captured and displayed in the list. SharePoint lists are highly customizable, making them powerful tools for collaboration, data management, and workflow automation. Unlike Excel, lists are not limited to static data; they can incorporate complex logic, such as formulas, and are well-suited for large, dynamic, and collaborative datasets.
How to Create a List in SharePoint
Step 1: Access the SharePoint Site
1. Log in to your SharePoint site using your credentials.
2. Once inside the home page or the Site Contents section, click the "New" button (usually in the top menu) to start the list creation process.
Step 2: Create a New List
1. From the dropdown menu, select "List" to create a new list. You'll be presented with three options:
- Blank List: Create a brand-new list with custom columns.
- From Existing List: Use the structure of an existing list to create a new one.
- From Excel: Import an Excel sheet into SharePoint to create a list from the spreadsheet data.
2. Choose Blank List if you want to create a list from scratch.
3. You’ll be prompted to give your list a name and description. You can also select whether you want the list to appear in the site’s navigation.
4. Click Create to finalize the creation of your list.
Step 3: Add Columns to the List
1. Once the list is created, you'll need to add columns to define the type of data that can be stored in the list.
2. Click the "Add Column" option and select the type of column based on the data you want to capture (more details on column types below).
3. Enter a column name and adjust any necessary settings like whether the column is required or the default value for that column.
4. Click Save to add the column to the list.
SharePoint Column Types Explained
SharePoint provides a wide range of column types to store different kinds of information, ensuring you can structure the list according to your needs. Below are explanations of the most common column types:
1. Single Line of Text
- Stores a short piece of text (up to 255 characters).
- Employee names, product codes, or short descriptions.
2. Multiple Lines of Text
- Allows users to enter more extensive text content, like notes or detailed descriptions.
- Feedback, long comments, or detailed project descriptions.
- Can be plain text or rich text (with formatting options like bold, italics, etc.).
3. Number
- Stores numeric values.
- Quantities, rankings, percentages, or any form of numerical data.
- You can configure the number of decimal places and whether negative numbers are allowed.
4. Currency
- Designed to store monetary values.
- Prices, sales figures, or budget amounts.
- You can set the type of currency (USD, EUR, etc.) and decimal precision.
5. Date and Time
- Stores dates and optionally times.
- Birth dates, deadlines, or event scheduling.
- You can choose to store only the date or both the date and time.
6. Choice
- Provides a predefined list of options that users can select from.
- Categories, priority levels (High, Medium, Low), or statuses (Open, Closed).
- Options can be displayed as dropdown menus, radio buttons, or checkboxes.
7. Yes/No (Boolean)
- Stores a simple yes/no (true/false) value.
- For toggling fields like "Is Active?" or "Is Approved?".
- Typically appears as a checkbox that users can select.
8. Person or Group
- Allows users to select one or more people or groups from the organization's directory.
- Assigning tasks, identifying team members, or tracking project owners.
9. Lookup
- Pulls data from another list within the same SharePoint site.
- Reference client names, project titles, or products from another list.
10. Hyperlink or Picture
- Stores URLs for either links or images.
- Linking to external websites, documents, or displaying images within the list.
11. Calculated
- Performs calculations based on other columns in the list, similar to Excel formulas.
- Automatically calculate totals, durations, or combine text from other columns.
- Basic math operations and string manipulation.
12. Task Outcome
- Primarily used in workflows to represent the result of a task, such as "Approved" or "Rejected."
- In workflow-driven processes for approvals and task management.
13. External Data
- Integrates data from external sources, like databases or web services, and displays it within the list.
- Pull customer data from CRM systems or other enterprise applications without duplicating it in SharePoint.
14. Managed Metadata
- Allows users to select terms from a taxonomy (a predefined set of tags or terms stored in the term store).
- For categorizing data with standardized tags, such as department names or document types.
15. Location
- Captures geographic locations and displays them in a map interface.
- For lists that need to track physical places, like office locations or event venues.
16. Attachments
- Enables users to attach files directly to list items.
- For storing supporting documents, such as invoices, reports, or contracts alongside list data.
When creating a SharePoint list, the columns play a key role in determining what kind of data can be stored and how users can interact with that data. Understanding the various column types allows you to fully leverage SharePoint’s capabilities to create custom lists that meet your business requirements.
✨ Thanks for reading! ✨
I hope you found this blog on the Microsoft Power Platform helpful! From Power Apps, Power Automate (Cloud & Desktop), Canvas Apps, Model-driven Apps, Power BI, Power Pages, SharePoint, Dynamics 365 (D365), Azure, and more, I cover a wide range of topics to help you harness these powerful tools. Don’t miss out on future tips, tutorials, and insights—hit that subscribe button to get the latest posts right to your inbox. 💌
💬 I’d love to hear your thoughts! Drop a comment below with your questions, ideas, or feedback—let’s get the conversation started!
🔗 Let’s connect and grow together!
Follow me, Sanika Thorat, on your favorite platforms for even more content and updates on Microsoft Power Platform and related technologies:
- 💼 LinkedIn – Let’s network and share ideas!
- 💻 GitHub – Explore my projects and code.
- 📺 My Blogs – Watch tutorials and deep dives on Power Platform, Power Apps, Power Automate, and more!
Let’s build something amazing together with Power Platform and Azure! 🚀
