SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers
Q1. What are the core capabilities of SharePoint?
SharePoint is a powerful platform offering key capabilities such as content management, document management, collaboration, and workflow automation. It allows teams to store, organize, and manage documents efficiently with features like version control and co-authoring. SharePoint also enhances collaboration through team sites, task management, and discussion boards, making it easier for teams to work together. Additionally, it supports workflow automation, streamlining business processes like document approvals and notifications. Its seamless integration with Microsoft Office and the Power Platform further extends its functionality, making it a central hub for managing content, automating tasks, and enhancing productivity within organizations.
Q2.What is the difference between a SharePoint list and a library?
The main difference between a SharePoint list and a library is their purpose and functionality. A list is used to store structured data in rows and columns, similar to a database table, and can include items like contacts, tasks, or events. A library, on the other hand, is designed specifically for document management. It allows users to store, organize, and manage files with additional features like version control, metadata, and check-in/check-out options for better collaboration and document tracking.
Q3. How can you create a custom list in SharePoint?
To create a custom list:
Go to Site Contents → Add an App → Select Custom List → Name your list → Configure columns as per requirement.
To create a custom list in SharePoint, start by navigating to Site Contents on your SharePoint site. Click on Add an App, then select Custom List from the available options. Provide a name for your list and click Create. Once the list is created, you can configure columns by adding fields such as text, numbers, dates, or choices to match your specific requirements. This allows you to customize the list structure based on your data needs.
Q4. What are SharePoint content types?
Content types in SharePoint are reusable collections of metadata (columns), workflow, behavior, and settings for a category of items or documents. SharePoint content types are reusable templates that define the structure and behavior for a specific category of items or documents. They include predefined metadata (columns), associated workflows, document settings, and rules. Content types allow you to standardize the way information is managed across lists and libraries, ensuring consistency and efficiency when handling similar types of content, such as contracts, reports, or tasks. This helps streamline processes and improve document organization.
Q5. How do you create a content type in SharePoint?
Go to Site Settings → Under Web Designer Galleries, select Site Content Types → Create a new content type and define its properties and behavior.
To create a content type in SharePoint, go to Site Settings on your SharePoint site. Under the "Web Designer Galleries" section, click on Site Content Types. From there, choose the option to Create a new content type. Provide a name, select the parent content type it should inherit from, and specify the group where it will be stored. Once created, you can define its properties, such as metadata (columns), workflows, and any custom behaviors needed for that content type.
Q6. What is a SharePoint Workflow?
SharePoint workflows automate business processes, such as document approval, task assignments, or data collection. They streamline operations by reducing manual interventions.A SharePoint workflow is a tool that automates business processes, like document approvals, task assignments, and data collection. By automating these tasks, workflows help streamline operations, reduce the need for manual intervention, and ensure processes are followed consistently. Workflows can be customized to handle multi-step approvals, notifications, or other repetitive tasks, improving efficiency and productivity across the organization.
Q7. What are the different types of workflows in SharePoint?
The main workflow types are Approval, Collect Feedback, Collect Signatures, and Three-State (used for tracking status changes).In SharePoint, the main types of workflows include Approval, Collect Feedback, Collect Signatures, and Three-State workflows. The Approval workflow is used for document or item approval processes, allowing designated users to review and approve submissions. The Collect Feedback workflow gathers input from multiple users, facilitating collaboration on documents. The Collect Signatures workflow streamlines the process of obtaining necessary signatures for documents. Lastly, the Three-State workflow helps track the status changes of an item, such as from "Not Started" to "In Progress" to "Completed," allowing teams to monitor progress effectively.
Q8. How does inheritance work in SharePoint permissions?
By default, SharePoint lists, libraries, and items inherit permissions from their parent (site). Inheritance can be broken to apply unique permissions at any level. In SharePoint, permissions inheritance allows lists, libraries, and items to automatically inherit permissions from their parent site by default. This means that any changes made to the parent site’s permissions will cascade down to all child objects, ensuring a consistent security model. However, inheritance can be broken at any level, allowing for the application of unique permissions to specific lists, libraries, or items. This flexibility enables administrators to customize access controls based on specific needs, ensuring that sensitive information can be adequately protected while still maintaining broader access where appropriate.
Q9. How does the search feature work in SharePoint?
SharePoint Search uses a search index created from site content. The search service crawls the content, indexes it, and allows users to search based on keywords and metadata. The SharePoint Search feature operates by creating a search index from the content stored within the site. The search service regularly crawls through the content, gathering data from lists, libraries, and documents, which is then organized and indexed for efficient retrieval. Users can perform searches based on keywords and metadata, allowing them to find relevant content quickly. The search results can also be filtered and refined based on various criteria, enhancing the user experience and ensuring that individuals can easily locate the information they need. This robust search functionality makes it easier to manage and access vast amounts of data within SharePoint.
Q10. What is a crawl in SharePoint Search?
A crawl is the process by which the SharePoint search engine indexes content. There are different types of crawls, including full and incremental crawls. In SharePoint Search, a crawl is the process by which the search engine scans and indexes content from SharePoint sites, lists, libraries, and documents to make it searchable. There are two primary types of crawls: full crawls and incremental crawls. A full crawl indexes all content from the beginning, ensuring the search index is up to date with every piece of information in the site. In contrast, an incremental crawl updates the index by only scanning for changes made since the last crawl, which makes it more efficient for regular updates. This crawling process is crucial for providing users with accurate and timely search results based on the most current content available.
Q11. What is Central Administration in SharePoint?
Central Administration is a web application in SharePoint used by administrators to manage configuration settings, services, security, and backups for the entire SharePoint environment. Central Administration in SharePoint is a web application specifically designed for administrators to manage the overall SharePoint environment. It provides a centralized interface for configuring various settings, managing services, and overseeing security for the entire SharePoint farm. Through Central Administration, administrators can perform tasks such as creating and managing site collections, configuring search settings, and setting up backups and restore processes. It also allows for the management of service applications, enabling features like Excel Services, Access Services, and user profile synchronization. Overall, Central Administration plays a critical role in ensuring the smooth operation and security of SharePoint.
Q12. What is the SharePoint architecture?
SharePoint uses a multi-tier architecture that consists of Web Front-End (WFE) servers, application servers, and database servers. The WFE servers handle user requests, delivering content and user interfaces. The application servers manage services like search, workflows, and other core features, while the database servers store all content, configuration, and user data. This service-oriented architecture allows for scalability and flexibility, enabling SharePoint to support small to large enterprise environments by distributing roles across different servers for optimal performance.
These questions provide a comprehensive view of SharePoint, covering essential concepts, features, and integrations. Let me know if you need further adjustments or more questions added!
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