What is SharePoint metadata
SharePoint metadata is the descriptive information used to categorize, organize, and manage content stored within a SharePoint environment.
Table of contents
Without SharePoint metadata, most organizations' content would be a chaotic mess where no one would be able to find anything.
Applying metadata to documents, lists, or libraries in SharePoint enhances content discoverability, improves document management, and supports workflows by allowing automated actions based on specific metadata fields.
SharePoint metadata examples
Common examples of metadata used in SharePoint include:
- Document type: Contract, Invoice, Policy, Report
- Department: HR, Finance, Legal, IT
- Status: Draft, Under Review, Approved, Archived
- Date fields: Created date, Modified date, Expiry date
- Author or owner: Who created or is responsible for the document
- Project name or ID: Associates documents with specific projects
Metadata in SharePoint is stored as columns in document libraries or lists. It can be defined using managed metadata (from a term store), choice fields, people pickers, date fields, and more.
