SharePoint revolves around Content Types. You need to understand and use them in order to fully exploit some of the capabilities available to you in SharePoint. Move from setting up lists and libraries using Out-Of-The-Box items and documents to using custom Content Types to really make your solutions shine. This session will cover what Content Types are, how to set them up and what cool features you can use once you've done it. You will walk away with some ideas on how to take your no-code SharePoint solutions to the next level.

1. What are they?
Why do I need them?

3. My 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!!

4. 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

5. 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…

6. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
Workflow
Information Management Policy
Content Organizer
Content Hub
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Today’s Agenda

7. Definitions
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Content Type Topic

8. • Metadata
• Column versus Site Column
• Content Type
• Inheritance
• Information Architecture
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Definitions

9. • Additional information about something
Example Passport: Name, ID, Date of Birth, Country
• Metadata is stored in columns in SharePoint
• Columns are defined on a list or library
Definitions - Metadata

10. 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:

11. Definitions – Column/Site Column
Column Site Column
Column types available: Column types available:

12. Definitions – Column/Site Column
Column Site Column
Column: Department
Data type: Choice
Choice 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: Department
Data type: Choice
Choice 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!!!

13. • Defines a “type” of content in your organization
Eg. 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

14. • 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 Type
Company Location/Event Type
Meeting-in-a-box Event Content Type
Corporate Event Content Type
Organizational Impact Event Content Type

15. • Content types are available in the site they’re created in and all below
Definitions – Inheritance

16. • 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Definitions
Custom Content Types
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Content Type Topic

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

21. 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

22. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
To panel board main
Content Type Topic

23. • Associate a document template to a Content Type
**Document parent only
Examples: 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
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Document Template

24. • 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
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Document Information Panel (DIP)
• Deprecated in SharePoint 2016

25. • 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

26. Create Custom Content Type
Document Template
Document Information Panel (DIP)
Demo
Decide the parent content type for Lease Agreement
DOCUMENT

27. To panel board main
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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 TypeWebDesignerGalleryList/Library
Settings

28. • 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

29. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
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Content Type Topic

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

31. 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

32. • 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

33. Add ContentType as a refiner on the search refinement webpart:
Search – Refinement

34. 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

35. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
Workflow
To panel board main
Content Type Topic

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

37. 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 type
3. Publish the workflow “globally”
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Thru Visual Studio
 Fully customizable workflow scenarios based on content type can
be coded. (Outside scope of this talk)
Workflow

38. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
Workflow
Information Management Policy
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Content Type Topic

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

40. Information Management Policy
1
** 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
3
All DATE columns
from the Content
Type will appear
in this dropdown
Move to Recycle Bin
Permanently Delete
Transfer to another location
Start a workflow
Skip to next stage
Declare record
Delete previous drafts
Delete all previous versions

41. • 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

42. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
Workflow
Information Management Policy
Content Organizer
To panel board main
Content Type Topic

43. • Central location to upload/route documents to alleviating the
end-user from having to know where the document goes.
• Site Feature
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• Creates a “Drop-off library”
• 2 additional site settings…
Content Organizer

44. • 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:
Content Organizer
Content Organizer site URL

45. • 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

46. “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 Organizer
Manual 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

47. 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

48. Content Organizer
“Send To” Connections
Demo

49. 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

50. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
Workflow
Information Management Policy
Content Organizer
Content Hub
To panel board main
Content Type Topic

51. Special site collection to hold content type definitions
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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?

52. Content Hub
Define all content
types in the Content
Hub.
Content Hub
Site Collection
Managed
Metadata Service
Application
Subscribing
Site Collection 1
Content Type Gallery
Subscribing
Site Collection 2
Content Type Gallery
Subscribing
Site Collection N
Content Type Gallery
Publishing
Timer Job
Subscriber
Timer Jobs (1-N)

53. 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:

54. Content Hub
SharePoint Online: Content Type Hub automatically provisioned for each
tenant at URL: o365url/sites/contentTypeHub
** Not visible in the SharePoint Admin Centre
To verify: Site settings …. Site collection Administration … Content Type Publishing

55. 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

56. 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)

57. Definitions
Custom Content Types
Document Template and DIP
Search
Workflow
Information Management Policy
Content Organizer
Content Hub
To panel board main
Content Type Topics

58. 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

59. Resources
Planning 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

60. Thank you. 
Contact me:
email: joannecklein@outlook.com
twitter: @JoanneCKlein