Latest SharePoint Online topics

What Happened with SharePoint Lists? The new Microsoft Lists user experience has rolled out for SharePoint. With this a lot of changes have happened. In the past, the lists and libraries experiences in SharePoint were owned by different teams at Microsoft. Meaning that the same features would be implemented by two different teams, which often resulted in two different user experiences. Additionally, the Microsoft Lists app, likely managed by yet another team, further complicates this issue.

The SharePoint platform has been evolving rapidly, bringing new features and adjustments that can impact both user experience and governance. While many of these changes offer exciting opportunities, some also introduce challenges. In this session we take a closer look at key updates to SharePoint’s editing experience, offering insights on what works well, and where caution is needed. SharePoint Home Page Changes Despite many users being unaware of the SharePoint home page, a recent change is that it now includes a new section at the top, offering a user-friendly interface that allows you to create new sites or even a blank page.

Backup and archive: understanding the differences Backup and archive serve distinct purposes, although many confuse them for the same thing. Backup refers to warm storage, focusing on active content and ensuring easy access to recover data if a problem arises. On the other hand, archiving is akin to cold storage, dealing with inactive content that isn’t regularly used. Syncing data does not serve as a backup or archive; it merely keeps two copies of the same data synchronized, without providing the backup or archived version.

In this Ask Sympraxis session, we expand on the foundational concepts discussed in the previous episode, focusing on the role of SharePoint Managed Metadata for Search. If you haven’t caught up on that episode yet, we recommend starting there to better understand the central role of the term store and managed metadata in building a robust information architecture. Term store vs. managed metadata The term store and managed metadata are often mentioned together, but it’s important to differentiate between the two.

In this Ask Sympraxis session, we delve into the intricacies of the SharePoint Term Store, a critical component for maintaining consistency in how we categorize and tag content across an organization’s intranet. What is the SharePoint Term Store? The Term Store in SharePoint is essentially a repository for commonly used terms. It provides a tenant-wide or site-wide source of terms organized hierarchically, ensuring we use the same language when working in SharePoint.

In this session, we explore the significant updates to Learning Pathways in version 5 and the changes to the Lookbook. Developed by Julie and Stefan Bauer, Learning Pathways has developed into a great tool for most organizations. With Derek’s help maintaining the code updates, this knowledgeable team has collaborated to bring you the latest improvements in the beta version of v5. If you’re looking for more in-depth assistance with Learning Pathways beyond this 30-minute session, we highly recommend our new 1-hour Jumpstart focused on this tool!

As we mark the milestone of our 100th episode of Ask Sympraxis, it’s incredible to reflect on the journey we’ve embarked on since our first episode on April 20, 2020. Back then, the world was quite different, and in many ways, so was the landscape of technology. Over the years, Ask Sympraxis has grown, evolved, and adapted, much like the tech ecosystem we seek to demystify. Our first question Our inaugural question back in 2020 was, “Is there any preliminary or prescriptive guidance for dealing with guest users and supporting teams (both as the host system, and where your users are the guests of others)?

Microsoft has introduced SharePoint Premium, a comprehensive suite of tools designed to enhance content experiences, processes, governance, and backup/archive functionalities. SharePoint Premium aims to elevate content management to a higher maturity level, integrating various advanced tools and capabilities. SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM) Located in the SharePoint Admin Center, SharePoint Advanced Management (SAM) offers a range of capabilities, including sophisticated reporting tools and data governance reports. SAM features change history reports that allow administrators to track changes at both site and organizational levels.

When managing data in SharePoint and Microsoft Lists, understanding the various form customization options available and how they interact with these platforms is essential. Forms serve as the primary interface for collecting data, and while they might appear simple, the underlying complexity varies depending on the type of form and its intended use. This session explores the different form customization options available for SharePoint lists, libraries, and Microsoft Lists, including their capabilities and how they can be leveraged effectively.

Back in the day, SharePoint developers reveled in the ability to craft pixel-perfect intranets and websites, wielding full control over branding assets. However, this era of limitless customization came at a cost - considerable technical debt. If you built an intranet with custom branding, you had to account for every web part, how it was used, and how it was branded, often at the expense of performance. The good news is all that changes in the new modern brand center as it is slowly giving us back customization options.