A Managed Metadata column is a special column type that can be added to lists, libraries, or content types. In other words, this is an alternative column type to the Choice column with extra features, such as the choice values can be mapped to Terms from a specific Term Set that is stored in site level or tenant level. Instead of using an existing term set, you can also create a new term set specifically for a Managed Metadata column. For more information, see Introduction to Managed Metadata.
Terminologies associated with Managed Metadata
Let me explain some terminologies in simple words that are associated with Managed Metadata column.
- Term or Terms: A term is a specific word or phrase that you want to associate with a SharePoint list item. The term (ex: Finance) is a single item in a term set (Ex: Department).
- Term Set: A Term set is a group of related terms. In other words, the Term set can be called as category, tags, or labels, and the term (terms) can be called as category items, tag options, label items. For example, Department is the Term set and Finance, Marketing and Sales would be the terms.
- Term Store: The Term Store management tool to create or manage term sets and the terms within them. The Term Store management center displays all the global term sets and any local term sets available for the site collection from which you access the Term Store management tool.
- Managed Metadata column: A Managed Metadata column is a special kind of column that allows you to map to an existing term set, or you can create a local term set specifically for the column. Site users can select the term (Ex: Finance) from the mapped term set (Ex: Department) and assign it to a list item.
Local term sets vs Global term sets
Terms sets can be created under two scopes, site/list level, and tenant level.
- Local term sets: The term set created within the context of a site collection is a local term set, this can be used only for that site collection. For example, when you create a term set for a metadata column in a list or library, then the term set is local. It is available only in the site collection that contains this list or library.
- Global term sets: The term set created from the Tenant admin center is called a global term set. The global term sets can be used across all sites that subscribe to a specific Managed Metadata Service application.
Follow the below steps to create a new Term Set in Term Store and map with Managed Metadata column in List or Library.
- Create a Term Set from Term Store management tool
- Create a Managed Metadata column in SharePoint List and map with Term set
- View and Update Managed Metadata field value in List Item
Create a Term Set from Term Store management tool
Follow the below steps to create a new term set from Term Store in SharePoint Online.
- Go to Office 365 Admin center.
- In the left navigation, click Show all, under the Admin centers section, click on SharePoint to open the SharePoint admin center.
- On the SharePoint admin center page, in the left navigation, under the Content services section, click on Term Store.
- On the Term Store home page, under Admins section, ensure that you have added your account as an Admin account to use the Term Store management tool. Even if you have site collection administrator permission, or SharePoint admin, or even Global admin permission you would not have access to the Term Store. You should add your account under this Admins section to gain access to manage the Term store.
- Once you successfully added your account as Term Store admin, click the three dots next to Taxonomy, select Add term group, type a name for the term group (ex: Office Metadata) to organize term sets you want to create, click Enter and wait for few seconds to create the group.
- Click on the Term group, click the three dots next to the term group, select Add term set, type a name for the new term set/category (ex: Department), click Enter and wait for few seconds to create the term set.
- Click on the Term set, click the three dots next to the term set, select Add term, type a name for the new term/category item (ex: Finance), click Enter.
- You can create more terms under the term set by repeating the above steps.
Create a Managed Metadata column in SharePoint List and map with Term set
Once you created a term set in the Term store by following the above steps, follow the below steps to create a new managed metadata column in a SharePoint Online List and map the column with the existing term set.
- Navigate to the required SharePoint List . Click the Gear Icon (Settings) in the top-right and select List settings.
- In the List Settings page, under the Columns section, click on the Create Column link.
- On the Create Colum page, type your column name (ex: Department), select column type as Managed Metadata.
- Scroll down the page, under the Term Set Settings section, choose the Term Set that we created in the Term Store. The new column is now associated with the Term Set (Categories) that is managed through Term Store.
- Under the Additional Column Settings section, select “Yes” under the option “Require that this column contains information” if you want to mark this column as a required column.
- Scroll down to the bottom of the page, click OK to create the column. You can view the newly created managed metadata column under the Columns section in the List settings page.
View and Update Managed Metadata field value in List Item
Once you created a Managed Metadata column in SharePoint List by following the above steps, you can set value for the metadata column in an existing list item or new list item.
- Navigate to the SharePoint List, select the required list item, click Edit button to view the list item details.
- Look for the metadata field, type and select the required term to set value for the field. Finally click the Save button to update the changes.
