Skip to main content

O365: Meta Data - Auto Population for improved Search

 O365: Meta Data - Auto Population for improved Search


Having discussed the advantages of using meta data so far we have touched only on populating these fields using manual entry, either by typing or by selection from a drop list.

If we wish to auto populate meta data fields we can do this in one or two ways.

Default Meta Content.

This method populates a Meta Data field with content that can be changed, removed or enhanced.
Any Meta Data field that is created by adding a SharePoint list or library column will have a default value setting.

This can be set in the List/Library Settings page to any value you wish. In the above illustration I have set the DocType column in a Training Documents Library. The effect is that any document created from the template in this library will be flagged as DocType = Training:
  The content of the field can be subsequently changed or amended. So, A user could change "Training:" to "Training: SharePoint Library Meta Data"

You may note that "Training:" is an element of the taxonomy, as is "SharePoint Library" and "Meta Data". So, in this example you have a taxonomy with three levels of indexing, one created automatically and the other two added manually. 

Automatic Meta Data Content Using Power Automate

This method populates a Meta Data field with content specified in a process. The content will always revert to the value specified in the process whenever the process is run.

Some Meta Data columns in Libraries and Lists don't show a default value setting.
However, you can still populate these fields using Power Automate.

The Title column has no default value setting.

Click on 



the Automate icon and select See Your Flows

Select +Create from the left menu,


Then select Automated flow from the top gallery and skip the wizard


Type 'sharepoint' in the trigger search box


and scroll the triggers to locate the "When a file is created or modified (properties only)" trigger.

NOTE: SharePoint Triggers are very specific. If you are working with a List the triggers will be the ones that specify changes to an ITEM.
If you are working with a Library the triggers will be the ones that specify a change to a FILE.
In this case we are not seeking changes to either ITEM or FILE, but changes to the PROPERTIES of a file, i.e. Meta Data


From the drop lists choose the site and library. We can leave the folder entry blank as we want this to action for the entire library.

Click New Step and enter 'sharepoint' in the action search and scroll through the actions

to find the "Update file properties action".

From the drop lists choose the site and library, then click in the ID box. This will display dynamic content from the TRIGGER

That is, the data ID from step one which triggered the flow is available to identify which data item you wish the action to change. In this case we are changing a file property for the same item, so we can select the ID in the display to the right.

Now enter what you wish the Title field to contain.

Click on save and the flow will be ready to run.

Now whenever anyone makes a change to the Training Documents Library by creating a new document, or by changing the Meta Data for an existing document, the Title Meta Data field will be re-set to the value in the flow.

To Summarise 

Two separate and independent methods to automatically update data contained in a meta data field or column.

Which is preferable will depend on exactly what you wish to do with data for your business. There are no hard and fast rules. You can also add IF, AND, OR conditions to the workflow to ensure that auto updates always fulfil your requirements.



Don't be afraid to experiment, make Office 365 work for you.

We can show you how, or we can do it for you.











Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams – Not only but also... What is Teams? Chat, Meetings, Calling, Collaboration | Microsoft Teams That’s the legend that Microsoft uses to head their Google listing. And it does those things really well. But -  There’s more . Teams also delivers a gateway to the fabulous world of SharePoint file storage, SharePoint and Office 365 index and search and Office 365 file security. All without the need for technical knowledge or extensive configuration. All well and good... What exactly does that mean? When you create a new team, simply click the ‘Join or Create a Team’ box at the lower left of the teams window, you launch a new team that has all the necessary attributes. This includes a mailbox, chat, call and video meeting area and a SharePoint file space with a basic library. Move shared documents, of any type, into the library and they are shared with other team members (the share facility is configurable to exclude individuals in the team who do not have sufficient righ...
Post a Comment
Read more

O365: SharePoint Searching in Office 365 and Teams

 O365: SharePoint Searching in Office 365 and Teams See also -  Other Office 365 Posts Earlier posts have discussed the huge advantages of centralising documents, files and communications in SharePoint and Office 365. One of the strongest functions in Office 365 is the ability to search all content so that locating data is easy. However, the search tools in Office 365 are not always obvious. Teams Search Teams is becoming really popular, not least due to the fact that it makes SharePoint very easy to deploy, use and control. At the top of each Teams General Tab is a search box This is multi function. Type / into the box and you will see a list of commands that will perform all sorts of Teams functions    The /Files option will return files you have recently accessed. Great, if the file or document you are looking for is actually in the recent file list. What if the information you require is in an older file, or in a different location? Location Search Also in Teams ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Knowledge - The Ultimate Resource

Knowledge – the ultimate resource? I can’t argue with that. As a writer I’m in the business of providing knowledgebase elements. I take my own experience and that of others, I then turn it into some form of written document that may be understood and acted upon by the intended audience. Quote from Wikipedia - Human-readable knowledge bases are designed to allow people to retrieve and use the knowledge they contain, primarily for training purposes. They are commonly used to capture explicit knowledge of an organization, including troubleshooting, articles, white papers, user manuals and others. The primary benefit of such a knowledge base is to provide a means to discover solutions to problems that have known solutions which can be re-applied by others, less experienced in the problem area. · The most important aspect of a knowledge base is the quality of information it contains. The best knowledge bases have carefully written articles that are kept up to date, an excellent information ...
Post a Comment
Read more