Today, SharePoint powers a growing number of experiences across Microsoft 365. From files, lists, and videos to engaging sites, custom apps, and knowledge solutions—on the desktop, web, mobile, and increasingly, inside Microsoft Teams, SharePoint is the most flexible content collaboration platform in the industry.
And for the fourth year running, Microsoft has been recognized as a Leader in the Gartner Content Services Platforms Magic Quadrant for 2020, with more than 200 million monthly active users in the cloud.
So as more and more businesses adopt SharePoint, here are some tips and tricks to make your SharePoint life much easier:
Finding and Searching in SharePoint
Searching in SharePoint
The search function in SharePoint is powerful to navigate a file that you are looking for.
There are 4 ways that you can use the search function in SharePoint to find a file
Search whole entire SharePoint site
Search within a library or folder
Search a file name
Search keywords within a file
Easily find shared files directly in Delve
Delve is a cloud-based service that help discover and find content across Microsoft 365 apps. Delve allows you to easily see recent documents you worked on, documents shared via email or even find out what your colleagues are working on. You can even share files to others with a touch of a button.
Easily find shared files directly in Microsoft Office apps
Microsoft office apps allows you to see Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Publisher) files that others have shared with you.Y ou can easily see when files were shared and by whom, as well as the original location where these shared files sit.
Easily find shared files directly in OneDrive
OneDrive allows you to see files that you have shared, and files others have shared with you. These shared files can be located on SharePoint or other people’s OneDrive.
Creating, Saving and Uploading in SharePoint
Creating and saving new documents from your Microsoft Office desktop app and save directly into SharePoint library
Microsoft Office apps allows you to create new documents and save as directly into a nominated SharePoint library and/or folder using the ‘save as’ function. Microsoft will do all the hard work for you, so you don’t need to navigate to SharePoint.
Uploading documents to SharePoint
There are many ways you can upload existing documents to SharePoint.
From web browser:
Drag and drop
Upload function button
From File Explorer via synced SharePoint folders:
Drag and drop
Copy and paste
Sharing in SharePoint
Sharing files from Harmon.ie plug-in on Outlook
Harmon.ie is an Outlook plug-in that connects SharePoint Online to Outlook. You can share and work on documents without the need to navigate to SharePoint Online.
When sharing files using Harmon.ie you have 2 options:
Drag and drop
Using the copy command
If you use the copy command you have 3 options
Copy Document
Copy Link
Copy Address
Sharing files from a Synced Library in File (Windows) Explorer
When you have synced a document library with your laptop from SharePoint it will appear in File Explorer.
From File Explorer you have the ability to share files and folders without the need to open Chrome and navigate to SharePoint Online when sharing a link.
Sharing files directly through Outlook
Outlook allows you to directly share files from multiple locations including SharePoint without having to navigate to the exact location.
When sharing files directly from Outlook from a SharePoint document library; you can:
Share link
Attach as copy
There are 5 permission options you can set when sharing a link:
Anyone can view
Organisation can edit
Organisation can view
Recipient can edit
Recipient can view
Sharing multiple files at the same time
There is a limitation in SharePoint when it comes to sharing multiple files at a time. SharePoint doesn’t allow you to select multiple files to share.
There are 3 options on how to share multiple files:
Create a folder to share
Copy links of each file and send in an email
Create a zip folder with all files and share
Sharing documents with a link
SharePoint allows you to share documents by creating links to a file or folder to others.You can do this by:
Share direct link of file or folder
Copy link to be placed into an email
When sharing links there is multiple settings that you can set on who has access.
Anyone with the link
People in Frasers Property with a link
People with existing access
Specific people
Stop Sharing a file or folder
SharePoint gives you the ability the stop sharing an item that you have shared. You can:
Delete a link that has been shared
Remove access to specific people to a link
Change permission settings of a link
Working on Your SharePoint Files
Working on PDF Files
There is a limitation with SharePoint when working on PDF files.You can only work on PDF files once you have synced the library that the files are located in. Once you have synced, you can open and edit file directly in Acrobat application.
Collaborating on Excel workbooks
SharePoint allows you to collaborate on the same workbooks as others in real time. You’ll be able to see what changes others are making on the same workbook as you, as long as the auto save functionality is enabled.
Collaborating on Word documents
SharePoint allows you to collaborate on the same document as others in real time. You’ll be able to see what changes others are making on the same document as you. SharePoint allows you to write comments to others within the document and send them notifications. You can also track all the changes that others have made within the document.
Collaborating on PowerPoint presentations.
SharePoint allows you to collaborate on the same presentations as others in real time.
You can even share links to specific slides which you can direct others to when you need them to make their changes.
When autosave is enabled, SharePoint will provide a message in the presentation of changes made while you were away.
Document Version Control
SharePoint has a function of version control, which tracks when there have been changes made to a file and by whom. Version control is different to that of document revisions.
Version Control allows you to do the following:
View previous versions of a file
Restore previous versions of a file
Delete previous versions of a file
Bookmarking or Pinning in SharePoint
Creating a bookmark shortcut to SharePoint
You have the ability to create shortcuts to SharePoint in your bookmarks bar; same as you would for your favourite websites.
This saves you time with navigating to a library/folder or any part of the SharePoint site.
SharePoint Online is web based so it allows you to create bookmark shortcuts to:
SharePoint site
Libraries
Folders
File
Pinning SharePoint files and folders to File Explorer and Quick Start Menu
SharePoint files and folders can be pinned to your Quick access menu in File Explorer; this allows you to create a shortcut to access them without the need to navigate to other folders. The pinning of SharePoint files and folders can also be done to your Start menu.
Syncing a SharePoint LIbrary
Syncing SharePoint Libraries on your computer
SharePoint allows you to sync a document library onto your computer and work directly in File Explorer. You can still access these files even when offline.
When you are online or connected through OneDrive, any changes made to files in File Explorer will also automatically sync back into SharePoint.
Stop Syncing a SharePoint Library on your computer
When you have synced a SharePoint document library, you have the ability to stop syncing it from your computer. You will disconnect the folder on computer from the SharePoint document library. You can also sync the document library again.
Managing SharePoint Notifications
Managing alert notifications of files, folders or libraries
SharePoint allows you to set up email notifications so that you are informed on changes to a file, folder or document library. These changes could be anything from new items added to changes made by other people.
Notify colleagues after a file is uploaded to SharePoint.
SharePoint allows you to notify colleagues or certain individuals about a file that you have newly uploaded to SharePoint. In this notification you can share the file and write a message to these certain individuals about it.
Recycle Bin in SharePoint
Recycle bin in SharePoint
On every Work and Property Hub there is a recycle bin. It allows you to view and restore deleted items to its original location. All deleted items from recycle bin is accessible for 93 days. Anything longer than 93 days, please contact Hub Support via the Portal
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And while we are at this, do remember to upgrade your MS Office Apps because from November 1, 2021, the following versions of Outlook for Windows, as part of Office and Microsoft 365 Apps, will no longer be able to connect with Office 365 and Microsoft 365 services:
Office 2013 version 15.0.4970.9999 and older
Outlook 2016 version 16.0.4599.9999 and older
Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise (formerly Office 365 ProPlus) version 1705 and older
Microsoft 365 Apps for business (formerly Office 365 Business) version 1705 and older