Forum Discussion

Brass Contributor

Jan 09, 2022

Solved

Eat My Cake? SharePoint Search Folders

I want to keep all my business documents in relevant folders (e.g. proposals, invoices etc) but I also want client-based folders (e.g. client A, client B etc). I absolutely refuse to duplicate files ...

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SharePoint Online

SusanHanley
Jan 09, 2022
For what you are describing, you may just be able to use "regular" folders. You can propagate metadata using Column default value settings so that solves (1) and for (2), the answer is yes. You can use Content Types if each document has different properties or just add a column called Document Type if they all share the same properties (i.e. Client Name). When you create a folder for each Client Name, set a default in Library settings. This seems a lot simpler than using document sets. I would consider document sets if I have a library of JUST proposals so I can keep all the files associated with a proposal together and have a standard "set up" for each proposal set. But, for what you are describing, I would first try using a Folder per client AND a Site Column that you add to the library for Client Name.

tictag

Brass Contributor

Jan 09, 2022

So if I had one Document Library containing only the Document Set Content Type, with each of those Document Sets made up of proposals, invoices etc., each with associated metadata e.g. 'Document Type' and 'Client' , would I then be able to filter the Document Library based on that metadata e.g. Client = Client A, Document Type = Proposal?

I am, of course, assuming that:
(1) Document Set metadata requirements are distributed down into document properties and
(2) Document properties are surfaced up to the Document Library e.g. via columns.

What does a Document Library made up of only Document Sets look like if sync'd to Windows Explorer? Folders with files?

SusanHanley

MVP

Jan 09, 2022

For what you are describing, you may just be able to use "regular" folders. You can propagate metadata using Column default value settings so that solves (1) and for (2), the answer is yes. You can use Content Types if each document has different properties or just add a column called Document Type if they all share the same properties (i.e. Client Name). When you create a folder for each Client Name, set a default in Library settings. This seems a lot simpler than using document sets. I would consider document sets if I have a library of JUST proposals so I can keep all the files associated with a proposal together and have a standard "set up" for each proposal set. But, for what you are describing, I would first try using a Folder per client AND a Site Column that you add to the library for Client Name.

tictag
Brass Contributor
Jan 09, 2022
SusanHanley Very cool, and I very much like simple! 🙂

I guess I was thinking Document Sets only because every contract has the exact same set of documents, and I liked the idea that these documents (templates) would be created for me on demand. Right now I tend to duplicate the last one, delete all the content then start writing the new - unnecessarily time consuming - and I'm forever forgetting to update the document properties (the document properties are used throughout the document itself so this had led to embarrassment ... ooops 😳)

Note: I intend to programmatically (Zapier/Flow) create the Document Set based on a stage transition within my CRM i.e. Lead > Deal > Document Set

I'll certainly give the 'normal' Folder + Metadata approach a try out. No point unnecessarily complicating things.

Thanks.