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samye228's avatar
samye228
Copper Contributor
Jan 27, 2026

New to board, question

Hello,

I am trying to find the right place to ask architecture questions and issues with SharePoint.

If this is the right place, please let me know suggestions or where I can search for the following:

We are running SharePoint Online. I do not have O365 Admin rights. I had created the Vandelay Project examples, site columns and document content types. After "playing" with the project I deleted the site columns from the content types, tried to delete the content types but keep getting the message they are being used somewhere. I put a ticket in with our IT but they have been unable to delete these with their rights. I have renamed them with a "z_" and assigned them to a Deprecated group. 

Can someone suggest what to do? 

Thank you,

Carol

admin
Document Library
SharePoint Online

1 Reply

  • virendrak's avatar
    virendrak
    Iron Contributor
    Jan 30, 2026

    Hi Carol,

    You’re definitely in the right place to ask these kinds of SharePoint architecture questions and what you’re running into is a very common issue with custom content types and site columns in SharePoint Online.

    When you remove a site column from a content type at the site level, SharePoint does not automatically remove it from any lists or libraries where that content type was already added. Each list keeps its own local copy of the content type, including the columns.

    Because of this, the content type still appears “in use,” and SharePoint will not allow you to delete it from the Content-Type Gallery.

    SharePoint will not allow deletion of a content type from the Content Type Gallery until all list‑level references are removed.

    To delete the content type, you must go to every list or library where it was used and remove the content type from there. Once all list‑level references are removed, SharePoint will allow you to delete it from the site.

    • Go to every list or library where the content type was added
    • Open List/Library Settings > Content Types
    • Delete the content type
    • Only after all references are removed will SharePoint allow you to delete it from the Content Type Gallery

     

    If my post solved your issue or answered your query, please mark it as a Solution and give it a Like.

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