Forum Discussion
Tagging in SharePoint Online
You're asking about metadata and there are LOTS of options, depending on what you're trying to do - all the way from enterprise level content management using enterprise keywords and content types all the way down to finding stuff on an individual library or site.
You'll need to understand the difference between enterprise managed metadata, site level metadata or library level metadata.
I use site level metadata tags applied to libraries and site pages all the time within individual sites as a way to make the site more searchable. It works particularly well with the highlighted content web part.
All tagging is 100% manual and cannot be mandated/required/forced on users. So using it requires rigor and discipline. It's definitely a case of garbage in, garbage out. So before you go to a lot of work and effort to implement some grand enterprise level controls, make sure you can support it and that the users will actually do it. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. It's why I stick to site level stuff that I can control.
Rachel_Davis The fact an organisation cannot mandate colleagues to apply metadata is a major flaw in using SharePoint Online. Users will not do it and therefore you end up with a host of unassigned content. In previous versions of SharePoint it was easy to get users to add metadata as it was mandatory. I am not sure why MicroSoft have removed this ability but it weakens their product leading many companies to revert to folders, which are terrible for enterprise content management systems, or chose another product. We are looking at choosing another product.