Modify base content type

[Jon Lyall]

Hi

What are the risks involved in modifying a SharePoint base content type - eg document?

Is there any official Microsoft guidance on this?

many thanks in advance

[#2]

Hi @Jon Lyall,

I wouldn't!

If you add a field called "VeryImportant"  and Microsoft adds a field "VeryImportant" in the future then you might find that you get some trouble. It would be better to create a new content type called "Company Document", although I've seen in the past this creating a managerial mess too as you will need to update the content type every time you create a new library.

I wonder if this is the reason why Microsoft is making it easier to add new list columns on modern lists and with this ignoring the whole content type model. 

[#3]

thanks for the prompt response!

[#4]

Jon, in addition to creating a new content type as Pieter suggested, you also have the ability of removing the default content type from a library after adding another one in. If there's something about the default content type that you don't like, that'd be the way to "remove" it.

[#5]

Hi Matt, that would still give you problems with list templates and site templates. Yes you could update these but it just makes things difficult for the normal user. This is one of the reasons why in quite a few situations creating apps is better that manually using lists in SharePoint. And even without content types sometimes works

[#6]

Thanks all for the replys.

I was looking for MS guidance around the risks involved in modifying a base OOTB content type.

found it here for reference

http://download.microsoft.com/download/6/3/5/635302D8-FE1F-4A33-94A0-CFABBF2C5930/oit2010-whitepaper...

[#7]

Hi John, that document is 5 years old and for SharePoint 2010. I would be careful following any documentation with things like content type hubs in SharePoint online.

[#8]

And in case you modify the default content type and in future you need support from Microsoft then it may be a challenge as you modified content type against the Microsoft guidelines. So, its better to create a copy of the default content type.