SharePoint documents are very useful for working on the same project and collaborating on the same file. However, managing the file with specific tasks stored in different files is tough. Therefore, with the help of a document set, you can easily create a set of files that are required for a specific project or task. Additionally, a document set can include, Templates, Shared Metadata columns, Information management policies, Workflow, Versions, etc. After reading this a question can pop up in someone’s mind “How to create a Document Set in SharePoint Online?”. Let’s have a quick intro to the topic and benefits of the document set.
What is Document Set in SharePoint?
A document set, as the name implies, is a collection of connected documents contained within a particular folder that allows numerous documents to be handled and treated as if they were a single object. In other words, Document Set allows you to group documents based on specific criteria and then deal with the group of documents as a whole. A Document Set is a special content type.
Benefits of Document Set
- Better Organization with Metadata: You can manage all the specific files related to a particular task or project with assigned metadata and tags for easy access and filtering.
- simplified management: The unified view of specific tasks is a key here to manage all the different files.
- Simplified Workflows: Easy access to the files can get you all the related files in one place which leads to a smoother and simplified workflow
- Content Type Flexibility: You can store different types of content here in the document set files.
How to Create a Document Set in SharePoint Online?
Follow the below-given steps to create it:
1: Allow the “Document Sets” Feature in the Site Collection. By default, the document set feature is not allowed in the SharePoint Online site collection.
- Firstly, go to SharePoint Online Site collection >> Now, click on Settings >> and then click Site Settings.
- Secondly, click on the “Site Collection Features” link under the Site Collection Administration group.
- Click the Activate button next to the “Document Sets” feature. SharePoint Online activate document set
2: Create a content type that includes metadata columns and document templates (here we are only creating a content type having parent type as a document set).
- First, go to SharePoint Site >>Now click on the Setting icon.
- Secondly, in the settings menu click on “Site Information”.
- Thirdly, click on “View all Site settings”.
- Select “Site content types”.
- Now in opened tab click on “Create”.
- Enter the title of the content type and select parent as “Document set”
- To create the content type, select the Group and click OK.
3: Document Library: Add Document Set Content Type
- First of all, go to the document library to activate the feature for document sets.
- Secondly, on the Library Settings page, select the “Advanced Settings” link located in the General Settings section.
- Thirdly, To permit the editing of content types, choose Yes in the content type section>> Press the OK button.
- Select the option labeled “Add from existing site content types.” Choose the Document Set content type that you generated in step 2, and click the Add button>> Click OK on the Add Content Types screen.
Create a New Document Set
Follow this step to create a new document set:
- From the Document Library, select “New.” Choose the document set that we recently uploaded to the library.
- This brings up a window where you can build a document set by filling in the properties with the document set and clicking OK.
- After uploading the document templates and folders in Step 2, it builds the document and alerts us (Creating content type).
Woohoo! You have successfully learned how to create a document set in SharePoint Online.
Powershell Method to Automate The Process
Here are PnP commands that create a document set for you it automates the process:
#Initial parameters for setting up url $SiteURL= "site url" $ListName = "list name " $ContentTypeName = "write a name for content type" $DocumentSetName = "name for document set" #Command to connect PnP online Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteURL -Interactive #Command to create document set and content type $ParentCType = Get-PnPContentType -Identity "Document Set" $ContentType = Add-PnPContentType -Name $ContentTypeName -Group "Name" -ParentContentType $ParentCType #after creating content type a command to add it to a document library Add-PnPContentTypeToList -List $ListName -ContentType $ContentType #command to add document set in a document library Add-PnPDocumentSet -List $ListName -ContentType $ContentTypeName -Name $DocumentSetName
After executing all these commands you have learned how to create a document set in SharePoint Online PowerShell.
Final Say!
Document sets can help you in many ways and let you store your specific files in a categorized manner. To conclude, we have discussed all the methods and steps that are required to solve the query of how to create a document set in SharePoint Online. However, we have also discussed the necessary prerequisites to create new document sets. Additionally, we have discussed the PnP PowerShell script to automate the process.