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Microsoft Lists Column Types are limited on my version

Rony Aguirre 20 Reputation points
2025-07-08T22:49:09.3166667+00:00

Hi,

I use MS Lists in an enterprise environment (I believe I have an E3 license). Why do my options for Columns list look limited as follows:

Column Type

However, I expected the list to have all these options:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/list-and-library-column-types-and-options-0d8ddb7b-7dc7-414d-a283-ee9dca891df7#id0ebbf=classic

Is it a licensing issue or a settings issue?

Regards,

Microsoft 365 and Office | SharePoint | For business | Windows

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous
2025-07-09T05:05:38.0833333+00:00

Hi Rony Aguirre, 

Have a good day and welcome to Microsoft Q&A Forum.

Thank you for your follow-up message and the additional context!  

I ran a quick test in our own environment by creating a new Microsoft List using the “Import from Excel” option, and you're absolutely right. The columns brought in from Excel are limited in terms of editable column types. These imported columns default to basic text/number types and cannot be changed to more advanced options like “Person” or “Lookup” afterward which aligns with the issue you’re experiencing. 

However, I did notice something that might help: 

When I try to add a new column manually (via the “+ Add column” button in the top bar of the List), and then click “See all column types” at the bottom of the dropdown, I do see the full list of advanced column types including “Person,” “Lookup,” and so on. 

User's image

To help us better understand your specific experience, could you try the same steps on your end and let me know: 

  • After clicking “+ Add column”, do you see the “See all column types” option? 
  • If yes, how many column types appear for you? 
  • If possible, could you please take a screenshot of what that dropdown looks like on your end?  That would really help us understand whether it’s a UI limitation, permissions issue, or something else. 

Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you need assistance walking through the steps. I'm more than happy to go through it together with you. We're committed to resolving this and making sure you have the tools you need. Let’s figure this out side by side. I’ll do everything I can to support you. Looking forward to hearing from you! 

And of course, if I’ve misunderstood any detail or if something wasn’t fully clear, don’t hesitate to correct me. I’m here to help and happy to adjust as needed.

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  1. Rony Aguirre 20 Reputation points
    2025-07-09T15:02:40.87+00:00

    Hi Thank you for confirming. And yes, if I add a new column in the imported [from Excel] List, 13 column types are available, with options I didn't see before. I guess a short term solution would be to add a new column with the appropriate type and delete the old imported column.

    Create a column

    I hope MS can consider a more convenient solution in their ongoing development of the application.

    Thank you

    Ron

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