SharePoint Metadata - Default Values

Question

Hi all,

I have a scenario where we have some template documents which users use to create documents from, I have set some default properties in the template which is working fine, however I want to use this in combination with default values set at Site Column level - is this possible?

For example say I have a template for a PID, I set the following properties on the document:

Document Type = PID

Project Phase = Start Up

I then have a number of sites where at site level we set some columns defaults e.g. Project ID

I have tried creating the document using a Content Type as well as uploading the document from another location, and using File Save As in Office 2016 and each time, it copies over the metadata stored on the document but ignores the defaults set at site level - is there any way I can get it to use the metadata set at site level in addition to the metadata set on the document template?

Many thanks

Nic

Answer 1

Hi William,

From your description it seems our scenario of holding some default values for columns on a template, then adding more automatically when it's saved in it's destination location does not have a solution.

Thank you for your help.

Nichola

Answer 2

Hi Nic,

Do you need further help?

Please share some updates at your convenience.

Regards,

William

Answer 3

Hi Nic,

Thanks for your information.

Based on your description above, I assume that you have created the managed metadata column in the SharePoint Online library and used the customized term set as the properties for the documents. In local, you have created a template document and generated the same property(name) as Online for this template.

If yes, it’s not feasible to merge the two properties even if they contain the same value. The two properties are stored in different places.

If this is not your scenario, please share more information with us.

1. Where are these properties created, local or online?
2. How is the document template deployed, upload from local to Online library or use content type?
3. Some related screenshots will be helpful.

Regards,

William

Answer 4

Hi William,

Thanks for your reply.

However the custom values are persistent in the client application.  The issue I have is that some of the default values are set on the document, and some are non-mandatory in the document and therefore left blank e.g.

Document Type - Mandatory - default value = PID

Project Phase - Mandatory - default value = Start Up

Project ID - non-mandatory

This is because the template can be used for multiple projects so at the template stage we don't want to set a default value.  However, when we are creating a document from the template and uploading it to a document library, the Project ID is a mandatory column in the document library.

The Project ID default value is set at site level, however it is ignored, I assume because it cannot merge the metadata from 2 different sources?  I was wondering if anyone else has a similar use case and managed to resolve.

What I am looking for is to hold some properties on the template, then add more based on the document library it is being uploaded to?

The information in the columns are managed metadata.

Answer 5

Hi Nic,

Thanks for sharing your experience with us.

Based on your description, I understand that the custom properties metadata stored on the documents but the default values didn't when you open them in the Word client.

Given this situation, I suggest you change the types of information in these custom columns. For example, you may change the type to Choice (menu to choose from) and enter the default value you needed into the Default value box to check the result.

If the issue persists, I'd like to confirm the following information with you.

1. What's the type of information in this custom column, e.g. Project ID in your example?
2. Steps on how you created the content type.
3. Some related screenshots about the symptom, so we can have an intuitive understanding of the issue. E.g. the missing default values of the custom properties in Word.

Regards,

William