Create views in a SharePoint document library

Note

This article applies to the preview version of AI capabilities in SharePoint (previously referred to as Knowledge Agent).

Important

AI in SharePoint capabilities require sites to be explicitly opted in to the AI in SharePoint public preview, or for the tenant to be opted in at the tenant level. Sites that are not opted in do not receive preview benefits.

SharePoint’s AI capabilities help you create custom views of your document libraries. By showing and hiding columns, sorting, and filtering, these capabilities can configure your library to highlight what’s most important to you.

Launch the quick action

1. In the lower-right corner of your document library, select the AI in SharePoint icon.

2. From the quick actions menu, select Create new view.

3. The chat panel opens and displays a list of suggested actions related to custom views.

   Note

   If this is the first time using AI capabilities in the library, up to three suggested columns are generated automatically based on the available files. These columns are auto-populated with metadata about your files and can be useful when creating views.

Use a suggested prompt

1. From the chat panel, select an action. For this example, we use Show recently updated files first.

2. In the chat box, review the instruction provided. If needed, you can modify the text to better suit your intent. Once you're ready, select Send () to submit your action.

3. Based on your prompt, a view is generated. The view parameters are summarized in the chat panel.

   

Enter a custom prompt

1. In the chat panel’s text box, enter your own custom view instruction. When describing a view, consider what you want to see (filters) and how you want it grouped or sorted. This helps ensure the view meets your needs.

   

   Tip

   You can use AI capabilities to show and hide columns, sort, filter and group. Here are some sample prompts that could be used on libraries containing different document types:

   • Invoices: Show me past due invoices, grouped by vendor and sorted by amount due.
   • Product specs: Show me products with a release date in 2020 and sort by market positioning.
   • HR policy documents: Display HR policies by category showing only those that are already in effect.
   • Project plans: I want to see project plans grouped by phase and sorted by start date. Show the owner column and hide the location column.

2. Select Send () to submit your action.

3. Based on your prompt, a view is created and summarized in the chat panel.

   

   Tip

   In the chat panel, you can see a full description of the view created. The view will also be reflected in the document library.

   

   The generated view may also apply visual cues to help highlight important information in the library. For example, filtered results or grouped items might appear together, making it easier to quickly identify relevant files. These visual changes are part of the view configuration and reflect filters, grouping and sorting defined by the prompt.

   Tip

   AI in SharePoint can generate views from library metadata. In this example, it groups files by product line, sorts by document type, and filters to display only graphene mesh content.

   

Save your changes

1. When you're ready to save the view you created and any other changes you made, select Save changes.

2. On the Save changes to library? confirmation screen, verify that you want to update the current library view or save as a new view, and then select Apply changes.

   Tip

   If you create a new view, it will be the name of the library appended with a numerical value. The naming experience will be improved in future updates, but for now you can rename the view from the library command bar.

3. You're returned to the updated library and the view you created. Views created using AI capabilities are public views and are visible to everyone who uses the document library.

Requirements and limitations

• Supported view actions: Show column, Hide column, Sort, Filter, and Group-By.

• Supported column types for filtering: Choice, Number, Text, DateTime, Boolean, Currency, and MMD.

• Supported column types of column creation: Choice, Number, Text, DateTime, Boolean, Note, Currency, URL, and MMD.

• Supported languages: All languages supported through Microsoft 365 Copilot for text-based prompts and responses, but can only process files in English.

• Limitations:

  • Encrypted files can't be analyzed to generate metadata for views.

  • Column ordering, column width changes, and conditional formatting of views are not yet supported by SharePoint’s AI capabilities.

  • Personal views aren’t currently supported. Views created using AI capabilities are public views visible to everyone who uses the document library.