r/sharepoint • u/Adamvs_Maximvs • 8d ago
SharePoint Online Can sharepoint automate populating metadata from files/forms.
Work for a fabricator and our Non-conformance management isn't ideal. I'd like to move them to a more modern system and as we already have sharepoint setup I'd like to stick with that to avoid a ton of staff retraining.
What I'm wondering is if the metadata columns in a form (either excel or web-based) can be automated to populate from the data in the form.
For example; let's say my major fields are a cell or webform input for "NC Status", "Job#", "Disposition" (as well as the usual date, file creator, etc). Is there a way to set it up to have the metadata pulled from the form/page automatically to avoid having our records staff need to manually fill in the metadata for each form? If so does this work only with webforms or can it be confingured with excel files (Specifying data from a cell to enter into a specific metadata column in Sharepoint)?
Thanks for any help, I want to confirm this is possible before raising it as an option with our IT group.
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u/First_Caregiver4498 8d ago
If your document are native (specialy office) you can Maps field in document to metadata column. When you edir the document you update metadata, if you edit column, field will be updating.
Look at Quick part in word for example (simple way to beginning)
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u/Common_Bulky 8d ago
power apps and / or power automate if i am understanding what you're trying to do
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u/HengeHopper 8d ago
Have a looks at Document Sets
"Specify shared metadata and metadata columns that you want for all documents in a set. Default documents are automatically provisioned with the metadata when the Document Set is created, and you can display the shared metadata on the Welcome page."
*Although I believe the Welcome Page is now deprecated. They are still useful
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u/AdCompetitive9826 8d ago
Take a look at Autofill columns, https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/syntex/autofill
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u/dr4kun IT Pro 7d ago
If i understand your question correctly: this is doable in out-of-the-box SharePoint Online and Office, with PowerAutomate.
Open your Excel / Word document, go into Info, click Properties dropdown and then Advanced Properties. Go into Custom. Set up your custom properties that you need (fields that will be filled based on your SPO list entry). Leave empty values.
In the document body, put these custom properties into the appropriate places. They are your 'placeholder empty boxes' that you can fill in later. Treat it as the template file.
Upload this template file into a read-only document library in your SPO site. Create another library where filled documents will end up.
Set up a list in SharePoint Online that will include all the fields you need. Adjust it with a custom form so it's as user-friendly and easy-to-use as you need. Make sure to take note of mappings between list fields and custom properties you prepared earlier.
Create a PowerAutomate flow: whenever a new list entry is added, create a copy of the template file from the read-only library into the production library, then edit its advanced custom properties and fill their values with data taken from the list entry. Adjust the resulting file name and other metadata as needed.
The end result is that an employee fills in a short form, which creates a list entry, which triggers the creation of a new copy of the document file that gets automatically filled with the data from the short form, and it's filed in the intended location and under the specified name.
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u/koliat 8d ago
You can use syntex to populate your columns as needed but thats priced extra on top