Thursday, August 29, 2024

SharePoint - Absolute reference

The following is a SharePoint Dictionary word of the day:

Absolute reference

A reference to a set location on a sheet. An absolute reference constantly refers to the equal range, even if the formula that comprises it is moved or copied to a different location.


Wednesday, August 28, 2024

SharePoint - Absolute path

The following is a SharePoint dictionary word of the day:

Absolute path

A string that displays the location of a file and starts with a drive identifier and root directory or network share and ends with the applicable file name. Example: C:\Documents\Work\testexample.txt and \\netshare\Documents\Work\testexample.txt.


Tuesday, August 27, 2024

Top 3 Ways to Use SharePoint Online for Advertising and Marketing

The following are three ways to use SharePoint Online for advertising and marketing:

  • Marketing Communications Site:
    • Create a dedicated Communication Site to share news, announcements, company logos, branding guidelines, approved images, etc. Such a site can be the hub for all marketing materials and key links.
  • Audience Targeting:
    • SharePoint’s audience targeting can be set so that specific content reaches the right audience. This can be useful for personalized marketing campaigns, ensuring that different user groups see the specific content tailored to their interests.
  • Add-ins and Integrations:
    • Enhance  a SharePoint site with add-ins and integrations that can transform it into a comprehensive digital workplace. Such tools can improve engagement and streamline marketing based efforts.

Sunday, August 25, 2024

Top 3 Popular SharePoint CSOM (Client-Side Object Model) Scripts

The following are three popular SharePoint CSOM (Client-Side Object Model) scripts that can help manage and automate tasks:

  1. Using Multi factor Authentication 

This script allows you to connect to a SharePoint Online site using a Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) account. It’s useful for securely accessing a SharePoint environment.


# Install SharePoint Online Client SDK

Install-Module -Name Microsoft.Online.SharePoint.PowerShell -Force -AllowClobber


# Connect to SharePoint Online

Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com


2. Provision SharePoint Sites

This script helps one set up sites with predefined configurations.


# Install PnP PowerShell

Install-Module -Name SharePointPnPPowerShellOnline -Force -AllowClobber


# Connect to SharePoint Online

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com -UseWebLogin


# Apply a provisioning template

Apply-PnPProvisioningTemplate -Path "template.xml"


3. Manage Permissions
This script helps when managing permissions for SharePoint Online sites, lists, and libraries. It can be utilized to grant or revoke permissions programmatically.


# Connect to SharePoint Online

Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com -UseWebLogin


# Grant permissions

Set-PnPListItemPermission -List "Documents" -Identity 1 -User "user@domain.com" -AddRole "Contribute"

Friday, August 23, 2024

Top 3 Popular Ways to Use Power Automate in SharePoint Online

The following are the top three popular ways to use Power Automate with SharePoint Online:

  1. Approval Workflows: Automate approval processes in regard to documents and list items. For example, one can set up a flow to automatically route a document for approval when it’s added to a document library.
  2. Automated Notifications: Create flows which send notifications when specific actions occur. For example, one can notify team members when a new item is added to a SharePoint list or when a document is updated.
  3. Data Synchronization: Use Power Automate to synchronize data between SharePoint and other systems. For example, updating SharePoint lists with data from external sources or ensuring that changes in SharePoint are updated accordingly in other applications.

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Online Shells

The following are the top three SharePoint Online shells that are widely used for managing and automating tasks in SharePoint environments:

  1. SharePoint Online Management Shell: This is the Windows PowerShell module with cmdlets specifically designed for managing SharePoint Online. It lets administrators perform tasks such as creating site collections, managing users, and configuring settings efficiently.
  2. PnP PowerShell: The Patterns and Practices (PnP) PowerShell module provides cmdlets which extend the capabilities of the SharePoint Online Management Shell. It is useful for complex operations and automation, such as applying site templates, managing site designs, and designating permissions.
  3. Microsoft 365 PowerShell: Such a shell is used for management across Microsoft 365 services, including SharePoint Online. It allows for the management of users, groups, and licenses, and integrates with other Microsoft 365 services.

Tuesday, August 20, 2024

Top 3 Popular Ways to Use JSON in SharePoint Online

The following are three popular ways to use JSON in SharePoint Online:

  • Customizing List Forms:
    • One can utilize JSON to customize the layout of SharePoint list forms, including the header, footer, and body sections. This lets one create a more user-friendly and visually appealing form without altering the data.
  • Column Formatting:
    • JSON can be utilized to format columns in SharePoint lists and libraries. This includes how field values are displayed, applying conditional formatting, and adding visual elements such as icons and colors.
  • View Formatting:
    • Similar to column formatting, view formatting with JSON lets one customize the entire view of a list or library. One can define how items are displayed, which includes custom styles and layouts.

Top 3 Essential Powershell Scripts for SharePoint Online

The following are three essential PowerShell scripts for managing SharePoint Online:

Connect to the SharePoint Online admin center:

$adminUser = "admin@yourdomain.com"

$orgName = "yourorgname"

$Connect-SPOService -Url https://$orgName-admin.sharepoint.com -Credential $adminUser

Gets all site collections in SharePoint Online:

Get-SPOSite -Limit All


Sets the site collection administrator on a given site:

Set-SPOUser -Site https://yourdomain.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite -LoginName user@yourdomain.com -IsSiteCollectionAdmin $true

Top 3 Powerful Features of SharePoint Online

The following are the top three powerful features of SharePoint Online:

  • Create a SharePoint Team Site in Seconds: One can create group connected SharePoint team sites quickly. When one creates a group, Microsoft 365 sets up a modern team site that contains pages, lists, libraries, and team news. This allows for collaboration and communication. To create a team site:
    • If available based on one’s permissions: click the ‘Create site’ button on the SharePoint home page in Microsoft 365.
    • Them follow the wizard to set the title, group type (public or private), site classification, preferred language, and member details.
  • Customize a Site’s Look and Feel: Make the SharePoint site reflect a brand! Customize the site’s appearance by:
    • Choosing from the default SharePoint themes and modifying them.
    • Use company-approved branding themes.
    • Adjust the headers (layout, logo, background) and footers (logo, text, links,etc).
  • Multiple Top-Level SharePoint Sites: If one has a Microsoft 365 tenant (e.g., Yoursite), your top-level SharePoint site URL would be https://yoursite.sharepoint.com.

Friday, August 16, 2024

3 Top Popular SharePoint Online Features

The following are three top popular features in SharePoint Online:

  1. Document Management: Capabilities include version history, check-in/check-out, and co-authoring.
  2. Team Collaboration: The platform provides the ability to facilitate team collaboration through shared workspaces, calendars, and task lists.
  3. Customization and Integration: Users can customize their SharePoint sites and integrate them with other Microsoft 365 tools to streamline workflows.

Wednesday, August 14, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Online with Agile Methodologies

Here are the top three ways to integrate SharePoint Online with Agile practices:

  • Creating Agile Project Sites:
    • Team Collaboration: One can set up project sites for each Agile team. These sites can include document libraries, task lists, and discussion boards to facilitate collaboration.
    • Kanban Boards: One can use SharePoint lists to create Kanban boards, allowing teams to visualize and manage workflow. This helps to track progress and identify bottlenecks.
  • Document Management and Version Control:
    • Central Repository: One can store all project-related documents in a central location. SharePoint’s version control makes sure that team members are working on the latest version of a document.
    • Metadata and Search: One can utilize metadata to tag documents, for search and retrieval of information.
  • Integration with Microsoft Planner and Teams:
    • Task Management: Integrate SharePoint with Microsoft Planner in order to manage tasks and sprints. Planner has visual task boards which can be used with Agile principles.
    • Communication: Utilize Microsoft Teams in conjunction with SharePoint to have real-time communication and collaboration. Teams can be directly linked to SharePoint sites, allowing for the access to documents and project information.

Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Top 3 Features of SharePoint Online for Productivity and Collaboration

The following are three key features of SharePoint Online that can significantly enhance productivity and collaboration:

  1. Team Sites: SharePoint Online allows one to create team sites quickly. These sites are connected to Office 365 groups, providing a shared inbox, calendar, OneNote notebook, and a document library. Such integration helps teams collaborate by centralizing communication and resources.
  2. Customization and Branding: One can customize the look and feel of needed SharePoint sites to reflect the organization’s brand. This includes adjusting site headers, footers, and themes. Custom site designs and themes can be utilized to standardize the appearance and functionality across multiple sites.
  3. External Sharing: SharePoint Online supports external sharing, and this is important for organizations that need to collaborate with clients, vendors, or partners. This feature allows one to share documents and collaborate with people outside the organization securely.

Sunday, August 11, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Online Types of Sites

The following are the top three types of SharePoint Online sites:

  • Team Sites:
    • With Microsoft 365 Group: Such a site is designed for team collaboration, allowing one to share documents, manage projects, and communicate effectively. This setup is integrated with other Microsoft 365 apps such as MS Teams, Planner, and Outlook.
    • Without Microsoft 365 Group: Similar to the above but such a setup doesn’t have the integration with other Microsoft 365 apps.
  • Communication Sites:
    • Such sites use a modern format and are used for broadcasting information to a wide audience. They are good for sharing news, reports, and other important information within an organization. Typically such a site is just a one way communication source.
  • Classic Sites:
    • Such sites are the traditional SharePoint sites which include classic web parts, blog pages, and wiki pages. In the future classic sites are likely to be deprecated in favor of modern sites.

Wednesday, August 7, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Online Aspects Why It’s Powerful

The following are three aspects of SharePoint Online that make it a powerful tool for collaboration and productivity:

  1. Cloud-Based Flexibility: SharePoint Online functions in the cloud, providing  flexibility and accessibility. This allows access and collaborate on information from anywhere, at any time, as long as one has an internet connection. It integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft Office 365 tools such as MS Teams, OneDrive, and Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc).
  2. Enhanced Collaboration Tools: SharePoint Online offers robust collaboration features, which include document sharing and co-authoring, team sites, and communication sites. Such tools help teams work together more efficiently by providing a centralized platform for sharing information, managing tasks, and communicating.
  3. Advanced Security Measures: Security is a top priority for SharePoint Online. It includes features such as data protection, compliance tools, customizable security settings, advanced threat protection, and secure sharing capabilities. Such measures ensure that data is safe and that it’s controled who has access to it.

Monday, August 5, 2024

Top 3 Agile Release Trains to Utilize with SharePoint Online

The following are three Agile Release Trains (ARTs) that can be utilized with SharePoint Online:

  • Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) ARTs:
    • These ARTs include multiple agile teams (may include 50-125 people) whom work together towards a shared business and technology mission. They plan, commit, develop, and deploy to ensure that the team goals work with cohesiveness.
  • Lean-Agile ARTs:
    • Lean-Agile ARTs deliver value via continuous improvement and lean principles. It emphasizes reducing waste, optimizing processes, and ensuring that teams adapt to needed changes.
  • DevOps-Integrated ARTs:
    • Integrate DevOps practices to enhance the delivery pipeline. This uses continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), to ensure that SharePoint Online projects are delivered efficiently and with a high quality.

Thursday, August 1, 2024

Top 3 SharePoint Online Figures for User Engagement

The top three key figures to measure user engagement and effectiveness in SharePoint Online:

  1. Site Visits: The metric shows how many times users visit a site. It helps to gauge overall interest and engagement with the content.
  2. Unique Viewers: The figure represents the number of distinct users who have accessed a site. It’s useful for understanding the reach and impact of the site.
  3. Document Downloads: The tracking of how often documents are downloaded is insightful for knowing which content is most valuable to users. This helps to identify popular resources and areas where it’s needed to provide more support or information.