How metadata boosts SharePoint content organization and search

Excited to share a Power Platform project I’m currently delivering for a large multinational organization operating across multiple regions. We’re building a robust Power Apps Canvas application backed by Dataverse, designed to manage metadata for millions of critical documents that will be stored in a centralized SharePoint site. These documents are distributed across multiple libraries to optimize performance and scalability. Security is multi-layered: • Role-based access control based on the logged-in user • Record-level ownership tied to Dataverse teams, each with specific security roles Key app features, not limited to: • Landing page with advanced metadata filtering via Dataverse columns • File upload screen supporting up to 10 files at once, with metadata capture and precise folder targeting • Bulk upload screen allowing users to upload multiple files across different SharePoint locations • Metadata configuration screen tailored for PO-level management • Global search combining metadata filters with file content search for powerful discovery The file upload flow includes: • The actual file upload and a Get Library and Folder action • Assigning record ownership to the appropriate Dataverse team with specific Security Roles. The project also includes a migration component, where a dedicated SharePoint team is migrating files from SharePoint on-premises to SharePoint Online. As part of this process, metadata records are created in Dataverse, and security groups are leveraged to enforce dataverse teams record ownership. This solution is a great example of how Power Platform can scale to enterprise-level document management while maintaining granular security and user-friendly interfaces. #PowerPlatform #PowerApps #Dataverse #PowerAutomate #SharePoint #LowCode #EnterpriseSolutions #DigitalTransformation #Migration #SharePointOnline

Microsoft has rebranded SharePoint Premium yet again to document processing for Microsoft 365. Learn what has changed and how this will impact SharePoint Premium users: https://buff.ly/a4aWmD5 #documentprocessing #Microsoft365Copilot

How many times have your users uploaded a file to SharePoint, only to realize they forgot to fill in the metadata? Or worse - they just don't bother. The problem isn't that users are lazy. It's that the workflow is broken. Upload the file → Open the library → Find the file → Click properties → Fill in fields. That's too many steps for something that should happen once. New SharePoint forms fix this. Users fill out a form. Upload the file. Set all the metadata. Hit submit. One action. Done. The document lands in your library, fully tagged, ready to find. I just built one for permit submissions: - Form auto-pulled all metadata fields from the library - Users upload + fill fields in the same interface - Added branching logic (show/hide fields based on responses) - Sent the link to the team Submitted document appears in the library with all metadata already set. No second step. No chasing people to "please fill in the fields." No searching through untagged documents later. Think about where this solves your headaches: → Vendor submissions where metadata never gets filled → Project docs that need owner/status/type tagged on upload → Compliance documents that require specific fields → Any library where "please remember to tag your files" isn't working The real win? Users don't need to know your library structure, navigate to the site, or remember which fields are mandatory. They just fill out a form. What's one library where your users keep forgetting the metadata?

Are you ready for the NEW SharePoint Document Library Forms? Soon you'll be able to start using the New SharePoint Document Library forms and these could be a game changer for how you upload and store your files. Below is some bullet points you need to know and consider with a little initial insight from myself on the feature. 1.      Library Forms are styled the same as List Forms and MS Forms. So simple to theme, adjust column visibility and position and includes Branching Logic 2.      User can click on the form link and get a decluttered experience where you are given an upload option and then the desired metadata to be completed before submitting. This keeps users away from the Library user interface and in a simple form format. 3.      It is still a simple upload from computer only and not selecting a file from template from SharePoint with Content Types or Modern Templates with a max file size of 256mb 4.      Slight downside is that the files uploading using the form goes into a folder inside the library. You will need to use Power Automate to move file back to the root but that could be integrated with an approval flow and be used as almost like a hold library in some circumstances. 5.      Forms are for Internal Users only and cannot be shared externally to capture documents at this time. MS did acknowledge on the update call in August this may change in the future. The Forms are really simple and could really simplify the document upload process for IMS or Governed Document Libraries in SharePoint giving Document Controllers a way for users to enter all relevant metadata and a file in a more governed way than dragging and dropping into a SharePoint Library and neglecting to add the metadata after. So I do see this as a big win in some solutions and something ill need to strongly consider when making solutions going forward. They are not perfect and I feel as though there could be some improvements made and more features added but for now it has me excited for the future of SharePoint and improved User Interface Features moving into 2026. If you have any questions contact our office today to find out more and to talk to one of our Microsoft 365 consultants here at Blackbird Corporate Ltd ☎️ 0800 107 6362 📧 training@blackbirdcorporate.co.uk 🌐 https://lnkd.in/eZGzKU4c #Microsoft365Specialists #Microsoft365trainingcourses #Microsoft365 #TrainingCourses #Microsoft365TrainingProvider #BlackbirdCorporateLtd #SharePointTrainingCourses #PowerPlatformTrainingCourses #PowerAppsTraining #PowerAutomateTraining #PowerBITraining #OneDrive #Teams #SharePoint #DataManagement #DocumentManagement #knowledgeispower #MicrosoftTeamsTrainingCourses #MicrosoftTeamsTraining #SharePointTraining #Dataverse #MicrosoftCopilot #Copilot

🚨 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘀! 🚨 Microsoft recently announced that the Power BI integration in SharePoint Lists and Libraries is officially being retired, and the clock is ticking! 🗓️ 𝗡𝗼𝘃 𝟭𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 – You can't create new reports from SharePoint using Visualize the List anymore. 🗓️ 𝗗𝗲𝗰 𝟭𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 – All existing reports will be automatically deleted. 💣 Yes, automatically!! The official announcement also mentioned the steps on how to rebuild these reports in the Power BI service. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dK7Kv6Dv The real challenge is: 👉 Figuring out how many of these reports exist 👉 Tracing them back to their original SharePoint source and 👉 Finding their rightful owner (good luck with that part) 🔍 I tackled this detective work using Power BI REST APIs: pulling metadata, filtering, and connecting all the dots to pinpoint every workspace that depends on the SharePoint integration and the corresponding SharePoint site. 🧠 I've shared all the details and a ready-to-use Fabric Notebook, so you can do it yourself in just a few clicks and minutes. Read more and save your tenant before the great Report Purge of 2025! 🔗📖 https://lnkd.in/dmZ3w_QT #MicrosoftFabric #PowerBI #DataCommunity #Automation #FabricNotebook #TenantAdmin #Deprecation #SharePoint

🚀 SharePoint Embedded: The Missing Middle For years, we had two main paths for building on Microsoft 365: 🔹 Power Platform for speed and low-code agility 🔹 SPFx / .NET for full customization and control Now there’s a third option — SharePoint Embedded. It enables developers to build custom applications that leverage SharePoint’s enterprise-grade content services — versioning, permissions, co-authoring, audit — while staying fully decoupled from the standard SharePoint UI. Think of it as SharePoint-as-a-Service. You get all the security and compliance of M365, fully controlled through Graph APIs. Perfect for applications that need robust document management capabilities but require a fully custom front end that lives outside of M365 (e.g., SaaS apps, portals). Do you see SharePoint Embedded changing the foundation of how we build M365-integrated apps? 📘 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/dUkJj3TH #SharePoint #SharePointEmbedded #Microsoft365 #SPFx #PowerPlatform #Developers

Following on from our session at #M365North earlier in the week with Simon Hudson and Simon Doy, I've created a blog entry on one of the really interesting features of the #SharePointKnowledgeAgent, how to categorise documents automatically. The whole lifecycle of a document depends on sort of document it is. In migrations and the un-curated dingy corners of organisations document storage this information is often missing - so anything that automates this task is welcome. The usual caveats apply, as the SharePoint Knowledge Agent is still in preview, and things may change: https://lnkd.in/essMgCdg

Folders don’t run projects; packages do. Meet Ensemble SharePoint (Document Sets) and turn scattered files into one clean, governed unit your team can actually ship with. 👇 Inside the new guide: ✔️ Ensemble for SharePoint, explained ✔️ Document sets: the advantages ✔️ Use cases that move the needle ✔️ Setup guide: Document sets in minutes ✔️ Pro tips for Ensemble power users ✔️ Additional tools for SharePoint Read the guide: https://lnkd.in/da8E2qKc #SharePointOnline #Microsoft365 #EnterpriseSolutions #FileManagement #DigitalTransformation #VirtoSoftware #SharePointGuide #DocumentSets #CollaborationTools #WorkSmarter

🚀 New Article Published! "Upload Images from Rich Text Control to SharePoint List and Document Library" I’m excited to share my latest article where I break down a very common yet tricky requirement in PowerApps: 👉 How to upload images added in a Rich Text Editor Control 👉 Store them correctly inside a SharePoint Document Library 👉 And save the final HTML content with updated SharePoint image URLs into a SharePoint List This guide covers: ✔ How to turn images from the Rich Text Editor into base64 format (so they can be processed) ✔ How to upload those images to a SharePoint Document Library using PowerApps and Power Automate ✔ How to save the final Rich Text content (with correct SharePoint image) into your SharePoint List smoothly If you're working on Product Quality Checks, Reports, or any PowerApps app where you need to save text along with images in a SharePoint column — this article is for you! #PowerApps #SharePoint #PowerAutomate #CanvasApps #Microsoft365 #LowCode #DigitalTransformation #AppsDevelopment 🔗 Read the full article here👇: