Navigating a Document Library in SharePoint Online

Welcome to today’s tutorial on navigating a document library in SharePoint online. Whether you’re new to SharePoint or looking to improve your skills, this video will help you get comfortable with the layout, buttons and actions available within a SharePoint document library. Let’s get started. The topics we are going to cover in this video include opening the document library, reviewing the layout, uploading files, creating new files or folders, sorting and filtering files, sharing and permissions, version history, check-in and check out, opening and editing files, and syncing and offline access. To begin, let’s open a document library.

From your SharePoint homepage, navigate to the left hand side and click on documents or the specific document library you’re looking for. This is where all your files and folders are stored. Once you’re in the document library, let’s take a look at the layout. At the top, you’ll find the command bar which houses all the key functions you can use with your files such as uploading, syncing, automating, and more. Below the command bar is the library itself where you can see all your documents and folders displayed in a familiar list or tile view.

On the left side of the screen, you have the sites navigation pane, which can help you switch between different libraries, pages, or sections. And if we click on this icon, the details pane will open. It shows more information about any selected document such as when it was last modified and who has access to it. To upload a document, click on the upload button in the command bar. You can choose to upload individual files or entire folders.

Simply drag and drop your files here or click files to browse and select the documents you want to upload. You may wish to view our separate video that demonstrates in detail the various methods to upload files. Next to the upload button, you’ll see the new button. This is where you can create new folders, Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, or even PowerPoint presentations right within your library. Just click on new, choose the type of file or folder that you need, and it will be created in the current directory.

Sorting and filtering files. You can organize and locate your files easily with sorting and filtering options. At the top of the document list you can click on any column header like name or modified to sort by that category. In addition to sorting, many of the column headers have a filter option that allows you to refine your view. For example, if we click on the location header, we can filter the view to show only records that apply to field staff.

You can click on the clear filters button to quickly remove all filters at once. Sharing and permissions. Need to share a document? Just select the file and click on the share button in the command bar. You can share files with people inside or outside your organization and you can set different permission levels such as view only or full editing rights.

When you click on send, the recipient will receive an email notification with a link to the document. They will be prompted to sign into their Microsoft school or work account. If you want to share with someone who doesn’t have a Microsoft account, you can click on the ellipsis and copy link. Click on settings and you then select people you choose. Enter their email address.

You can also set an expiration date where their access will be automatically removed. Once you click on ‘apply’, the shareable link will be copied to your clipboard. Paste it into an email to the recipient. They will be able to click on the link from the email to view the document without signing into a Microsoft account. Version history.

SharePoint keeps a version history of your documents. Select a document, click on the ellipsis and choose version history. Here you can view previous versions, restore older ones by clicking on the drop down, or compare changes between versions. To see the content of an older version, just click on the blue text to open it up. For files that require careful collaboration, use the checkout feature.

Find it by clicking on the ellipsis and then more and check out. This locks the document so only you can edit it. The red indicator shows when a document is checked out. Open the document and make your changes. Then you can go back to the ellipsis and check it back in.

You’ll be prompted to make a comment about what you changed in this version. When you click on check-in, it makes it available to others on your team and it removes the red indicator from the file. You can easily open and edit documents directly in the browser. Simply click on any document to open it in Office online. If you prefer working in the desktop app, click on editing, open in desktop from the command bar.

Another way of doing it is selecting the document, clicking on the ellipsis, open, and open an app. Whether you use the browser to edit the document or the desktop app, any changes you make to the file are automatically saved. Finally, to keep files accessible on your device, click the sync button. This allows you to sync your document library with your computer, enabling offline access to files using OneDrive. And that’s it.

You now have a solid understanding of how to navigate, upload, and manage documents within a SharePoint document library. If you found this tutorial helpful, be sure to stay tuned for more SharePoint tips. Thanks for watching.