List and library column types and options

A column's type determines how data is stored and displayed in a list or library. When you create a column for a list or library, you choose a column type that indicates the type of data that you want to store in the column, such as numbers only, formatted text, or a number that is calculated automatically.
This article discusses default types of columns that you can create and when to use each type of column. Columns are added to one or more views of the list or library to help you display the data in a meaningful way. Depending on your organization, additional types of column may be available. 
Columns help you create meaningful views of the items in a list or library. By using columns, you can sort, group, and filter items, and you can also calculate data about items automatically and display the results of those calculations. Columns also enable you to specify what information should be entered about an item when someone adds an item to a list or library. When an item is added, a form appears and provides fields and options for entering information. When you create a list or library, certain columns, such as Title or Modified By, are created automatically. You can create additional columns to suit your needs. The columns that you create determine which fields and options appear in that form, and the columns that can be added to views of the list or library.
You specify the type of column that you want when you create a column. In some cases, you can also choose a different column type for an existing column, but this depends on what kind and how much data is currently stored in the column. Changing the column type of an existing column can corrupt the data already stored in the column. For these reasons, it's important to decide what kind of data you want to store before you create a column. When deciding which column type you want, consider the following:

  • What kind of data do you want to store? Letters only? Numbers only? Formatted text? For example, you can't store letters in a Number column. Knowing what kind of data you want to store is the first step toward choosing the most appropriate column type.

Some file metadata, such as created date and modified date, is already available in hidden, auto-generated columns. To show such a column in your list, select Add column > Show/hide columns, then select the column you want.

  • Do you want to use the data in financial calculations? If so, the Currency column type is the best option.
  • Do you want to use the data in mathematical calculations? How precise must those calculations be? You can calculate data in Number or Currency columns, but not Text columns. In addition, calculations in a Currency column are most precise.
  • How do you want to sort data in the column? In a Text column, numbers are sorted as strings of characters (1, 10, 100, 2, 20, 200, and so on), not as numeric values. To sort numbers as numeric values, use a Number or Currency column. Also, many date formats do not sort correctly if they are stored in a Text column. To ensure proper sorting of dates, use a Date and time column.
  • Do you want to ensure that people enter information in the column? If so, you can specify that the column is required and people cannot add an item without entering the information.

Single line of text

Used to collect and display small amounts of unformatted text in a single line, including:

  • Text only, such as first names, last names, or department names
  • Combinations of text and numbers, such as street addresses or account numbers
  • Numbers that are not used in calculations, such as employee ID numbers, phone numbers, postal codes, or part numbers

A single line of text column can display up to 255 characters in a single line. If you're creating a column for a list or library and want to display formatted text or more than one line of text at a time, create a Multiple lines of text column. You can change an existing Single line of text column to a Multiple lines of text column without losing any data stored in the column already.
You can customize a Single line of text column in these ways:

  • Assign a character limit    Limit the number of characters by setting the Maximum number of characters that you want. For example, if the column stores five-digit employee ID numbers, you can use this feature to help ensure that people enter only five characters.
  • Display a default value    Automatically display specific text when someone adds a new item, while also allowing people to enter different text if they need to do so. When you set the Default value, people can enter information faster by accepting the default unless they need to change it. For example, if the column stores the name of a company assigned to a project and your organization works with a specific company for most projects, you can enter the name of that company as the default value. As a result, the company name appears automatically when a new project is added to the list, and team members do not have to enter the name.

 

A default value can be either text that you specify or the result of a calculation, which is called a calculated value. Calculated values are helpful when you want to display specific text automatically but the text might vary depending on who added the item, when the item was added, or other reasons. To use a calculated value, you enter a formula, instead of specific text, as the default value. The formula can calculate a value based on information in other columns or system functions such as [today], to indicate the current date, or [me], to display the name of the person who adds or changes the item

 

Multiple lines of text

Used in a list or library to collect and display formatted text or lengthy text and numbers on more than one line, such as a description of an item. A Multiple lines of text column can store up to 63,999 characters, and you can specify the number of lines of text that you want to display when people enter information about an item. This type of column displays all the text when the column is viewed in a list or library.
You can customize a Multiple lines of text column in these ways:

  • Assign a display limit    Limit the number of lines of that appear when people enter information about an item with the Number of lines for editing setting. For example, if the column stores lengthy notes about a calendar event, you might choose to display ten lines of text. This makes it easier for people to enter information because they can easily see all the text that they have entered. Conversely, if the column stores only a sentence or two about an event, you might choose to display only two or three lines of text.

If you assign a display limit, it doesn't limit the amount of text that appears when the column appears in a list. All the text entered for an item appears in the column.

  • Enable or disable text formatting   (Only available in lists) Use enhanced rich text (Rich text with pictures, tables, and hyperlinks) sets whether people can apply formatting such as bold, italics, or colors to text. If disabled, the list will not support any formatting options; if enabled, the list will support basic formatting such as bold, italics, bulleted or numbered lists, colored text, and background colors, as well as hyperlinks, pictures, and tables.
  • Append changes   (Only available in lists) If versioning has been enabled for the list, Append Changes to Existing Text specifies whether people can add new text about an item without replacing any existing text about that item. If you choose to not append changes, new text about an item replaces any existing text about that item in the column. If you choose to append changes, people can enter additional information about an item, while also viewing text that was previously entered and the date and time that the text was entered. When viewed in a list , not as a field in an item form, the column displays the hyperlink View Entries, instead of the text, and people can click the hyperlink to see all the information stored in the column for that item.
Important: If you turn off this option after you create the column, all information except the most recent entry is deleted.

 

Number

Used to store numerical values that aren't monetary values.
Tips for choosing a Number or Currency column
Both the Number and Currency column types store numerical values. Use a Number column to store numeric data for mathematical calculations that aren't financial calculations or don't require a high degree of accuracy. Use a Currency column to store numeric data for financial calculations or in cases where you do not want round numbers in calculations. Unlike a Number column, a Currency column is accurate 15 digits to the left of the decimal point and 4 digits to the right. Both the Number and Currency column types provide predefined formats that determine how data appears.
You can customize a Number column in these ways:

  • Specify minimum and maximum values    Limit the range of numbers that people can enter. For example, if the column stores the amount of work that has been completed for a task as a percentage, you can specify zero as the minimum value and one hundred as the maximum value. Similarly, if the column stores the number of attendees for an event and you want to limit attendees to a specific number, you can enter the maximum number of attendees as the maximum value.
  • Include decimal places    Specify whether the numbers contain decimal places and the number of decimal places to store. If the column may need to store numbers that have more than five decimal places, you can choose Automatic when selecting the number of decimal places to include. Automatic is also a good choice if the column stores the results of calculations and you want the result to be as precise as possible. However, if you want to ensure that all values in the column have the same number of decimal places, it's a good idea to limit the number of decimal places to zero, for whole numbers only, or another number of decimal places through five.
  • Display a default value    Automatically display a specific number when someone adds a new item, while also allowing people to enter different numbers if they need to do so. A default value helps people enter information faster. For example, if the column stores the number of computers that each team member has and every team member has at least one computer, enter 1 as the default value. As a result, 1 appears automatically when a new item is added to the list, and team members do not have to enter the number.

A default value can be either a number that you specify or the result of a calculation, which is called a calculated value. Calculated values are helpful when you want to display a specific number automatically but the number might vary depending on who added the item, when the item was added, or other reasons. To use a calculated value, you enter a formula, instead of a specific number, as the default value. The formula can calculate a number based on information in other columns or system functions.

  • Format the number as a percentage    The Show as percentage setting lets you display and store the number as a percentage, and to treat it as a percentage when it is used to calculate other values.

Yes/No

Used to store true/false or yes/no information, such as whether someone will attend an event. A Yes/No column appears as a single check box when people enter information about an item. To indicate Yes, team members select the check box. To indicate No, team members clear the check box.
The data in a Yes/No column can be used in calculations for other columns. In these cases, Yes is converted to a numeric value of one (1) and No is converted to a numeric value of zero (0).
You can customize a Yes/No column by choosing a default value for it. A default value is the selection that appears automatically when someone adds a new item. People can select a different value if they need to do so. For a Yes/No column you can specify whether the check box is selected automatically, indicating a Yes value, or not, indicating a No value.

Person or Group

Used to provide a searchable list of people and groups from which people can choose when they add or edit an item. For example, on a Tasks list, a Person or Group column named Assigned To can provide a list of people that a task can be assigned to. The contents of the list depends on how directory services and SharePoint groups have been configured for the site. To customize the contents of the list, you may need to contact your administrator.
You can customize a Person or Group column in these ways:

  • Allow multiple selections    Allow people to select as many options as they like or limit the number of selections to only one option.
  • Include or exclude groups of people    Specify whether the list includes only individual people, or additionally includes e-mail distribution lists and SharePoint groups. For example, on a Tasks list, you might want to include only individual people to ensure that a specific person is responsible for each task. On a Projects list, you might want to include e-mail distribution lists and SharePoint groups to ensure that a team is associated with each project.

Note: The presence status, formerly available with Name (with presence), is not available in modern browsers.

Date and time

Used to store calendar dates, or both dates and times. The date format varies based on the regional settings for the site. If the format that you want is not available, ask your administrator to add support for the appropriate region to the site.
You can customize a Date and time column in these ways:

  • Include only the date or both the date and time    Specify whether you want to include only the calendar date or both the calendar date and time of day.
  • Display a default value    Automatically display a specific date or date and time when someone adds a new item, while also allowing people to enter a different value if they need to do so. A default value helps people enter information faster. For example, if the column stores the date when an expense is incurred and most expenses are incurred on the first day of the fiscal year, you can specify the first day of the fiscal year as the default value. As a result, that date appears automatically when a new item is added to the list, and team members do not have to enter the date.

 

A default value can be a value that you specify, the date an item is added to a list or library, or the result of a calculation, which is called a calculated value. Calculated values are helpful when you want to display a specific date or time automatically but the date or time might vary depending on the item. To use a calculated value, you enter a formula as the default value. The formula can calculate a value based on information in other columns or system functions such as [today], to indicate the current date. For example, if you want the column to display a date that is 30 days after the current date, type the equation =[TODAY]+30 in the Calculated Value box.

 

Choice

Used to let people choose from a list of options that you provide. This column type is an ideal choice in cases where you want to ensure that all the data in the column is consistent because you can limit the values that are stored in a column.
You can customize a Choice column in these ways:

  • Define the list of choices    Provide an exact list of values that people can choose. To provide this list, replace the sample text in the Choices box with the values that you want. Type each value on a separate line. To start a new line, press ENTER.
  • Enable additional custom choices    To allow people to enter a value that is not included in the list of choices, turn on Can add values manually. Doing so is a good idea if you may not know all the values that people need to enter about items. If you prefer that people use only the values that you specify, turn off Can add values manually.
  • Display a default value    Automatically select a specific value when someone adds a new item, while also allowing people to choose a different value if they need to do so. A default value helps people enter information faster. For example, if the column stores the names of companies assigned to a project and your organization works with a specific company for most projects, you can enter the name of that company as the default value. As a result, the company name appears automatically when a new project is added to the list, and team members do not have to choose the name.

 

A default value can be either a value that you specify or the result of a calculation, which is called a calculated value. Calculated values are helpful when you want to display specific text in the column automatically but the text might vary depending on who added the item, when the item was added, or other reasons. To use a calculated value, you enter a formula, instead of specific text, as the default value. The formula can calculate a value based on information in other columns or system functions such as [today], to indicate the current date, or [me], to display the name of the person who adds or changes the item.
From the drop-down menu, select either the default choice you want to display, or select None to leave the default choice blank.

 

  • Choose a display format    Display the choices through a drop-down menu or radio buttons. First, select More options, then under Display choices using, select your preferred format.

Used to store a hyperlink to a Web page, graphic, or other resource.
A Hyperlink column stores the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) for a Web page, graphic, or other resource. Depending on the display format that you choose, it displays either a hyperlink that can be clicked to access the resource, or a graphic instead of the URL for the graphics file.
When a user adds a hyperlink to a list item, they must enter the URL and descriptive text that appears in the column. If the URL is for a graphics file, such as http://www.example.com/image.gif, they can optionally enter descriptive, alternative text for the graphic, which appears for people who turn off graphics in their browsers or rely on screen-reading software to convert graphics on the screen to spoken words.

Currency

Used to store monetary values.
You can customize a Currency column in these ways:

  • Specify minimum and maximum allowed values    Limit the range of currency values that people can enter. For example, if the column stores reported expenses for an event and your organization limits reporting to amounts within a specific range, you can specify those limits as the minimum and maximum values.
  • Include decimal places    Specify whether values include decimal places and the number of decimal places to store. For currency values, you can choose two decimal places or, if you prefer to store only round values, you can choose zero. For non-monetary values used in calculations that require a high degree of accuracy, you can choose to limit the number of decimal places to zero through five or, for more precise values, choose Automatic to automatically use the appropriate number of decimal places for the result of the calculation.
  • Display a default value    Automatically display a specific value when someone adds a new item, while also allowing people to enter a different value if they need to do so. A default value helps people enter information faster. For example, if the column stores expenses incurred for setting up new accounts and that expense is typically the same for all new accounts, you can specify that amount as the default value. As a result, that value appears automatically when a new item is added to the list, and team members do not have to enter the number.

A default value can be either a value that you specify or the result of a calculation, which is called a calculated value. Calculated values are helpful when you want to display a specific value automatically but the value might vary depending on the item, who added the item, when the item was added, or other reasons. To use a calculated value, you enter a formula, instead of specific text, as the default value. The formula can calculate a value based on information in other columns or system functions.

  • Choose a currency format    Ensure that all the values in the column are based on the same currency by selecting a specific currency format for the column. The dropdown box offers over 100 country choices so you can specify currency in most local formats.

Image

Use to add a single image file from your device to an item in a list or a library.
Once you add an Image column to a list or library, you can:

  • Add an image using the list or library form. For example, in the screenshot below Device Photo is the Image column.

  • View, replace, or delete an image when viewing the item or file properties in the form by selecting the Edit (pencil) icon or the Delete (garbage can) icon.

Managed Metadata

Use this column type to enable site users to select values from a specific term set of managed terms and apply these values to their content. Users can create and configure a Managed Metadata column to map to an existing term set or term, or they can create a new term set specifically for a Managed Metadata column.
Managed Metadata columns have several unique features and characteristics that help users select and apply terms to content, such as support for "type-ahead," as well as support for disambiguation of terms, descriptions, synonyms, and multi-lingual values.
Managed Metadata columns promote the consistent use of metadata across sites because they provide users with a list of terms that they can apply to their content.
These terms come from a term set that is managed centrally in the Term Store Management Tool by a Term Store Administrator or other individuals with permissions to manage terms. Whenever the term set that a specific Managed Metadata column is bound to is updated, the updated terms will automatically become available to users wherever that Managed Metadata column is available.
You can customize the Managed Metadata column in the following ways:

Selecting a term set or term – Specify the term set that contains the desired values to associate with this column.  
When a term set is found, click it to select the first level of the hierarchy to show in the column. The levels below the term you selected will be displayed only when the user selects a value. 
Display a default value – A specific value is automatically selected when someone adds a new item while allowing people to select different terms if they need to do so.  
A default value helps users enter information faster. For example, if the term set associated with the column represents the various geographies your organization operates in, and there is one predominant location term that is relevant to the content in this list or library, you can select that term as the default value. As a result, that location term is selected automatically when a new item is added to the list or library, and users do not have to select a location unless it's different. 
Choose a display format – The selected value from the term set can be displayed either as a single value with just the term label (example: Sydney) or with the full hierarchical path of the term & its parents (example: Geolocations: Australia: Sydney) 
Allow users to type new values – Enabling this option will allow users to add new terms to the term set. Please note that this option is available only if the term set is specified to be open to user contributions. 
Allow multiple values – Selecting this option enables the column to contain more than one value. Please note that enabling this feature will prevent sorting data in list views.