What is SharePoint List

In this SharePoint tutorial, We will discuss what is SharePoint list. Also, We will cover these below topics as:

• What is a SharePoint list
• Out Of Box SharePoint List Templates
• SharePoint List Limitations
• SharePoint add list (using list templates)
• How to create a custom sharepoint list
• Update SharePoint list title
• Add columns to the SharePoint list
• Insert/Update/Delete Item in SharePoint list
• How many columns can you have in a SharePoint list
• How to hide a column in SharePoint
• How to Hide multiple columns in SharePoint
• How to delete a column from a SharePoint list

Introduction to SharePoint List

• We mainly use the SharePoint list to store information. Microsoft SharePoint list provides flexible ways to store and organize information so that your team members as well as the other site users can use it securely and effectively.
• Microsoft SharePoint list has the following basic elements that are as follows:
  • Items: List items is like a record in a table in the database.
    • For example a single employee details.
  • Fields: List fields are used as columns in a table.
    • For example Name, email address, phone numbers, etc.
  • Views: List views are created to display the data or information.

You can also watch a video on SharePoint list.

SharePoint List Templates

Microsoft SharePoint provides various list templates that we can use to create a list. The templates are available in SharePoint Online as well as SharePoint on-premise versions like SharePoint 2013, SharePoint 2016, and SharePoint 2019.

• Announcements List: The announcement list is used to share the news and status and also provide reminders.
• Contacts List: A contact list is used to manage contact information.
• Links: Links list is used to post hyperlinks to the web pages.
• Discussion boards: The discussion boards list is used as an online discussion forum.
• Calendar: A calendar list is used to save the team events, meetings, etc.
• Tasks: Tasks list is used to track information about the company project.
• Promoted Links: Promoted Links list is used to set images to the links and can organize them.
• Project tasks: A project tasks list is used to store the task information.
• Issue tracking: The issue tracking list is used to track the issue of any project.
• Survey: Survey list is used to collect the feedback of the users.
• Custom: The custom list is used to create its own list schema.
• External lists: External list is used while working with BCS.
• Custom list in Datasheet View: Custom list in Datasheet View list is used to create a blank list similar to custom list but it displays the list by default in the datasheet.
• Status list: The status list is the special form of a SharePoint list and it gives the result without the need for any calculations.
• Circulations: circulation list is used to send information to the employees in the organization about the policies of the company.
• Microsoft IME Dictionary list: Microsoft IME Dictionary list is used to store the different types of character values in SharePoint.
• PerformancePoint Content List: PerformancePoint Content List is used to storing the dashboard information.
• Languages and Translators: Languages and Translators list is used with the translation management workflow in a translation library.
• KPI List: KPI List is used to measuring the key performance indicator to evaluate the progress of the goals.
• Import Spreadsheet: Import Spreadsheet is used to create a list with existing spreadsheets.

Check out, SharePoint custom list example.

SharePoint List Limitations

• In the SharePoint list, you can store only up to 30 million items, and when a list view shows more than 5000 items then that is the list view threshold error.
• The maximum value of list row size can be only up to 8000 bytes per row.
• The maximum number of security scopes in a list should not exceed 50,000.
• By default, when a list is deleted the threshold is 100,000.

Read: Create Login Page in PowerApps using SharePoint List

SharePoint create list from template

Let us see, how to create a list in SharePoint using a list template. Here, I am going to explain how to create an announcement list in SharePoint. There are also other popular templates that you can use, for example, you can use the sharepoint issue tracking list template.

Let us see, how to create new sharepoint list from template.

• Open your SharePoint Online site and click on the Settings icon at the right-hand side of the page.
• Select Add an app to create an Announcement list.

• Select Announcement list app from the apps you can add option.

• Then in the next dialog box provide a Name for your list and click on Create to add the custom list.

• Once you click on the Create button, it will redirect to the Site Contents page where you can see the list. Click on the List name to open the list.

Add Item to the SharePoint Announcement List

Now, the SharePoint list has been created, we will see how to add an item the SharePoint list.

• Click on New to add item.

In the New item window, provide the details to announce the message.

• Title: Provide the name to your list item.
• Body: Click on the Pen icon to type the information about the announcement.
• Expires: Click on the Calendar icon to set the expiry date of the message.

Click on Save.

Here, you can see the Announcement list item is created in the list.

This is how to create a list in SharePoint Online by using an out of box list templates.

Read: Export a SharePoint list to excel

SharePoint create list (Custom list)

In the above steps, we saw how to create a list using a list template in SharePoint. Now, I am going to explain how to create a custom list in SharePoint.

I will show you two ways to create a list in SharePoint Online modern site.

1st Approach

• Open the SharePoint Online site in which you want to add a list.
• In the SharePoint Site, Click on New >> List.

• From the Create list window, To create a list company for the employees provides the below details:
  • Name: Provide the name to the list.
  • Description: Give a description of the list.
  • Show in site navigation: Select the checkbox to show the created list in the left navigation otherwise you have to go to Settings >> Site contents.
• Click on Create.

• In the left navigation, you can see the created list if you select the Show in site navigation option.

• If you are not selected the Show in site navigation at the time of list creation.
• Click on Settings >> Site contents to open your created list.

Here, you can see created list in the SharePoint site.

2nd Approach

Also, you can create a list from the SharePoint Site Settings option.

• Click on the Settings icon at the right-hand side of the page.
• Select Add an app to create a Custom list.

• Select Custom list app from the apps you can add option.

• Once, Adding Custom List window will open.
• In Name, type a new name as you want it to appear in headings and links throughout the site.

Click on Create to add the custom list.

This is how to create a sharepoint custom list.

Once we create a SharePoint list, we can add metadata columns to store information in the list.

Read: Convert SharePoint list item to PDF using Flow or Power Automate

Rename SharePoint list name

After creating the SharePoint list, Microsoft also allows us to rename SharePoint list name. Follow below steps:

• Open a SharePoint list that you want to edit.
• Go to Settings >> List Settings.
• In List Settings, select List name, description, and navigation.

• Now, click on Name option then edit the name of your SharePoint site.

Here, In the below, the screenshot edited name will appear but the internal name will be the same as you have given at the time of list creation.

This is how to rename SharePoint list name.

Add column to SharePoint list

By default, when we create a SharePoint list, you will see the Title column will be available (for custom list). You will see additional columns depending on the list template you have selected to create the sharepoint list.

Let us see, how to add a column to a SharePoint custom list.

• Open the SharePoint list where you want to add columns. Click on Add column to add columns in the list.
• Select a type of column (data type) that you want to create.

In the Create a column window, provide the below details to create a column.

• Name: Give the column name.
• Description: Give a description about the column.
• Type: Select the column type from the drop-down menu.

Click on Save.

In Company list, you can add different types of columns to store the employees details that are as follows:

• First Name: This column name is a Title that you can rename as first name and column type is Single-line of text by default.
• Last Name: Select column type Single-line of text for the last name of the employee.
• Address: Select column type Multiple-lines of text to give the address of the employee.
• Location: Select column type Location to give the employee location (city, state, etc).
• Available: Select a column type Available in which you have to click on the radio button(Yes/No) to select employees is available or not.
• Managers: Select a column type Managers to choose the manager under which the employee assigned.

Here, In the below screenshot you can see the columns added in the SharePoint list.

• Also, you can also create a column from list setting page. Open the list then click on Settings >> List settings.
• In the settings page, click on Create Column.

• Under Create column window, provide the column name and select the type of column.
• You can also set the Additional Column Settings options according to your need.

Click on OK.

Here, you can see the added column in the below screenshot.

This is how we can add column to a SharePoint Online list. Here, we saw how to create custom column in sharepoint list.

How many columns can you have in a SharePoint list

In SharePoint list you can add up to 48 calculated columns (8 per row * 6 row maximum = 48).

Column Type	Maximum Columns	Size per column(bytes)
Single line of text	255	30
Multiple lines of text	350	22
Choice (menu to choose from)	255	30
Number (1, 1.0, 100)	550	14
Choice (multiple selections)	350	22
Currency ($, ¥, €)	550	14
Date and Time	550	14
Lookup (information already on this site)	750	10
Yes/No (checkbox)	1000	7
Person or Group	750	10
Hyperlink or Picture	127	60
Calculated (calculation based on other columns)	255	30
GUID	350	22
Integer	750	10
Managed Metadata	190	60 bytes for the first, 40 bytes for each subsequent

SharePoint List – Insert, Update, and Delete Item

Since our SharePoint list is ready now, let us see how we can insert, update, and delete item from the SharePoint list.

Add item to SharePoint List

• Click on New to add items in list.

In New item window, provide the below details to add items in the list:

• First Name: Type the employee’s first name.
• Last Name: Type the employee’s last name.
• Address: Type the address of the employee.
• Location: Give the location of the employee.
• Available: Select Yes/No from the radio button employee is available or not.
• Managers: choose the manager from the drop-down list.

Click on Save to save the items in the list.

Here, you can see the added items in the below screenshot.

Delete items from SharePoint List

• Select an item that you want to delete from the created list.
• Click on three-dots.
• Select Delete to delete the item from the list.

This is how we can delete single item from a list.

If you want to delete multiple items from a SharePoint list, then we can select multiple items and then click on the Delete button from the command bar.

Update SharePoint List items

Let us see how to update item in SharePoint list.

• Select an item from the created list.
• Click on three-dots.
• Select Edit to update an item in the list.

• From the edit window, update the items in the list.
• Click on Save to save the changes.

Here, you can see the updated items in the below screenshot.

This is how we can edit item in a SharePoint list.

How to hide a column in SharePoint List

Let us see, how to hide a column in SharePoint list. This is easy in SharePoint Online modern experience.

• Go to the SharePoint list in which you want to hide the column.
• Select the arrow from any column and then select Column settings >> Hide this column.

How to Hide multiple columns in SharePoint List

• Go to the SharePoint list in which you want to hide the column.
• Select the arrow from any column and then select Column settings >>Show/hide columns.

• In Edit view columns window, you can select which column you want to hide and which you want to show in your SharePoint list.
• Click on Apply.

This is how to hide multiple columns in SharePoint list.

How to delete a column from SharePoint list

Let us see, how to delete a SharePoint list column.

• Go to the SharePoint list in which you want to delete the column.
• Select the arrow from any column and then select Column settings >>Edit.

• In Edit column window, click on Delete to delete the selected column.

• Also, you can delete the column from settings option Settings>> List settings.
• Go to Columns and then select a column that you want to delete.
• Once, Edit column will open.
• Click on Delete to delete the column.

Enable Rating in SharePoint List or Library

It’s very straightforward to enable rating in SharePoint lists and libraries. If you wish to utilize Ratings on a SharePoint list or library, you might think that you can do so by simply adding the “Rating (0-5)” site column to your existing list, library or content type.

In fact, SharePoint will allow you to do that, however, doing so may or may not provide the intended results. As you may already know, the proper way to enable ratings is from the list’s settings page.

Once created, open the list select “List Tools” Tab -> List Tab -> List Settings

Under General Settings click on the “Ratings settings” link.

Under the Rating Settings section select “Yes” for “Allow items in this list to be rated?”

Now a new field “Rating (0-5)” is added to the list. But the actual field name is “AverageRating”.

Add some items in the list.

When hovering the mouse over the Rating field it’ll show a message to add a rating. You can select the rating as relevant.

Knowing that the Rating feature relies on the User Profile Service, I checked in Central Admin under “Manage Services on Server” and verified that this service was running. I found an article that mentioned a specific timer job called “User ProfileService Application – Social Rating Synchronization Job” that is required for ratings to work.

So I checked my Timer Job Definitions and could not find this Timer job. While this timer job is not specifically necessary for the rating stars to turn yellow, I took this as a hint that something was not quite right with the rating feature.

This job executes every hour by default. If required it can be executed manually by “Central Administration -> Monitoring -> Timer Jobs -> Review Job Definitions -> User Profile Service Application – Social Rating Synchronization Job -> Run Now” or change the “Recurring Schedule” as required.

Once the Synchronization job has executed then users can see the average ratings (Blue Stars).

Before Synchronization Job execution:

After Synchronization Job execution:

Hover the mouse over the blue star ratings to know you’re rating (only if you have already given a rating).

You may like following SharePoint Online list tutorials:

• PowerShell SharePoint list operations
• SharePoint list operations using rest api
• Create SharePoint list view
• SharePoint list delete title column
• How to create a calculated column in SharePoint List or Library
• Difference between SharePoint list and Document library
• Display SharePoint list data in jQuery data table using Rest API
• PowerApps filter SharePoint list Example

I hope, we learned here about SharePoint list, how to work with SharePoint lists? and covers the below topics:

• Introduction to SharePoint List
• SharePoint List Templates
• SharePoint List Limitations
• SharePoint create list from template
• SharePoint create list (Custom list)
• Rename SharePoint list name
• Add column to SharePoint list
• How many columns can you have in a SharePoint list
• SharePoint List – Insert, Update, and Delete Item
• How to hide a column in SharePoint List
• How to Hide multiple columns in SharePoint List
• How to delete a column from SharePoint list