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Unlock Microsoft Lists: Your Essential Guide to Getting Started

Seasoned SharePoint Online users are probably already familiar with Microsoft Lists – theyโ€™re a mainstay feature.ย 

But for those unfamiliar, Microsoft Lists is a powerful tool that can help you track information and organize data. This blog post will cover the basics of Microsoft Lists and provide five tips to help you get started.
1. What are Microsoft Lists?

Microsoft Lists is a customizable list-making tool available in SharePoint Online. It’s like working in an online version of Excel, where you can have multiple people working at once.ย You can also have multiples of the same list that are permissions restricted to certain people, then workflow the list data from all of them into a central master list for management to see. This has plenty of applications! Talk to us about options if you work with a lot of Excel spreadsheets.

Use Microsoft Lists for : Task Tracking Inventory Management Risk Registers Resolutions Registers Proposals Pipelines Asset Management  Excel Data etc

2. How to Create a Microsoft List in SharePoint Online

Creating Microsoft Lists in SharePoint Online is easy! Simply navigate to your SharePoint site and click the โ€œNewโ€ button. From there, you can choose from a variety of pre-built templates or start from scratch.

Screenshot of adding Microsoft Lists in SharePoint Online

If you are creating a list from the Microsoft Lists app, ensure you choose its location. Otherwise it goes to your OneDrive account and you will not be able to move it to a SharePoint site. It will need to be created from scratch in SharePoint.

3. Customize Your List

Microsoft Lists are highly customizable. You can add columns, create custom views, and use conditional formatting to highlight important information. Change values in cells to colours on demand too.

4. Use Lists To Collaborate

Microsoft Lists are a great way to collaborate with colleagues. You can share lists with others and give them permission to view, edit, or even add items.

5. Access Microsoft Lists from Anywhere

You can access your Microsoft Lists from anywhere with an internet connection. Simply log into your SharePoint Online account from your computer or mobile device. You can also download the Microsoft Lists app from the app stores.

Microsoft Lists Frequently Asked Questions

Microsoft Lists can be used for a variety of purposes, including tracking tasks, managing projects, storing customer information, creating an inventory of assets, organizing events.

Microsoft Lists is a feature of SharePoint Online, so you will need a subscription to access it.

To share a Microsoft List, open the list and click the โ€œShareโ€ button. You can then enter the email addresses of the people you want to share the list with.

Yes, you can access Microsoft Lists from your mobile device through the Microsoft 365 app. However, not all column types are compatible with mobile, so architect accordingly.

Yes, Microsoft Lists is the new name for SharePoint Lists. SharePoint originally had the lists functionality. It was moved into its own app then pushed back into SharePoint.

Microsoft Lists offers several benefits over other list-making tools, like integration with other Microsoft 365 apps, security and compliance features, a user-friendly interface.

Microsoft offers a variety of resources to help you learn more about using Microsoft Lists, including online documentation and training courses, (or ask us of course).

Microsoft Lists, Planner, and To Do are all task management tools, but they each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Lists is best for tracking information and creating simple workflows, while Planner is better for managing projects and collaborating with others. To Do is a good option for managing your personal tasks. Ask yourself what you need to report on or manage, as each app has its own reporting nuances.

Yes, you can create custom views to display list information in a way that makes sense for you. Use filters, sorting and totals to get instant reporting.

Yes, you can import data from a variety of sources, including Excel spreadsheets and CSV files. You can also use Power Automate to surface data from other platforms like Microsoft Forms and SQL databases.

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Veronique Palmer Rottcher

I am based in South Africa and have 18 years fulltime SharePoint experience. I excel at intranet strategy, governance and architecture. The end user experience and strategic goals of the business are top of mind when we design and build intranets using SharePoint Online and other Microsoft 365 applications. Our award-winning consultancy has helped hundreds of businesses all over the world.

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