In this article we will cover how to use content types to make a document template available within the standard document library in Teams. Please refer to our previous guide on how to create and publish content types in the content type hub in ‘Step 1 – Create & Publish the Content Type’ of our Using Content Types to improve Microsoft 365 governance guide.
Requirements
Roles & Licensing – Add Content Types to Teams
- Team Owner/Member – Enables the user to add published content types to libraries.
- M365 Business or Enterprise License – Any Microsoft Business or Enterprise license that includes SharePoint P1 or P2 and Microsoft Teams.
Our Scenario
Our project teams often need to create Statements of Work (SoWs) when consulting with clients and implementing solutions.
To avoid project managers having to find the correct SoW template each time they need to create a new SoW, we’ll use a content type to always give them easy access to the latest version. The content type will contain a Microsoft Word document template that new SoWs can be created from.
Our SharePoint admin has already created a content type, SProbot – SoW, added a document template and published it, ready to be implemented into our first project, ‘Contoso – SProbot Implementation’.
Step 1 – Add the Content Type to the Document Library
*Note: At the time of writing this article, Microsoft Teams displayed an error message when trying to add content types to a document library through the Teams interface, so we will be adding the content types via SharePoint instead.
From the Documents library of your Teams connected SharePoint site, select the ‘Add column’ option from the document heading area and then select ‘Add a content type’ and then select ‘Next’:
Select the SProbot – SoW content type and ‘Apply’ it:
Step 2 – Test the Content Type
To test that the content type has been added and working as expected, we’re going to create a new document using the template.
In Teams, navigate to any standard channel, open the ‘Files’ tab and click on ‘New’, and then select your newly published template, SProbot – SoW:
Name your document and then select ‘Create’:
Your new template-baseddocument will now be created and will automatically open:
Conclusion
By using content types with associated templates in Microsoft Teams, we can improve consistency and ensure the correct document templates are used and metadata is captured for business critical documentation.
Bonus: More than just Word templates supported
In addition to Microsoft Word document templates, content types also support the use of Excel and PowerPoint templates.
If you want to learn more about managing document templates and other org-wide assets, take a look at our governance article, Improve M365 governance with an org-wide asset library!
