This document compares the use of folders versus metadata for organizing documents in SharePoint. It explains that metadata involves assigning attributes or tags to describe documents, while folders act as containers. Using site columns to define metadata attributes provides more flexibility than folders for filtering, sorting, tagging multiple attributes per document, and reusing definitions across libraries. However, folders still have advantages for security, large file volumes, and avoiding file name collisions. The conclusion recommends planning a taxonomy first using reusable site columns for metadata before relying solely on folders.

1. SharePoint Folders vs.
Metadata
Best Practices

2. What is Metadata?
Metadata is information that describes, classifies or
identifies a piece of information. Metadata is
typically described as a set of attributes that help to
describe or classify an object.

3. This is Metadata…

4. This is Metadata…

5. What is a Folder?
 Container of files and other folders within a
Document Library
 A folder has a name and a URL location.
 A folder is a familiar metaphor for most people –
from the physical world (e.g. file folders, cupboards,
buckets, etc.) and the digital world (file shares, email,
etc.)

6. Folders vs. Metadata: Folders
Imagine you have to categorize documents in three ways: Department, Year, and Publishing Status. This
is what a traditional folder structure looks like to categorize across MULTIPLE metadata elements.
Finance
2011
Draft
Published
2012
Draft
Published
2013
Draft
Published
2014
Draft
Published
Information
Technology
2011
Draft
Published
2012
Draft
Published
2013
Draft
Published
2014
Draft
Published
Why did I pick Department first?
Lots of repetition
Multiple clicks to find the right files No way to filter easily
We have used this approach historically because we had no better alternative…and we migrated from a
physical metaphor.

7. Folders vs. Metadata: Metadata Site Columns
In SharePoint, we can assign multiple metadata attributes using independent site columns.
Department
•Finance
•Information
Technology
•Operations
My
Document
Year
•2011
•2012
•2013
•2014
Status
•Draft
•Published
Each attribute acts as a “tag” or
“property” of my document.
I can filter, sort and view
based on any combination of
attributes
I can pick multiple values to tag per
attribute (e.g. my document could
be BOTH finance and IT)

8. Moving from Folder to Site Column (e.g.
Metadata Attribute in SharePoint)
Change Folder
to a Site
Column

9. Advantages of Site Column over a Folder
 Site Column definitions are re-usable across document libraries where folder hierarchies have to be
recreated each time.
 Site Columns can be added to Content Types to define types of documents
 Site Columns are can be used by search to filter search results
 Metadata values can be validated (e.g. must be a date, a number, a user, etc.) where folders can be
any text value as a label
 Document can have multiple selected choices instead of a single folder (e.g. document can be tagged
as both finance AND information technology)
 Document can have multiple metadata attributes (instead of being locked into a single folder
hierarchy)
 Site Columns can have default values
 Site Columns provide filtering and sorting including filtering by more than one column (e.g. show me
only items that where department = finance and language = English)
 Site Columns can be hidden or displayed in views (folders are always visible)
 Moving a document means the URL changes – changing a metadata property value keeps the URL
the same.
 Deep folder structures mean long URLs

10. Some Reasons why Folders Can Still be Useful
 Easier to create a folder than metadata structure and easier to adopt
 Folders are security boundaries – can set permissions on folders
 Easy containers to drop in large volumes of files
 You can set default metadata values for each folder
 SharePoint limits number of files in a view to 5,000 so folders can be helpful if you
have large numbers of files
 File names in SharePoint must be unique – folders can avoid name collision

11. Conclusion
 Plan out your taxonomy before organizing your documents – use re-usable site
columns to standardize how documents are classified, tagged or categorized across
the organization.
 Use Site Columns in SharePoint to store metadata instead of folders, in particular for
categorizing, tagging, searching and filtering documents
 Folders should be used only for specific reasons where they are still helpful
containers
 Configure your search to leverage the metadata you have invested in creating!

12. Thanks!
Christopher Woodill
 cwoodill@hotmail.com
 @microsofttrend
 www.microsofttrends.com