How to Create Document Templates for Document Libraries
February 12th, 2007 § 40 Comments
With SharePoint, there’s a feature that helps with source control for document templates. Using Content Types in combination with document libraries we can have a set of document templates that users can choose from, edit and save without over-writing the original document.
Here are the steps to implement this:
1. Create a Document Library
2. Within the site that contains that Document Library, go to Site Actions > Site Settings
3. Under the Galleries section, click on Site Content Types
4. Click the Create link at the top of the list.
5. Give your Content Type a name and description.
6. Under Parent Content Type choose “Select parent content type from: Document Content Types” and “Parent Content Type: Document”
7. If this is the first time you’re creating a new Content Type, then you should choose to place it in a “New Group” and give it a meaningful name.
8. After creating the Content Type, you have the option of customizing some of the settings. Click on ‘Advanced Settings.’
9. Choose to upload a New Document Template.
10. Leave the rest of the default settings and press OK.
Now we’ll have to go back to the Document Library that we had created earlier. Within that Document Library:
11. Click on Settings > Document Library Settings
12. Under the General Settings Section, click on ‘Advanced Settings’
13. If ‘Allow management of content types?’ is set to No, change it to Yes. Leave the rest of the settings, and click OK.
14. Under the Content Types Section, click ‘Add from existing site content types’
15. Now you’ll have the option of choosing the from the menus, the Content Type Group and Content Type that was created earlier. You’ll want to add it to the list of ‘Content Types to add:’
16. Go back to the Document Library, click the arrow next to the ‘New’ button and you should now have a new Document Template to choose from!
We are embarking on the Sharepoint journey and are always seeking models to build on.
Thanks for the tip!
You’re very welcome!
[...] I previously wrote about using Content Types and Document Templates here: http://blog.henryong.com/2007/02/12/how-to-create-document-templates-for-document-libraries/ [...]
Good one,
Please suggest me for the below requirement.
I have list of templates. I will upload those templates into document library, whenever I open the uploaded template, It opens and making changes to the same template it is not allowing me to saves as document.
How to handle the above situation.
Hi Vijayaraja,
If the document library is read only, you will not be able to save a document back to it.
Is it possible to have different “New” menu items based on what folder you are viewing in the document library, or do you have to create different document libraries to have different new menus?
Hey Darren, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this demo’ed somewhere. Most likely by a SharePoint MVP….maybe jopx? Not sure.
Thanks for an excellent explanation. It was the most concise one I’ve found and has helped me get up and running with this excellent feature of Sharepoint.
hi there
i am trying to edit a knowledge based article template . please advice how can i do that?
i just wanna add more textboxes and combo box in it to store information.
Thanks
[...] I wanted to have my own templates inside a Sharepoint 2007 Document Library; check this great post! [...]
Excellent step-by-step! Thanks!!!
Very comprehensive!
Wish there were a step by step on SharePoint explained just like this!
Parul
[...] how can I create a document template in SharePoint? Use this link. May help. http://blog.henryong.com/2007/02/12/…ent-libraries/ — Amir Mehrani http://sharepointroad.wordpress.com "Madelon" <Madelon> wrote in [...]
Thanks for the tutorial!
Hi Henry,
Iam Beginner for Sharepoint.I Need to do Customize Document Library in Sharepoint Using Code.I Tried as You Given Explanation,But it is Through UI.But I Need to do with coding as a dll.Is it Possible in C#.
Hi Subbu, yes everything you can do in the UI, you can do programmatically in code.
Hi, under general settings > advanced settings, is there a way to have “Allow management of content types” always default to yes? (maybe from a central admin section?)
When I create new libraries I want the New button to offer excel templates by default without having to go through the above instructions. Reason being, eventually there will be hundreds of libraries across the site and i don’t go through all of these steps 100s of times.
Hey Mike, there’s no central setting for that “Allow management of content types” section to be yes by default. Although, you can create a Document Library template that has the document template attached to it by default.
Another thing you can do is utilize a Powershell script that can change this setting for you. Or you can send me a $20 dollar bill and I’ll do it for you
Is is possible to make a document auto-fill some parts with user attributes from the sharepoint account (such as name, company, whatever..)? That would be awesome but I haven’t found a way to do it..
Hi Joao, I wander if you have found a way to auto-fill some parts of document template…?
Thanks – really easy to follow. very useful.
Great article.
nice thanks
Hello Henry,
thank you very much for this article.
It’s exactly what I was looking for.
Michael
Thank you so much. Looked around a bit to find, but this was wonderful.
I created a document template from which lot of other documents are created. If the text in the template changes, they are not being reflected in the existing documents created from the old template.
Is there a way to ensure that any changes to the master template are relected on existing documents too?
Thanks
Thank You for this information, It was very useful and I was looking for this only
I have list of templates. I like to upload them 10
in one job. Also in the “root” of mos2007, because I don’t want to replace many times when the templates are stored on many places on our mos2007 document libraries.
My Question above was: How can I Upload theme in one job?
Can I add a list template at the folder level instead of at the library level?
Excellent information indeed. Friend on mine has been awaiting for this update.
Great, tnx
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[...] 6. Click on Save. Deleting a Template [...]
I know it seems you don’t have many comments yet but I think your site is cool and I hope you do well. Good luck!
Very nice and useful tip!
Thanks a ton.
Great tip thanks. Can I restrict users from saving directly to the document library and specify another location without loosing the ‘new’ button?
Cheers!
Hi,
A great post! But I have a question now. Recently I uploaded a new template in the content type. The changes are reflected in the new documents that are being created. However, old documents are still using the old template:S
Any ideas why? The templates are custom word document templates created using instructions at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917662
Even though I have stated yes, in the option “”Specify whether all child site and list content types that use this type to be updated with the settings on this page. This operation can take considerable time to perform, and any adjustments to the child site and list content types are lost”
I don’t know why they are not affected? :S
Awesome blog! Is your theme custom made or did you download it from somewhere? A design like yours with a few simple adjustements would really make my blog stand out. Please let me know where you got your design. Thank you
hi ppl,
i am relatively new to sharepoint and i wish to have two document libraries but under two different headings like this
1)Retail(Doc Lib1)
a)Contents
b)Docs
2)Nielsen(Doc Lib2)
a)Contents
b)Docs
However every time i try i get it like
1.Retail (Doc Lib1)
a)Nielsen
Why is this happening and how to avoid this please reply soon