SharePoint

Overview

With SharePoint, you can share documents, collaborate online, and store resources. Once a site collection is created, a site owner can create new sites in their collection as needed.

Access SharePoint by signing in to the Office 365 Landing Page with your KU Online ID and password.

Create Your SharePoint Site

You can create a new top-level SharePoint site on your own by from the SharePoint landing page. Select +Create site at the top-left corner of the screen. From there, you will need to choose a team site or communication site based on your needs.
View ScreenshotSelect Create Site

Team sites are for those who want a place where the members of a work group or project team can collaborate on project deliverables, plan an event, track status, or exchange ideas.

Communication sites are for sharing news, reports, statuses, and other information in a visually compelling format. Unlike Team sites, you will not get a Quick Launch (left-hand-side menu) and you will not get apps like Planner or Teams. 

Learn more about the differences between Microsoft's team and communication sites. 

If you prefer KU IT to create a new site collection for you, please submit a site collection request form. 

Site Management

Once your site is created, team owners will need to add members, apps, and provide navigation for the team.

Add Members

To add KU users to the Office 365 group:

  1. Select members located at the top-right are of the page.
    View ScreenshotSelect Members link
  2. Select the Add members button. 
  3. Enter their name or email. 

To add external users to the Office 365 group:

  1. Select members located at the top-right are of the page.
    View ScreenshotSelect Members link
  2. Select the go to Outlook link and add members from there. 
    View ScreenshotSelect go to Outlook link/span>
  3. Select Add members from the top menu or Manage group members below the current members to add or remove. 
    View ScreenshotSelect Add Members from the menu

To add users SharePoint groups: 

  1. Select the Settings icon and choose Site permissions. 
    View ScreenshotSelect Site permissions from the dropdown list  
  2. Scroll to the bottom of the panel and select Advance permission settings. 
    View ScreenshotSelect Advanced permissions settings 
  3. Select a permission group and add users.  
    View ScreenshotSelect the membership group, then select Add members

Manage Permissions

Permissions determine the level of access people have for the site. Before adding users to the site, you will need to decide their permission group and if you want them to be added to the Office 365 group or SharePoint groups.

The Office 365 group gives everyone access to everything on the site. Adding external users (outside of KU) to the Office 365 group gives them access to everything except Conversations and the Outlook Calendar. If you plan to break permissions on any part of the site, use the SharePoint permission groups instead. 

There are three primary SharePoint permission groups in every site:

  • Site visitors - read-only access to the site, cannot make edits
  • Site members - can edit and create content on the site
  • Site owners - full control of the site

These permission groups also give access to everything on the site until the permission is broken. A site owner can decide to break permissions if a site, or content within a site, needs more restrictive access. 

See the Add Members accordion above to learn how to add users to your Office 365 and SharePoint groups. 

Assign Specific Permissions

It is possible to assign permissions to a subsite or an app that does not apply to the entire site. To do this, you must first break inheritance of permissions, then assign permissions to that app. The screenshots below will be for a list, but it is the same process for a document library. 

How to break permissions on a list or document library:  

  1. Navigate to the app you want to change and select the Settings icon at the top-right.  
  2. Select List/library settings (for library, select library settings)
  3. Select Permissions for this list/library under Permissions and Management.
    View ScreenshotSelect List settings from dropdown menu 
  4. Select Stop Inheriting Permissions in the toolbar at the top-right.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Stop Inheriting Permission button from top menu 
  5. Use Grant User Permissions and Remove User Permissions to customize the access to the page or app. 
    View ScreenshotGrant Permissions and Remove User Permission buttons in the top menu of page 

To break inheritance on a site:

  1. Navigate to the homepage and select the  Settings icon at the top-right.  
  2. Select Site permissions 
  3. Select Advanced site permission settings at the bottom of the panel
  4. Select Stop Inheriting Permissions in the toolbar at the top-right.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Stop Inheriting Permission button from top menu 
  5. Use Grant User Permissions and Remove User Permissions to customize the access to the page or app. 
    View ScreenshotGrant Permissions and Remove User Permission buttons in the top menu of page 

Create a Subsite

After you create your top-level site, you can create additional subsites, as needed. 

  1. Sign in to the Office 365 Landing Page and go to the initial team site.
  2. Select the Settings icon and choose Site contents from the list.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Settings icon, then select Site contents
  3. At the top-right menu, Select +New and choose Subsite.
    View ScreenshotSelect the New link, then select Subsite
  4. Enter the Title, Description and URL for the new site. 
  5. Select Team Site (no Office 365 group) for the template.
  6. Set up permissions as needed. 
  7. Select Create.

Navigation

The navigation for the team site is located on the left side called Quick Launch. Any pages or apps that are added to the team site can be added to the Quick Launch area.

To edit the Quick Launch:

  1. Select the Edit link at the bottom of Quick Launch.
  2. To add a link, hover your mouse between links to bring up the + button. 
    View ScreenshotSelect the plus sign between two links to add a link
  3. To edit the menu, select the More options [...] icon next to a link. 
    View ScreenshotSelect the 3 dots next to Documents to open the submenu
  4. To change the order, use Move up or down tools or click and drag link to a new position.
  5. Select Save.

Manage Access Requests

If a user clicks on something they do not have access to, they are able to request access to that content. Site owners will receive an email for any access request submitted and also have the option to turn off access requests on the site.

How to turn on/off access requests:

  1. Select the Settings icon and choose Site permissions.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Settings icon, then select Site permissions
  2. Scroll down and choose Change sharing settings.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Change sharing link
  3. Choose who can share information from the site, disable access request, and who will receive notification of the access requests.
    View ScreenshotEnable and disable selections to provide or restrict access 
  4. Select Save.

How to approve or decline access requests:

  1. Select the Settings icon > Site Contents.
  2. Select Access requests and invitations.

Note: The Access request button only appears if there are pending access requests.

  1. Under Pending Requests, find the request you want to update, select More options [...] to open the menu.
  2. Under Permissions, select the permission level you would like to assign the user if you plan to approve the request. You can optionally type a message to the person requesting access; this can be a useful way to document your decision. 
  3. Select Approve or Decline.

Change Title and Look of Your Site

The title, description, URL*, logo, and theme of a site can be changed at any time by a site owner. Changing the look can help users differentiate a site from the other sites they may use.

*At this time, the URL can only be changed on a subsite, not the site collection. 

Change the Look of a Site:

  1. Select the Settings icon and choose Change the look.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Settings icon, then select Change the look
  2. Choose from Header and Theme to change background image, site logo, colors, and fonts, etc.
  3. Select Save.

Change the Title, Description, Logo, and URL of a Subsite:

  1. Select the Settings icon and select Site Information.
    View ScreenshotSelect the Settings icon, then select Site information
  2. At the bottom of the Edit site information panel, select View all site settings. 
    View ScreenshotSelect View all site settings at the bottom of the panel
  3. Under Look and Feel, choose Title, description, and logo.
    View ScreenshotUnder the Look and Feel category, select Title, description, and logo   
  4. In the Title field, enter or edit the title of the site.
  5. In the Description field, enter or edit the description of the site.
  6. In the Insert logo field, enter the URL or select From computer to use an image you have saved.
  7. In the URL field, edit the URL of the site. Please see the important notes below on changing a site's URL.
  8. Select Ok.

Caution! Important Notes on Changing a Site URL:

  • Changing the URL of a site will break any links pointing to it.
  • When changing a URL, make sure no one is making edits and all data is saved.
  • Communicate a URL change to the end users.
  • When the URL change is completed, close your browser and reopen to clear the browser's cache.
  • If the site is listed on the community sites landing page, please contact office365support_sn@ku.edu to update the link.

Document Libraries

When you create a team site, it comes with one document library. Additional document libraries can be added as needed, which is useful when a group of documents needs different permissions than another group.

Add a Document Library

  1. Select the +New icon in the top menu and select Document library.
  2. Type in the name for the library and choose whether or not to have a link to the library in the site navigation.
    View ScreenshotSelect the New link from the menu, then select folder
  3. If you deselect Show in site navigation, you will find the list in Site Contents [Settings > Site contents].
  4. Start adding columns and documents as needed.

Add Metatags to Files

  1. Open the document library
  2. Select + Add column.
  3. Select the type of field you need.
  4. Give the column a name and description then select Save.

Add Folders and Files

Create a Custom View of a Library

Document libraries offer the ability to sort and filter based on your columns. Custom views are a way to save those filtering conditions for easy access.

  1. Sort items together by selecting on column header and selecting Ascending or Descending.
  2. Open the filter panel by selecting on the funnel icon and select the desired filter options which are based on your columns. 
    View ScreenshotTo filter, select the funnel icon and select the desired filter options which are based on your columns.
  3. Select on the All Documents from the top-right gray bar and select Save view as.
    View ScreenshotSelect All Documents from the top menu, then select Save view as
  4. Give the custom view a name. Check the box for public view if you want the view to be available to all users of the site. 
  5. Select Save.
  6. The view is now available to use anytime from the view panel of that document library.

Create Files

Upload Files

Share Files

Sync Folders

Lists in SharePoint

A custom list is a collection of information, such as contacts, resources, supplies lists, etc. With custom lists, you are able to sort and filter based on columns which you create. Multiple lists can be added to the team site.

Add a Custom List

  1. Select the +New icon in the top menu and select List. 
    View ScreenshotSelect the New link from the menu, then select List from the dropdown menu
  2. Give the list a name and choose whether or not to have the list link show in the site navigation. 
    View ScreenshotDeselect checkbox if you don't want list to show in navigation
  3. If you deselect Show in site navigation, you will find the list in Site Contents [Settings > Site contents].
  4. Select Create. 

Add Columns to a List

  1. Open the list, select +Add column, then select the type of column you want to add. 
  2. Name the column, ensure Type the type of column you chose, and select More options to review additional selections. 
  3. When done adding columns, select Save.

Edit a List

The two ways to edit a list are +New and Edit in Grid view tools found in the top menu. 

To edit using the +New tool:

  1. Select +New in the top menu.
  2. A panel will open and you can complete each column field as you would a form. 

To edit using the Edit in grid tool:

  1. Select Edit in grid in the top menu. 
  2. Select the cell you wish to edit. 
  3. Begin typing in the cells and use the tab key on your keyboard to move across cells.
  4. Data can be copied and pasted from Excel. Ensure the names and order of columns match before copying and pasting.
  5. To save, select Exit grid view.

Create a Custom View of a List

  1. Select the name of each column to sort and filter the information in a list.
  2. Select All items and select Save view as. 
    View ScreenshotSelect All Items in menu, then select Save view as from dropdown list
  3. Name this view and select Save. 
  4. The new name will now show instead of All items. Select the new view name and choose Edit current view. 
  5. Scroll down the filter section and select the button next to Show items only when the following is true.
  6. In the first drop down box, select the name of the column you want to filter. 
  7. Leave the default is equal to, then type the item to be filtered. 
    View ScreenshotSelect name of column, then type item to be filtered
  8. Once you are finished sorting and filtering, scroll to the bottom and select OK.

Delete a Custom View of a List

  1. Select the name of name of the view you want to delete.
  2. Select Edit current view.
  3. Select Delete located at the top-right of the page.

Pages

Pages in a team site are similar to pages in any website; the page consists of content and apps pieced together. A page is helpful as you are able to see multiple types of content and apps in one place rather than going to each specific place for that content or app.

Pages are made up of sections called web parts that can be added, removed, and reordered. Examples of the default web parts on your home page are News, Activities, and Quick Links.

Add a New Page

  1. Select the +New icon in the top menu and select Pages.
    View ScreenshotSelect the New link from the menu, then select page from the dropdown list
  2. Rename the page by selecting on Name your page in the top banner of the page and typing the new name. 
  3. To change or remove the background image, select the background to bring up edit options in the tools on the left edge of the background.
    View ScreenshotTo bring up edit tools, select the background 
  4. Use the plus signs to add new sections and web parts to the page.
    View ScreenshotSelect the plus signs to add web parts
  5. When done, select Save as draft or Publish (Republish) in the main menu. 

Edit an Existing Page

  1. Navigate to the page and select Edit located to the far right in the menu. 
  2. Select inside the web part you want to edit and a tools bar will appear in the left edge of that web part.
    View ScreenshotSelect the web part to show the edit tools
  3. Make sure to select Publish (Republish) in the main menu when you have completed your edits. 

Delete a Page

  1. In the Quick Launch (navigation in the left panel of your page), choose Pages. If the Pages link is not in the Quick Launch, go to Settings > Site contents.
  2. Hover your mouse over the page you want to delete and check the circle left of the page title.
  3. Either select Delete in the top menu or select the More options [...] icon then Delete.
    View ScreenshotSelect the 3 dots, then select Delete from the menu

Tasks

Tasks is no longer included in Modern SharePoint sites, but you can add it by navigating to a Classic view. You can access instructions for Tasks on the Microsoft Support site. 

For additional options, you can use SharePoint Lists or Tasks by Planner. 

Calendar

Calendars are great for keeping track of team events, meetings, and projects. Multiple calendars can be added to the team site and can also be synced to your Outlook calendar.

How to add a calendar to a site:

  1. Select New from the top and select App from the options or select the Settings icon and select Add an app from the options.
    View ScreenshotSelect New or Settings, then add App from the options.
  2. Select the Classic experience link.
    View ScreenshotSelect the classic experience link. 
  3. From the list, click on Calendar icon. 
  4. Give the calendar a name and click Create.
  5. This will take you to the Site Contents page. Find the calendar in the list and click the name of the calendar.

How to add events to a calendar:

  1. Option one, click on the day and click the Add button.
  2. Option two, click the Events tab at the top and click New Event.
  3. Enter the details of the event. If it's a series check the box for recurring event.
  4. Click Save.

How to sync a calendar to Outlook:

Note: the calendar only syncs from SharePoint to Outlook, it does not sync from Outlook to SharePoint.

  1. Click on the Calendar tab and select Connect to Outlook. 
  2. Click Open Outlook from the pop-up. 

Support

Technical Support: itcsc@ku.edu  |  785-864-8080

Training Support: training@ku.edu  |  785-864-5155

Register for a workshop

Files can be created directly from OneDrive for Business, SharePoint document libraries, and from the Teams files tab. 

Create Online Files

Word, Excel, PowerPoint

To create new files in Teams, open the files tab in the channel where you want the document to be accessed. 

To create new files in SharePoint, navigate to the document library where you want the file stored. 

To create new files in OneDrive for Business, sign in at the Office 365 Landing Page and open OneDrive.

[Screenshots taken from SharePoint site]

  1. Select +New from the menu and select Word document.
    View ScreenshotSelect New, then select the file you want to create.
  2. To rename the document, select the default name and type a new one.
    View ScreenshotSelect Document from the blue bar at top, then name your file.
  3. Online files save automatically. Be sure to wait until the document has completed saving before closing out. 
    View ScreenshotDocument will show Saved.

Editing Files

When you open files in the cloud, these online versions offer many, but not all of the editing tools that come with the desktop versions installed on your computer. This examples below is for a Word document, but is the same for all files (Excel, PowerPoint, etc.).

Word Online

  1. Locate the file from OneDrive, SharePoint document library or Teams files tab and select the name of the file to open.
  2. All changes are saved automatically as you work.

With Word Online, multiple people can make changes simultaneously. You will see changes in real-time as long as everyone is using Word Online.
View ScreenshotView who is editing from the tools ribbon.

Open Desktop App, Full Version of Word
  1. While viewing the document in Word Online, select the Editing button located under the search field at the top of your page, then select Open in Desktop App.
    View ScreenshotSelect Editing button, then Open in Desktop App.
  2. Changes can be saved manually or you may select AutoSave at the top-left area of your document. Select the button next to AutoSave to toggle On or Off.

In the full version of Word, you are not able to make changes simultaneously. Changes must be saved before others will be able to see them.

Open Desktop App, Full Version of Excel and PowerPoint

The option to select desktop app for Excel and PowerPoint is located directly below the search field at the top of the page. 
View ScreenshotSelect Open in Desktop app from the menu above the tools.

Accessibility

The Accessible KU website provides instructions on how to create accessible files, videos, websites, etc. More information can be found at Accessible KU's Content Accessibility pages.

Documents in your OneDrive for Business or SharePoint document library can be shared with both internal and external contacts to KU. If you are sharing a document in Teams, you can do that by accessing the file through the related SharePoint site. When sharing, you can apply editing and download preferences.

Share a File or Folder

Share from OneDrive and SharePoint

  1. Open OneDrive for Business or you SharePoint Document library in your browser of choice.
  2. Hover your mouse over a file and select the Share icon to the right of the file name. 
    View ScreenshotShare icons at top menu and to the right of the file name.
  3. If you want to share a file without restrictions to other KU users, type the name (last name, first name). 
  4. Any personal message you type in the optional box will be included with the email the contact receives.

To apply editing and download preferences and to share documents securely, go to the Sharing permissions accordion below.

Share from Teams

To share and manage the permissions of your file, open the file in the related SharePoint site and use instructions above to apply preferences. 

To find the file in your SharePoint site:

  1. Go to the channel and files tab where your file is located
  2. Select More options [...] in the top menu
  3. Select Open in SharePoint 
    View ScreenshotSelect 3 dots far-right at top menu, select Open in SharePoint.

Find a Shared Document

  1. Open OneDrive for Business in your browser of choice.
  2. Select Shared in the left navigation.
  3. Shared with me shows any documents sent to you by others.
  4. Share by me shows any documents you have sent to others. 
    View ScreenshotSelect Shared in left menu to view Shared tabs at the top.

Sharing Permissions

To apply sharing permissions or access additional sharing options, select your file and click Share, then click on People in the University of Kansas. 
View ScreenshotSelect People in the University of Kansas to open more sharing options.

Your need for flexibility or security will help you determine which sharing option to choose. 

  • People in the University of Kansas means anyone at KU who receives the link can open the file whether you send it or it was shared by others.
  • People with existing access can be opened by people who already have access to the document or folder.
  • Anyone with a link gives access to anyone who receives this link, whether they receive it directly from you or forwarded from someone else. This may include people outside of KU. Only available on OneDrive by default, but it can be added to SharePoint by request.
  • Specific people gives access only to the people you specify. This option allows you to share with internal and external to KU. Even if people forward the sharing invitation, only the people you sent the file to will be able to open it. 

Secure Sharing

Specific People Option
  1. From OneDrive for Business or your SharePoint document library, hover your mouse over the file or folder you want to share and select the Share icon. 
  2. When the panel opens, click on the default People in The University of Kansas with the link.
  3. Select Specific people.
  4. Select optional settings to allow editing and block download as needed
  5. Select Apply.
  6. Type in names or emails of people you want to receive the file and optionally add information to the additional message section. 
    View ScreenshotSelect 3 dots far-right at top menu, select Open in SharePoint.
  7. Select Send.

Notes:

  • To view the file/folder, recipients can either sign-in to their Microsoft accounts, or if they don’t have a Microsoft account, they can generate a passcode from Microsoft that will be sent to their email.
  • Remind recipients that it is possible that the file or passcode links could be sent to their spam folders.
  • When files/folders are shared in this way, recipients will only see this content from the SharePoint Site. They will not see any other content on the site or the site’s navigation.
  • You can only share one file or one folder at a time.

Security Facts:

  • Only recipients can open the file.
  • If the file is forwarded, the new recipient will not be able to open the file.
  • If you allow editing, the edits will also be made in SharePoint.
  • It is possible for people to take a screenshot and share it.

Stop Sharing

From OneDrive and SharePoint

  1. Check the box next to the document or folder name.
  2. Select the File you want to stop sharing and select More options [...] to the right of the file.
  3. Select Manage Access from the panel of options. 
    View ScreenshotSelect 3 dots to the right of file name, select Manage access from panel.
  4. A window will open on the right side of the page with the list of everyone that has access. To stop sharing with everyone, select Stop Sharing at the top of the panel. 
  5. To stop sharing with individuals, select the drop-down arrow next to a person's name and select the X to the right of the person's name. 
    View ScreenshotTo stop sharing, click Stop sharing link at top or the X next to the name of individuals.

Sync Folders to Your Local Computer

Folders in your OneDrive for Business, SharePoint libraries, and Teams files can be synced to your hard drive and managed like your regular document storage.

  1. Select Sync from the top menu of your OneDrive, SharePoint document library or Teams files tab.
  2. Select Open Microsoft OneDrive
  3. Go to File Explorer on your PC or Finder on a Mac to view and access your files. 
    View ScreenshotOneDrive and SharePoint files listed in File Explorer or Finder.

When you sync your files from OneDrive, SharePoint and Teams, they will be listed as OneDrive - University of Kansas and The University of Kansas respectively. 

Status Icons

Status Icons located next to the right of your files under the status column in your File Explorer on PC or Finder on a Mac tell you the sync state of the file or folder. The cloud indicates files that can be accessed while connected to the internet. The green circle with a white checkmark indicates a file that has been saved to your local computer. 
View ScreenshotOneDrive and SharePoint files listed in File Explorer or Finder.

Learn more on Microsoft's OneDrive icons site. 

If you need to work on a file without internet access, right-click the file and select Always keep on this device. Once you are connected to the internet, the file will automatically sync back to the cloud. To free up space on your computer, right-click the file and select Free up space. 
View ScreenshotRight click file, then select options from panel.

Manage Your Synced Folders

To manage which folders are being synced:

  1. Select the OneDrive icon (blue icon located at the bottom-right of your toolbar on the PC or gray icon located at the top-right tool bar on a Mac). 
  2. Select More, then Settings. 
    View ScreenshotSelect OneDrive Icon, More, then Settings from the panel.
  3. From the Account tab, select Choose folders or Stop Sync. 
    View ScreenshotFrom Account tab at the top, select Choose folders.
  4. From here, you can select and deselect the folders want to sync or stop syncing. 

You can upload documents to your OneDrive for Business, SharePoint documents library or Teams using any of these methods. With OneDrive for Business, your SharePoint documents library or Teams files tab open:

  • Drag and drop a file from your computer into the files interface. 
    View ScreenshotDrag files onto the interface.
  • Select Upload from the top menu > Files or Folder > choose the file or folder you want to upload > Open. 
  • After you sync, you can drag and drop files from your computer into your File Explorer on a PC or Finder on a Mac, which will sync to the cloud.