SharePoint Metadata

In SharePoint, metadata serves as a powerful tool for users to tailor document organization according to their specific needs. With this feature, users can incorporate custom columns capable of holding various types of information, including text, choices, multiple choices, lookup, dates, numbers, and yes/no options. You can also map a lookup field in the metadata configuration. This flexibility empowers users to enrich their documents with crucial details such as Account Name, Location Name, Job Title, Time Zone, Existing Customer Status, Actual Revenue, Estimated Close Date, etc.

Metadata consists of three features:

• Metadata Columns and Filters on Attach2Dynamics UI

• Migrate notes with real-time migration

• Create and View Custom Views with Attach2Dynamics UI

Note: By default, the Metadata feature is set to ‘No’ in the Entity Configuration.

To turn it ‘On’, navigate to Entity Configuration -> Select Metadata -> Set Metadata Preference -> ‘Yes’

Metadata Columns

The metadata feature allows users to create custom columns to store vital document information. As documents are migrated with their associated metadata.

Configuration

Let's take an example of how to configure a Metadata column for Opportunity Entity.

First, we will create columns in SharePoint that get synced in SharePoint Security Sync and are visible in the Attach2Dynamics UI.

Navigate to your SharePoint site -> open the ‘Opportunity’ document library -> Click on the +Add column

Select a column type, let’s first create a Text column -> then click ‘Next’.

Enter the Column Name as per preference

Now, lets create one more column – with choices column type.

Click on ‘Save’.

Once saved, both columns are visible in ‘Opportunity’.

Now let's see how the above configuration is working:

• Attach2Dynamics UI

Navigate to ‘Opportunity Entity’ -> open the ‘Opportunity Record’ -> Click on ‘Attach2Dynamics UI’.

As you can see the columns created in SharePoint are visible here.

Click on the ‘Edit data’ icon to edit the information if required.

Since ‘Purchase process’ is a choice-type column, the drop-down shows other choices available.

Similarly, the ‘Customer’s Name’ which is a Text column can also be edited.

Once all the changes are done, click on ‘✅’ to save it.

Migrate notes

When uploading documents through the Attach2Dynamics UI, users can include notes and amend existing metadata column information using real-time migration. This ensures that all required information remains current and readily accessible, contributing to a more organized document management system.

• Realtime-migration

For Realtime-migration, first users need to map the SharePoint Columns with CRM Fields, to do this navigate to Entity Configurations -> Metadata Configuration

Once done, click on ‘Save Metadata’.

Add a Field Name in the Filter by Field Name, once added save it by clicking on ‘Metadata’.

Now open the Opportunity Record in the Dynamics 365 Sales Hub and the note as an attachment in the timeline.

The mapped fields, ‘Topic’ and ‘Purchase process,’ along with the metadata information in the respective columns in the Metadata tab, get migrated to SharePoint via Notes.

Once the note attachment is added to the timeline, with Realtime-migration it gets migrated to SharePoint.

Click on the note’s hyperlink that will navigate to SharePoint.

The Note attachments, along with their metadata have been automatically added to SharePoint.

Create and View Custom Views

Users can create custom views within SharePoint, which are seamlessly synchronized and displayed within the Attach2Dynamics UI. These custom views mirror those present in SharePoint, allowing users to save and share their preferred views. This ensures that team members can access and utilize tailored views to streamline their workflow effectively.

By default, in Attach2Dynamics UI there are two view options – All Documents and Thumbnail.

To create and view a custom view based on specific requirements. Navigate to the SharePoint site.

Click on ‘All Documents’ and select the ‘Save view as’ option.

Add a name to the custom view and click on ‘Save’.

The newly created custom view is shown on the SharePoint site.

Now the newly created custom view is added to the Attach2Dyamics UI, as shown below. Click on ‘View’ to select the custom view.

Metadata Filter

Users can effortlessly identify and filter information within the Attach2Dynamics UI. This streamlined process enhances document retrieval by enabling users to utilize metadata filters effectively.

To do so, click on the ‘filter’ icon.

In this example, the Customer's Address is being filtered to one particular country. Once done, click on ‘Apply’.

Only the documents with the selected country are visible.

How to Map a Lookup Field in Metadata Configuration

To map a lookup field in the metadata configuration within the Entity Configuration, please follow the steps below:

• Go to the SharePoint site and click on the “+ New” button, then select "List" from the dropdown menu.

• Click on "List" to select it.

• Enter the name for the list, then click on “create.”

• After creating the list, navigate to Site Contents in SharePoint site.

• Select the document library as per your requirement, for example, here we choose the "Opportunity" library.

• Click on "+Add column” in your selected library.

• Select the "Lookup" option and click Next.

• Enter the column name, then choose the previously created list from the “Select a list as a source field” dropdown, and click Save.

• Now you can see the new column has been successfully added to the library.

• Now, navigate to Entity Configuration in SharePoint Security Sync.

• Now, in the Metadata Configuration tab, select a field that is a lookup type field only, and then we can map the column we created in SharePoint.

• Here, as you can see, there’s a Sales Hub column, and its column type is a lookup.

• Click on the dropdown menu, and there you will find the column we created in SharePoint.

• Click on the Save Metadata button to save the changes and then click on Save button on the ribbon bar.

• A pop-up window will appear after metadata is successfully configured then click on ok.

• And that’s it! You’ve successfully mapped a lookup field to your SharePoint column in the metadata configuration.

• Here’s how the lookup field appears in the Attach2Dynamics UI.