Set up metadata navigation for a list or library

Applies to: SharePoint Online, SharePoint Server 2016, SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise, SharePoint Server 2013.

After you set up metadata navigation in large lists and libraries, you make reduce the difficulty for users to discover content. Metadata navigation allows users to filter and find content in lists and libraries by using a navigation tree. They can also apply Key Filters, which work in combination with the navigation tree to refine the list of items that display.

Once you set up metadata navigation, you can determine which columns from the library appear in the tree, and you can specify Key Filters. The following illustration shows a simple navigation tree that is based on content type.

Automatically, metadata navigation and filtering is enabled on most sites. If it is not enabled for your site, you can enable it on the Site Features pages for your site.

You must be a Site Owner or a Site Collection Administrator to enable metadata navigation and filtering.

Enable metadata navigation

1. Press Settings  , and then select Site Settings.

2. Under Site Actions, choose Manage site features.

3. In the Features list, find Metadata Navigation and Filtering, and then pick Activate.

Set up metadata navigation

You must have a least the Manage Lists permission level to set up metadata navigation for a list or library.

1. Locate the list or library for which you want to configure metadata navigation and click the title.

2. Select the List or Library tab on the ribbon, and then click List Settings or Library Settings.

3. Below General Settings, choose Metadata navigation settings.

Note: By default, metadata navigation and filtering is enabled in most sites. If you don’t see the Metadata navigation settings option, it might be disabled on your site. To learn how to enable it, see Enable metadata navigation and filtering.

4. In the Configure Navigation Hierarchies section, pick the field or fields that you want to display in the navigation hierarchy and then click Add.

5. Automatically, the navigation tree presents folders. If you would prefer a different type of display, click Folders, and then press Remove.

6. In the Configure Key Filters section, decide the fields that you want to add as Key Filters, and then choose Add.

7. In the Configure automatic column indexing for this list, state whether you want to create indexes automatically on this list. This enhances the performance of the queries that users perform when they use the navigation tree and Key Filter columns that you specified. It is recommended that you pick the option Automatically manage column indices on this list.

8. Press OK.

Navigation trees and Key Filters

Once metadata navigation is enforced for a list or library, the SharePoint site showcases a tree control on the left-hand side of the page. The tree presents a folder breakdown of folders and managed metadata terms. Users can choose items in the tree to filter what shows on the page. This enables users to produce dynamic displays of content. Users can delve deeper into this by using the Key Filters control that displays below the navigation tree and which works in alignment with the navigation tree.

1. Tree control
2. Folder hierarchy for the list or library
3. Term
4. Descendant child terms
5. Key Filters

Site users can use the navigation tree to browse a list or library by folder or by metadata. After users pick a managed metadata term in the navigation tree, the view presents only items that are tagged with that term or its descendant terms. To filter only on a particular term and exclude the descendant child terms, users can choose the item again. Metadata navigation operations with other filters for the list, such as views and column filters.

You can format and use metadata navigation for lists and libraries even if these lists and libraries avoid using managed metadata columns. In addition, you can use some column types as fields in a metadata navigation hierarchy, such as Content Type and Single-value Choice.

The following list shows the column types that the Key Filters control can use as fields:

• Managed Metadata
• Content Type
• Choice
• Person or Group
• Date and Time
• Number

To learn how to set up a column that uses managed metadata, see Create a managed metadata column

Automatic index creation

Instantly, SharePoint runs automatic index creation. When automatic index creation is enabled, indexes are formed automatically for the fields that you inserted to the navigation tree and Key Filters. Single column indexes are made on all maintained Key Filter fields except for the Content Type and Choice fields. Compound indexes are created on all supported integrations of navigation hierarchies and Key Filters.

Once indexes are produced automatically, queries are enabled for lists that have more items than the list view threshold. However, in some cases, you might have to disable this setting and set up indexes manually. For example, if the combination of single column and compound indices exceeds 20 (the maximum number of indexes per list), you must disable automatic indexing and configure the indexes manually.

Indexed queries and fallback queries

By default, metadata navigation and filtering is permitted on most sites created in SharePoint products. Even if metadata navigation is not programmed for a specific list or library, its features work beneath the surface to strengthen the performance of views in lists and libraries. The metadata navigation and filtering feature automatically selects the best index to work every time that a view is loaded. When users load new views, clear filters, or apply a sort, query optimisation ascertains the best way in which to query the database to avoid list view throttling.

If a user loads a view that exceeds the threshold, then metadata navigation and filtering formulates a modified version of the original user query called a fallback query. The fallback query operates against a portion of the list instead of the complete list. As a result, it presents a partial set of the items requested. Fallback queries supply valuable results when the original query is prohibited because of large list throttling. Occasionally, if no items the part of the list scanned by the query contain results that match the original user query, a fallback query returns no results.

When a fallback query occurs, an on-screen message warns the user that the results are partial. The message implies that the user apply additional filters to see a complete set.

The fallback query message also acts as a warning to list or library owners that users cannot access content.