Useful SharePoint Features You're Probably Not Using

Recent Trends in SharePoint Adoption

Over the past few years, organisations have shifted from using SharePoint primarily as a document repository to exploring more collaborative and automated workflows. Adoption of advanced features remains uneven — many teams still rely only on basic library functions, missing capabilities that could streamline daily tasks. The rise of hybrid and remote work has made these underused features more relevant than ever.

Background: Why Some Features Stay Hidden

SharePoint’s feature set has grown substantially through frequent updates, but training and awareness often lag. Default site templates, for instance, rarely highlight integrations with Microsoft Lists, Power Automate, or column formatting. Additionally, casual users may not realise that modern SharePoint allows customisation without extensive developer skills. As a result, features like content types, retention labels, and managed metadata remain underutilised even in mature deployments.

Key Features Overlooked by Most Users

• Column formatting with JSON – Transform plain lists into colour-coded status boards or progress indicators, no code required beyond basic JSON syntax.
• Content types – Centralise metadata and document templates so that “Proposal” or “Invoice” types enforce consistent fields and workflows across multiple libraries.
• Power Automate integration – Automate approvals, notifications, and file copying from within SharePoint lists and libraries, reducing manual steps.
• SharePoint Syntex – Apply AI-driven content understanding to classify documents and extract metadata automatically (requires appropriate licensing).
• Version history with file restore – Beyond simple recovery, users can restore an entire library to a previous point in time, useful after bulk deletions or ransomware incidents.
• Site design and site scripts – Predefine custom themes, navigation, and default lists when provisioning new sites, ensuring consistency across departments.

User Concerns and Common Barriers

Many administrators worry that enabling advanced features will increase support tickets or require steep learning curves. In practice, lightweight training sessions focused on the top few capabilities (e.g., column formatting, simple automations) often yield quick wins. Another concern is licensing: while the core features mentioned above are included in most SharePoint plans, advanced AI features like Syntex require additional commitments. Users should verify their license tier before investing time in deeper adoption.

Likely Impact on Productivity and Governance

When teams start using structured content types and automated workflows, document searchability improves and versioning conflicts drop. Column formatting alone can reduce the need for separate status-tracking spreadsheets. Over time, organisations that invest in these features typically see fewer manual handoffs and faster content retrieval. Governance also strengthens because retention labels and metadata enforcement are built into the content lifecycle rather than applied ad hoc.

What to Watch Next

Microsoft is steadily adding more AI capabilities to SharePoint, including summarisation of large documents and intelligent recommendations. Expect deeper integration with Microsoft Teams and Viva, making SharePoint a central hub for knowledge management rather than a siloed tool. For organisations that adopt the features highlighted above, the next logical step is to explore SharePoint Premium enhancements and more robust customisation via the SharePoint Framework. Monitoring adoption analytics within the admin center can help prioritise which features to roll out next.