Hyperlinks in SharePoint document libraries

I’d been thinking about placing hyperlinks in SharePoint document libraries for some time but somehow never really got the chance to look into the issue. I tried uploading links from the desktop but didn’t get very far.

While I was writing the article SharePoint folders and metadata, I came across a rather simple solution to the problem: There’s a standard content type that will do the trick.

The idea is rather simple: Integrate documents in your library without actually having to store them there. This can be helpful if you can’t or don’t want to store certain document in the library (maybe they’re too large, for example). You can work with metadata the exact same way you would with any other document actually in the library. The link name will also appear in search results. The only drawback is that you probably won’t be able to do a full-text search of the document itself.

Addin the content type to your library

Here’s where you’ll find it and how you can integrate it:

1. Go to the document library where you want to add hyperlinks.

2. On the library menu bar, click Settings.

3. Select Document Library Settings from the drop-down menu.

4. If management of content types is already enabled in your library, you can go straight to step 7. Otherwise, follow the next few steps first. Under General Settings, click Advanced settings.

5. Make sure management of content types is enabled by activating the Yes option.

6. Click OK to save the settings.

7. To add the content type, go to Content Types and select Add from existing site content types.

8. Select Document Content Types form the drop-down list, then select the content typ Link to a Document and click Add.

9. Click OK.

That’s all the setup it takes. Next, lets add a hyperlink to the library.

Adding a hyperlink to a document library

1. Click on the arrow next to the New button.

2. Select the new entry Link to a Document.

2. Enter a name for the document you’re linking to as well as a URL and click OK.

That’s it! The hyperlink has been added.

SharePoint and content types

I think this content type can be really useful. Admittedly, it’s only scraping the surface of what content types will let you do. Come to think of it, content types are probably the must humble key feature in all of SharePoint.

Which of the existing content types do you find particularly useful? Which new content types have you created yourself?