SharePoint Managed Metadata Taxonomy
Date: 2025 08-August 28
Overview
This document tracks Clayton Bennett's progress and learning as he implements Managed Metadata tagging in the Maxson SharePoint
CG 0: Analysis of pasted SharePoint tree
Perfect 👍 — thanks for pasting the whole tree. This is actually a really strong starting point for designing a **SharePoint Term Store / Managed Metadata schema**.
Your directory tree already suggests _taxonomy groups_ you’d want to replicate in the Term Store so that documents, images, emails, and notes across different locations/projects can be tagged consistently, instead of being trapped in folders.
---
## Step 1 — Identify Top-Level **Groups**
In SharePoint’s **Term Store**, the highest level is a **Group** (usually tied to business units or security boundaries).
For you, since this is a single plant’s workspace, we can probably define one big group:
- **T.E. Maxson Treatment Plant Metadata** (Group)
Later, if you federate with other plants (Maynard C. Stiles, M.C. Stiles, etc.), you’d create one group per plant.
---
## Step 2 — Define **Term Sets**
Each Term Set represents a reusable category you’ll tag documents with. Based on your folders, the following make sense:
1. **Document Type**
- Analysis
- Compliance Report
- Encumbrance Record
- O&M Manual
- SOP
- Equipment Drawing
- Meeting Notes
- Training Material
- Photos
- Emails
- Schematics
- Spreadsheets
_(etc. – this normalizes “notes”, “docs”, “pdf”, “exports”)_
2. **Knowledge Base / Heap / Projects / Records / Colloquial**
- These are “content purpose buckets.”
- You might not need them as folders anymore, but instead as **Metadata Term Set: Content Category**:
- Knowledge Base
- Records
- Projects
- Heap (general)
- Colloquial
3. **Equipment & Systems**
- Raw Sewage Pumps
- Dewatering
- Disinfection
- Effluent Pumps
- Flares
- Lagoons
- Switchgear
- Clarifiers
- Probes
- Trickling Filters
- Ovation / EDS / SCADA
- _(essentially flatten out the Equipment and O&M Manual folders into a term hierarchy)_
4. **Vendors / Contractors (Encumbrance – B&C list)**
- Active Bolt & Screw
- AT&T
- Grainger
- Graybar Electric
- Xylem
_(This is a big controlled vocabulary — super powerful for search, compliance, and PO tie-ins. This should live as its own Term Set.)_
5. **Projects**
- RJN Clarity Project
- COD and TOC Daily
- Plant Animation
- AECOM Raw Sewage Pump Project
- CMAR Process Upgrade GMP4 / GMP5
- _(etc. from Projects, Shareables, Modeling, Lab, etc.)_
6. **Compliance Areas**
- NPDES Permit
- TVA Biogas Report
- Maxson Permit 2011
- Maxson Permit 2018
- _(sub-terms for appeals, comments, etc.)_
7. **Dates (optional, or use existing SharePoint columns)**
- Year
- Month
_(you could auto-tag from file metadata, but sometimes it’s useful to have controlled date buckets)_
---
## Step 3 — Example Schema Layout
Here’s what this looks like in SharePoint Term Store structure:
**Group: T.E. Maxson Treatment Plant Metadata**
- **Term Set: Document Type**
- Analysis
- Compliance Report
- Manual
- Drawing
- Photo
- Email
- Spreadsheet
- **Term Set: Content Category**
- Knowledge Base
- Records
- Projects
- Colloquial
- Heap
- **Term Set: Equipment & Systems**
- Pumps
- Raw Sewage
- Scum
- Effluent
- Dewatering
- Press 6
- Press 7
- Clarifiers
- Lagoons
- **Term Set: Vendors**
- Grainger
- Xylem
- Graybar
- [etc., full list]
- **Term Set: Projects**
- RJN Clarity
- COD/TOC Daily
- Plant Animation
- AECOM Raw Sewage Pump Project
- **Term Set: Compliance**
- NPDES
- TVA Biogas
- Maxson Permit 2011
- Maxson Permit 2018
---
## Step 4 — How to Use
- Instead of dropping a document into `Compliance - Records\Monthly TEM TVA Biogas Report\August TVA Report\emails`,
→ user drops the file into the **library** and tags it with:
- Document Type = Email
- Compliance = TVA Biogas Report
- Date = August 2025
- Instead of `Dewatering Manuals from Chris-Hill\01700-002\Press 6\PLC`,
→ file gets tagged with:
- Document Type = Manual
- Equipment = Dewatering > Press 6 > PLC
- Vendor = Chris Hill
This flattens the folder nightmare into a metadata-first model.
---
👉 Question for you: do you want me to draft this schema in a format you can **import directly into SharePoint Term Store** (CSV or XML for Managed Metadata Service)? That way you could seed your term sets instead of building them manually.
CB 1: How to create Term Sets in SharePoint
Great, how do I generate this tag taxonomy?
Be very clear abut the steps in SharePoint
CG 1
Here’s what your situation means in SharePoint Online terms:
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“View-only access to the term store properties” → you can’t change tenant-wide settings for the Managed Metadata Service (only a SharePoint Admin can).
-
“Add term group” being available → you do have delegated permissions to create/manage term groups within the Term Store. That means you can create your own taxonomy for your site collections or projects, even without full admin rights.
✅ Steps to Build Your Own Tag Taxonomy in the Term Store
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Go to the Term Store
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From your SharePoint site, click the Settings gear (⚙️) → Site settings (or in modern sites, use Site contents → Site settings).
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Under Site Administration, look for Term store management.
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Alternatively, from Microsoft 365 app launcher → Admin → SharePoint → Term Store (if you can access it directly).
-
-
Create a Term Group
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In the left-hand navigation of the Term Store, right-click (or use the menu) → Add term group.
-
Give it a clear name (e.g.,
Project Tags,Department Taxonomy,Document Categories). -
Assign yourself as a Group Manager and/or Contributor so you can edit.
-
-
Create a Term Set
-
Inside your new group, click Add term set.
-
Example name:
Document Types,Business Functions,Projects. -
Set options like whether tagging is open (any user can add terms) or closed (only you define terms).
-
-
Add Terms (the actual tags)
-
Right-click your term set → Create Term.
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Enter the label (e.g.,
Finance,HR,Legal,Engineering). -
You can nest terms for hierarchy (e.g.,
Finance → Accounts Payable → Invoices).
-
-
Configure Term Properties (optional)
-
Each term can have:
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Synonyms (so “HR” and “Human Resources” mean the same).
-
Translations (if you’re multilingual).
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Custom properties (like IDs or external references).
-
-
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Use Your Terms in a Site
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Go to a library or list → Settings → Add column → Managed Metadata.
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Point that column to your term set.
-
Now, users will be able to select terms from your taxonomy when tagging content.
-
👉 The key thing: since you can add a term group, you can create and own your taxonomy. You just can’t see or edit the global/tenant-wide ones unless IT grants you Term Store Admin role.
Do you want me to outline a minimal setup path (fastest way to make a working tagging system for your site), or a structured enterprise path (best practice with governance, permissions, hierarchies)?
CB 2: Designing Term Sets
Recommend term sets and terms
CG 2
Here’s a **SharePoint Term Store schema** that maps directly to the folders you shared (names and nesting reflect your tree). Use this to create **one Term Group** and the following **Term Sets** with terms.
---
# Term Group
**Maxson Plant – Managed Metadata**
---
## Term Set: Content Purpose (mirrors your “- Heap / - Records / - Projects / - Knowledge Base / - Colloquial / Shareables”)
- Analysis (Heap)
- Compliance (Records)
- Encumbrance (Records)
- Equipment (Heap)
- Electrical Maintenance (Knowledge Base)
- Mechanical Maintenance (Knowledge Base)
- Operations (Knowledge Base)
- Lab (Projects)
- Modeling & Animation (Projects)
- Ovation, EDS, & Data Monitoring (Projects)
- Maps, Plans, & Drawings (Records)
- SOPs (Colloquial)
- Meeting Notes (Heap)
- Pictures (Heap)
- Plant History, Past and Present (Heap)
- Software (Knowledge Base)
- Training (Heap)
- Shareables
- Goal Setting (Heap)
- Textbooks & Reading Material (Heap)
- TEM New Administration Building
- zEverything Else (Heap)
> Use this as a quick “what bucket does this belong to?” tag.
---
## Term Set: Business Area / Library (top-level folders normalized)
- Analysis
- Compliance
- Encumbrance
- Equipment
- Electrical Maintenance
- Mechanical Maintenance
- Operations
- Lab
- Maps, Plans, & Drawings
- Meeting Notes
- Modeling & Animation
- Ovation / EDS / Data Monitoring
- SOPs
- Pictures
- Plant History
- Software
- Training
- Shareables
- Goal Setting
- Textbooks & Reading Material
- TEM New Administration Building
- Everything Else
> This helps when the same file type exists in multiple places.
---
## Term Set: Document Type (from your subfolders: emails/notes/spreadsheets/etc.)
- Email
- Note
- Spreadsheet
- Drawing
- Schematic (PDF)
- Picture / Photo
- Video
- HMI Screen
- PLC Program
- Document (General) / Docs
- Literature
- Procedure
- Configuration / Config
- Export (Aggregate)
- Import
- Query
- Script
- Secret (Credentials)
- Template
- Link (URL)
- Report
- Addendum / Addenda
- Training Material
- Purchase Order / Template
- Meeting Minutes
---
## Term Set: Systems & Assets (from “O&M-Manuals-Maxson – Records”, Equipment, KBs)
- Raw Sewage Pumps
- 1,200 HP RAW SEWAGE PUMP #SW02033
- Motor Health
- Dewatering
- Presses 1–5
- Press 6
- Press 7
- Press 8
- Mixer Panel
- Drawings
- HMI
- PLC
- Coarse Bar Screens
- Effluent Pump
- Disinfection
- Reaeration
- Reaeration Basins
- Scum Pumps
- Secondary Clarifiers
- 5N
- 5S
- Lagoons
- Lagoon 2A
- Pumps
- Cover
- Lagoon 5
- Flares
- Varec (CDM)
- Medium-Voltage ATS
- 23kV Switchgear (Building A)
- BioAir
- BioRem
- Probes
- MRU Optimax
- MRU SWG100
- Ovation / EDS / SCADA
- Emerson SureService
- FreeWave Gateway & Endpoint
- CONTRACT #1 – T.E. MAXSON 42" FM (SW061)
---
## Term Set: Projects & Programs (from Lab, Modeling, Maps, Shareables, etc.)
- RJN Clarity Project (Analysis → Flow)
- COD and TOC Daily – Clayton 2025 (Lab)
- TSS (Lab)
- PlantAnimation (Modeling & Animation)
- ABF Recycle Flow and Bypass Gate – Project
- Aeration Basin Routing – Project
- Grit Chamber – Project
- Primary Clarifiers – Project
- Screw Pumps – Project
- zGeneral Plant Images and Blueprints
- AECOM Raw Sewage Pump Project (Shareables)
- Drawings and Plans
- Addendum 1
- Addendum 2
- Addendum 3
- Addendum 4
- Addendum 5
- Photos
- CMAR Process Upgrade (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- GMP4
- Addenda
- GMP5
- Addenda
- Belt Filter Press Replacement (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Addenda
- Lagoon 2A (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Package 2
- Addenda
- Lagoon 5 (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Overview (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Primary Clarifier PS (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Addenda
- Solar (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Admin Building (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Addenda
- Raw Sewage Pumps (Maps, Plans, & Drawings)
- Addendum 1
- Addendum 2
- Addendum 3
- Addendum 4
- Addendum 5
---
## Term Set: Compliance Programs & Artifacts (from “Compliance – Records”)
- Monthly TEM TVA Biogas Report
- August TVA Report
- Emails
- Notes
- Spreadsheets
- September TVA Report
- Emails
- Notes
- Spreadsheets
- December TVA Report
- Emails
- Notes
- Spreadsheets
- NPDES Compliance
- 2011 Draft Maxson Permit
- Appeal
- 2018 Draft Maxson Permit
- City’s Comments
- Gary Cohen’s Draft Comments
---
## Term Set: Encumbrance – Document Types & References (from “Encumbrance – Records”)
- Appropriation Statement
- B&C
- Blank B&C
- Encumbrance Status Report
- Open PO Encumbrance Report (Lines)
- Encumbrance Review
- 052204
- 052316
- 052341
- 052342
- 052408
- 052410
- 052518
- 052520
- 052528
- 053106
- Approved by Don
---
## Term Set: Vendors (Encumbrance – B&C → B&C)
Active Bolt & Screw; Acuff Enterprises; Agilix Solution – IAC Supply; Amazing Lighting; American Electric Motors; AT&T; Badger Daylighting; Bar; BDP; Best Wade; Blue Cardinal Chem; Brighter days; Centro; Certified Laboratories; Chris Hill; Columbia Chrysler Dodge; Comserv Services; Consolidated Electric; Constructaid; Continental Research Corp; Contractor Supply; CS3; Delta Materials; Diamond Scientific; DJ Shubeck; Dobbs; Dyna Brite Lighting; EDE Engineering; Electronic Responsible Recyclers; Ellicott Dredge Tech; EMCD – Electrical & Mechanical Components; Emerson; EMICC; Enecon TN; Enfinity; ETEC for EDI Purchases; Evonik; Fastenal Company; Floied Fire Extinguish; Fullen Dock; G&W Diesel; GMW; Good Fruit Electric; Gossett Motor Cars; Grainger; Graybar Electric; GSM; Gulf States Engineering; Hach; Hexagon; Hi-speed; Hill Manufacturing; Hotsy Cleaning Equip; Industrial Crane; Industrial Sales; Insight; Inter-con Security; JR Stewart; Ken’s Racing; Kimball Midwest; Ladd; LandMark Const; Lawson Products; Lone Star; Luttrell Belting; Maint Supply & Fasteners; Malasri; MAM Machine and Manufacturing; MCC; McCrory Electric; Memphis Bearing & Supply; Memphis Chain & Cable; Memphis Ice Machine; Memphis Industrial Safety; Memphis Winwater; Metal Supply; MIC Sales; Mid-south Trucking; Midsouth Pipe and Valve; Motion Industries; Napa Auto Parts; Nexair; Overhead Door; Ozark Fluid; Polydyne; Power Tools Inc; ProChem; PSI; Quality Safe & Lock; Rebid; Rent to Kil; Republic Services; River City Soap Aleva; S&S Firestone; SCA; Scruggs; Share Corportion; Shelby Electric; Sid Boedeker Safety Shoe; Southern Steel; State Systems; Steepleton Tire Company; Steve’s Tire & Auto; Stratum; Stribling Equipment; Taborco; Tag Truck Center; Tenn-Plast Inc; Tennessee Tractor; Thomas Consultants; Thompson Machinery; Tri-State; TriNova; Unifirst; Union Auto Parts; Upchurch; USP; Velociti Services; Velodyne; Vulcan; Whitt Deming; Williams Equipment; X-cel; Xylem.
> If you prefer, keep this **closed** (only you add new vendors) to maintain spelling consistency.
---
## Term Set: Facility / Area (physical locations implied in tree)
- Admin Building
- 23kV Switchgear – Building A
- Lagoon 2A
- Lagoon 5
- Reaeration Basins
- Primary Clarifiers
- Grit Chamber
- Screw Pump Station
- Disinfection
- Coarse Bar Screens
- Secondary Clarifiers (5N, 5S)
- Dewatering Building
- Effluent Pump Station
---
## Term Set: Operational Timeframe (from “CY 2025 Data”, dated KBs like `2025_07July_10`)
- Calendar Year
- 2011
- 2018
- 2025
- Month
- January … December
- Day (optional)
- 01–31
> You can also capture dates with normal Date columns; include this only if you want **faceted browsing** by Year/Month.
---
# How to apply this
- Create a **Managed Metadata column** for each Term Set you want to expose in a library (e.g., _Content Purpose_, _Business Area_, _Document Type_, _Systems & Assets_, _Projects & Programs_, _Compliance Programs_, _Vendors_, _Facility / Area_, _Operational Timeframe_).
- Keep _Document Type_, _Systems & Assets_, and _Projects & Programs_ required in libraries where those tags are critical; make Vendor optional except in Encumbrance libraries.
If you want, I can hand you **ready-to-import CSVs** for (a) Vendors, (b) Systems & Assets, and (c) Projects & Programs exactly as above so you can use **Term Store → Import terms** and avoid manual entry.
CB 4: The Implementation step
Great. Once I have created the term sets, how do i implement them as managed metadata and begin assigning to documents?
CG 4
Perfect — once your **term sets** are created in the Term Store, the next step is to **expose them as Managed Metadata columns** in SharePoint so you can tag and organize documents with them. Here’s the clear step-by-step process in SharePoint Online (modern experience):
---
## **Step 1 – Add a Managed Metadata column**
1. Navigate to the **Document Library** (or List) where you want to apply tagging.
2. In the toolbar, select:
**Settings (⚙️ gear) → Library settings**
(or if modern, go to: **Library → Add column → More...**)
3. Click **Create Column**.
4. Enter a **Column Name** (e.g., _Treatment Plant_, _Pump Asset Class_, _Maintenance Activity_).
5. Under **Type of Information**, select **Managed Metadata**.
---
## **Step 2 – Link column to your Term Set**
1. In the column creation form:
- Choose **Use a managed term set**.
- Browse and select the Term Set you created earlier (e.g., "Sewer Treatment Plant Taxonomy").
2. Configure options:
- **Allow multiple values?** → Yes/No (depending on whether docs can have multiple tags).
- **Display terms in a tree control** → Helpful for navigation if the set is hierarchical.
- **Allow ‘Fill-in’ choices?** → Usually **No** to enforce taxonomy discipline.
---
## **Step 3 – Test in Library**
1. Go back to the library.
2. Add or edit a document.
3. In the properties panel, your new column will appear.
4. Begin typing → you’ll get type-ahead suggestions from your term set.
5. Select the correct tag(s).
---
## **Step 4 – Apply Across Libraries**
- Repeat the column creation process in any other libraries where taxonomy is needed.
- If you want global reuse, create a **Site Column** instead:
- Go to **Site Settings → Site Columns → Create → Managed Metadata**
- Link it to your Term Set
- Then add that column to any library via **Library settings → Add from existing site columns**.
---
## **Step 5 – Optional Enhancements**
- **Content Types**: If you want consistent tagging across multiple libraries, build a Content Type with Managed Metadata fields and associate it with each library.
- **Views & Filters**: Create library views grouped by terms (e.g., Group by _Treatment Plant_ → see all docs for Maxson plant vs T.E. Maxson).
- **Search Refiners**: Managed Metadata terms show up in search refiners in SharePoint Search and Microsoft Search, letting users drill down by taxonomy.
---
✅ At this point, you’ll be tagging documents with your sewer plant taxonomy, and those tags will flow into SharePoint Search, filters, and navigation.
---
Would you like me to **map your initial hierarchy into suggested Managed Metadata columns** (e.g., which term sets should become separate columns vs which should just be nested in the same hierarchy)? That way you’ll know exactly how to structure them for document tagging.
CB 5 : Color
Can the tags be colorful?
CG 5
TLDR: No. Not Managed Metadata tags. If you see tags that are column entries that are colorful, that is a choice column.
CB 6: Implementing at scale
What is the best way to populate my managed metadata and terms at scale?
CG 6:
Exactly — this is where planning up front pays off. For scale, you don’t want to be typing hundreds (or thousands) of terms into the Term Store manually. Here are the most effective approaches:
🔹 1. CSV / Excel Import into the Term Store
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SharePoint Online lets you import a term set from a CSV file.
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Format:
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One header row (Term Set Name, Term Description, Level 1 Term, Level 2 Term, etc.)
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Each row = one term with hierarchy.
-
-
This is the fastest way to bulk load if you already have a structured list of terms.
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Example:
Term Set Name,Level 1 Term,Level 2 Term Project Phase,Planning,Scoping Project Phase,Planning,Feasibility Project Phase,Execution,Deployment -
Upload in Term Store Management > Import Term Set.
🔹 2. PnP PowerShell / CLI for Microsoft 365
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Perfect if you need repeatable automation, especially across multiple tenants or site collections.
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Example PnP PowerShell:
Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://yourtenant-admin.sharepoint.com -Interactive New-PnPTermGroup -Name "My Group" -Description "Group for company taxonomy" New-PnPTermSet -TermGroup "My Group" -Name "Project Phase" -Lcid 1033 New-PnPTerm -TermGroup "My Group" -TermSet "Project Phase" -Name "Planning" New-PnPTerm -TermGroup "My Group" -TermSet "Project Phase" -Name "Execution" -
You can even read from a CSV and loop through rows to create terms.
🔹 3. Graph API
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For enterprise integrations (e.g., taxonomy tied to external systems like ERP, CMMS).
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The Microsoft Graph TermStore API allows CRUD operations on term groups, sets, and terms.
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Good for syncing metadata automatically from a master system.
🔹 4. Hybrid approach
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Start with a CSV seed import to get structure in place.
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Then use PnP scripts or manual editing for ongoing tweaks.
🔹 5. Assigning to Documents at Scale
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Once terms are in the Term Store, you can:
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Add a Managed Metadata column to a library.
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Use Quick Edit or Datasheet View to bulk-tag many items.
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Use Power Automate to auto-tag documents based on rules (e.g., folder path, filename, or content type).
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Use PnP PowerShell or Graph for programmatic assignment.
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✅ Best practice:
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Use CSV import for the first bulk load.
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Use PnP PowerShell for ongoing automation (repeatable, version-controlled, scriptable).
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Use Power Automate for user-friendly auto-tagging in workflows.
Do you want me to give you a ready-to-use CSV template you can adapt for your tree structure? That would let you import your taxonomy straight into SharePoint without retyping.
CB 7: Super user speed tips
No. Give me super user tricks. Like, if I assign a value to a folder, all the contents will have the same value, etc.