SharePoint 2025: Unveil Autofill, Dynamic Forms & Smart Rules!

Key insights

• SharePoint Autofill & AI Enhancements: In 2025, Microsoft introduced Autofill columns in SharePoint Premium using GPT-4 Turbo’s AI capabilities. This feature automatically extracts or generates information from documents, enhancing data management.


• Improved Forms & Rules: SharePoint Lists now offer dynamic and customizable forms with conditional branching, new field types like location data and image uploads, and branding options. The improved form designer supports advanced automation without needing SharePoint Designer.


• Better PowerApps Integration: Enhanced integration with PowerApps allows for dynamic data handling through features like the PowerApps SharePoint Lookup Column, streamlining user interactions with lists.


• AI & Automation Features: New AI-driven features such as SharePoint Auto Generate Column simplify data entry by automating routine tasks and improving document searchability through AI-generated metadata.


• Autofill Implementation Basics: Users can set up Autofill columns in a SharePoint library by creating prompts for the AI to extract or generate specific information, ensuring continuous data extraction from both existing and new documents.


• Rules for Automating Processes: The introduction of rules allows users to automate tasks based on trigger-based actions. This reduces manual efforts and enhances efficiency without requiring complex workflows or coding knowledge.

Introduction to New SharePoint Features in 2025

In 2025, Microsoft has unveiled a series of exciting updates to SharePoint, focusing on enhancing list management through Autofill, Forms, and Rules. These features are designed to streamline data management, improve user experience, and automate processes within SharePoint environments. In a recent YouTube video, Dougie Wood, a Microsoft MVP, delves into these updates, providing insights into how they can transform the way organizations use SharePoint.

Autofill Columns: Leveraging AI for Enhanced Data Extraction

One of the standout features introduced in SharePoint Premium is the Autofill Columns, which harnesses the power of GPT-4 Turbo’s generative AI capabilities. This feature allows users to automatically extract or generate information from documents stored in SharePoint libraries, significantly reducing manual data entry efforts. Key Advantages:

• Automated Data Extraction: By setting up prompts, users can extract specific information from documents, such as summaries, key dates, or classifications, which are then automatically populated into designated columns.
• Enhanced Document Summarization: The AI can generate concise summaries of lengthy documents, providing quick insights without the need to read through entire files.
• Improved Searchability: With AI-generated metadata, documents become more searchable, enabling users to locate information swiftly.

Implementation Basics:

• Setting Up Autofill Columns: In a SharePoint library, users can add a new column and enable the Autofill feature. This involves creating a prompt that instructs the AI on what information to extract or generate.
• Processing Documents: Once configured, the AI processes existing documents in the library and automatically applies the defined prompts to new uploads, ensuring continuous data extraction.

Enhanced Forms: Dynamic and Customizable User Inputs

Microsoft Lists Forms have seen substantial improvements, offering users more dynamic and customizable data entry experiences. These enhancements aim to make forms more intuitive and aligned with specific business requirements. Notable Enhancements:

• Conditional Branching: Forms can now display or hide questions based on previous responses, ensuring that users are presented only with relevant fields.
• Support for Additional Field Types: New field types, including location data, image uploads, and lookup columns, have been introduced, expanding the forms’ versatility.
• Branding Options: Organizations can incorporate logos and custom branding into forms, maintaining consistency with corporate identity.
• Improved Notifications: Users can configure notifications to receive alerts upon form submissions, facilitating prompt responses to new data entries.

Getting Started:

• Form Creation: Users can initiate form creation directly from Lists home, SharePoint, or the Lists app in Teams. The process is seamless, with the underlying list for responses being created automatically.
• Customization: The enhanced form designer allows for the application of conditional logic, addition of various field types, and incorporation of branding elements to tailor the form to specific needs.

Rules: Automating Processes for Increased Efficiency

The introduction of rules in SharePoint Lists empowers users to automate routine tasks, reducing manual efforts and enhancing operational efficiency. This feature is particularly beneficial for organizations looking to streamline their workflows and minimize repetitive tasks. Core Features:

• Trigger-Based Actions: Users can define rules that trigger actions based on specific conditions, such as sending notifications when a column’s data changes or when new items are added to a list.
• User-Friendly Interface: Creating rules is straightforward, allowing users to set up automation without the need for complex workflows or coding knowledge.

Setting Up Rules:

• Accessing the Automate Menu: Within a list or library, navigate to the ‘Automate’ option and select ‘Create a rule.’
• Defining Conditions: Users can specify the conditions under which the rule should be triggered and the actions that should follow.

Challenges and Tradeoffs in Implementing New Features

While these new features offer significant benefits, there are also challenges and tradeoffs to consider. For instance, the reliance on AI for data extraction requires careful setup and monitoring to ensure accuracy. Additionally, while automation can save time, it may also lead to reduced oversight of certain processes, necessitating robust checks and balances. Moreover, integrating these features into existing systems may require training and adaptation, which could initially slow down productivity. Organizations must weigh the immediate costs and efforts against the long-term benefits of increased efficiency and improved data management.

Conclusion

The 2025 updates to SharePoint Lists, including Autofill, Forms, and Rules, represent a significant leap forward in data management and automation. By leveraging AI and enhancing customization options, Microsoft aims to provide users with powerful tools to streamline their workflows and improve overall efficiency. As organizations begin to adopt these features, they will need to navigate the challenges and tradeoffs involved, ensuring that they maximize the potential benefits while maintaining control over their data processes.

Keywords

SharePoint 2025 features autofill forms rules new list updates enhancements improvements innovations