Updated: 2008-08-28

A content type defines the attributes of a list item, a document, or a folder. Content types also enable you to ensure the consistency of documents within your organization. Each content type can specify:

• Properties to associate with items of its type.

• Properties that are required by items of its type.

• Workflows that can be started (manually or automatically) from items of its type.

• Information management policies to associate with items of its type.

• Document templates (for document content types).

• Available document conversions (for document content types).

You can associate a content type with a document library. When you do this, you are specifying that the list or library can contain documents of that content type. For more information, see Introduction to content types (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124707) on Office Online.

Task Requirements

To manage content types for a document library, you can perform the following procedures in no particular order:

Note:
The following procedures are typically performed by site or list administrators. The following links go to procedures on Office Online.

• Create a site column (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124710)

• Create a site content type (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124708)

• Turn on support for multiple content types for a document library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124713)

• Add an existing content type to a list or library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124709)

• Add or change a workflow for a list, library, or content type (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124711)

• Specify information management policies for a list, library, or list content type (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124712)

• Change a content type for a list or library (http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=124714)

Note:
The following procedure is typically performed by site or list administrators although the topic resides on TechNet.

• Add a column to a content type

Note:
The following procedure is typically performed by site collection administrators.  The following link goes to a procedure on TechNet.

• Associate a document template with a content type

See Also