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You can create and share lists that help you track issues, assets, routines, contacts, inventory, and more. Start from a template, Excel file, or from scratch. If you're in Microsoft Teams, see Get started with Lists in Teams.

Note: 

Create a list

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  1. From the Lists app in Microsoft 365, select +New list. (To get to the Lists app, at the top of any page, select the Microsoft 365 app launcher  App launcher button, select All apps, and then select Lists.)

    From your SharePoint site home page or the Site contents page, select + New > ListSharePoint new list

  2. From the Create a list page, select one of the following options:

    Notes: 

    • Visual updates for lists are gradually rolling out worldwide, which means that your experience may differ from what's described in this article.

    • 2,000 lists and libraries combined per site collection is the limit (including main site and any subsites) after which you will receive error: Sorry, something went wrong. The attempted operation is prohibited because it exceeds the list view threshold. See SharePoint limits.

    Create a list
    1. Blank list: Choose to start a list from scratch. Add a list NameDescription (optional), and select whether you want the list to appear in the left site navigation. When you're finished selecting options, select Create.

    2. From Excel: Choose this option to create a list based on an Excel spreadsheet.

    3. From existing list: Choose this option to save time and create a new list based on the columns in another list. Your new list will start with all the same columns, but it won't include any of the data from the original list.

    4. Templates: Select a template, for example Issue tracker, to see what columns the template contains and scroll through sample data to see what it looks like. If you find a template you like, select Use template. If you don't see any you want, select Back to get back to the Create a list page. Learn more about how to create a list from a template or about the lists templates in Microsoft 365.

  3. When your list opens, add an item to your list by either selecting + New or Edit in grid view. (Grid view lets you add information freely to different rows or columns.)
    To add different types of information to the list, select + Add column. To learn more, see Create a column in a list or library.

Tip: To change the name of your list, select its title, type a new name, and then select Save. Or from the Lists home page, on your list's tile, select Open actions (...), and then select Customize

To change list properties, delete the list, add permissions, manage columns, and other updates, select Settings  Settings icon, and then select List Settings. For more info, see Edit a list.

Create a list on a classic SharePoint or a SharePoint Server 2019 site

  1. Select Settings Settings icon, and then select Site contents.

  2. Select + New, and then select List.

  3. Enter a Name for the list, and optionally, a Description.

    The name appears at the top of the list and can appear in site navigation to help others find it.

  4. Select Create.

  5. When your list opens, to add room for more types of information to the list, select + or + Add column.

    For more info about adding columns, see Create a column in a SharePoint list or library.

For info about creating a list based on an existing list, see Create a new SharePoint list based on the columns in another list.

To change properties, delete the list, add permissions, manage columns, and a number of other updates, select Settings  Settings icon, and then select List Settings. For more info, see Edit a list.

Settings menu with List settings highlighted

Create lists from other types of list templates

You can use SharePoint Server 2019 lists for more than a simple list. You can choose from list templates such as Links, Calendar, Survey, Issue Tracking, Announcements, and more. 

Calendar app example

  1. In this example, we used calendar and chose the built-in calendar app for SharePoint. You may see other calendars that have been built within your company or offered by a third party.

  2. Enter a Name for the app you chose, such as Event calendar, July tasks, or Company Contacts.

    The name appears at the top of the list in most views, becomes part of the web address for the list page, and appears in site navigation to help users find the list. You can change the name of a list, but the web address will remain the same.

  3. SharePoint returns you to the Site contents page. Find the app you just created in the Site contents list, and open it. SharePoint creates a default version of the app, calendar, task list, or whatever app you created.

    Example of a calendar list app.
  4. You can start entering data using +new task, edit this list, Add, or whatever way the specific app provides to add data.

Note: Some list-based apps only appear in the classic environment.

Depending on the type of app you choose, to change the app's settings, from the ribbon at the top of the page, select List Settings or the List tab. For more info about settings, see Edit list settings in SharePoint.

  1. Select Settings Settings icon, and then select Add an app.

    Add an application (list, library)
  2. Enter the type of list template you want (custom, task, calendar, and so on) into the search box, and select Search Search box magnifying glass icon.

    Search for a calendar list with build-in calendar highlighted
  3. Select the List template app you want use.

    Apps to add screen
  4. Enter a Name (required).

    The name appears at the top of the list in most views, becomes part of the web address for the list page, and appears in site navigation to help users find the list. You can change the name of a list, but the web address will remain the same.

    To provide an optional Description and additional info, depending on the particular list app, select Advanced Options. Advanced Options.

    New app screen with fields filled in
  5. Select OK.

  1. On the page that you want to add the list or library, select Page, and then select Edit. If you don't see the Page tab, select Settings Office 365 Settings button, and then select Edit Page.

    Edit the Page

    Note: If the Edit command is disabled or doesn’t appear, you may not have permission to edit the page.

  2. Select the place on the page where you want the list or library to appear, select Insert, and then select App Part.

  3. For the list or library, select the App Part, and then select Add. In Add apps, any lists you created should appear.

  4. When you’re finished editing the page, select the Page tab, and then select Save. In some cases, you have the option to Save as Draft or Save and Publish.

Important: Some pages can't be edited, such as the Site Contents page.

Using the previous steps, here’s an example of a list that was added to a page.

List on a page

  1. On the page where you want to minimize or restore the list or library, select Page, and then select Edit.

    Edit the Page

  2. Point to the list or library, select the down arrow, and select Minimize or Restore depending on the current position of the list or library, and then select OK.

    Click the settings down arrow, then click Minimize
  3. When you’re finished editing the page, select Save. In some cases, you have the option to Save as Draft or Save and Publish.

  1. On the Lists Home page, tap New.

  2. Under Create New, tap Blank List to start a list from scratch, or select an option under Templates.

    • Blank list starts a list from scratch.

    • Templates are pre-defined, purpose-based options that have columns already defined for you. Select one to see what it has and whether it is right for you. You may change the columns to fit your needs.

Start your blank list

  1. Tap Blank List, then give it a Name and a Description.

  2. Choose a color and an icon.

  3. Choose whether to save it under My Lists or on a specific SharePoint site.

  4. Tap Create.

    A blank list opens with a standard “Title” column on the left.

  5. To add a column, tap More, then tap Add New Column.

  6. Choose the type of column data you want, then define the columns settings. Tap the check mark to save the column settings.

  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you’ve defined all your columns.

  8. To add an item to your list, tap New, then enter the data for each column. Select the check mark to save your item (or tap the × to discard the item data without saving).

Start a template-based list

  1. After you tap one of the templates, it will open so that you can see the columns and sample data it contains.

  2. Scroll through the template to see if it's right for you.  

    As you scroll horizontally, the left-most column data stays in view, helping to keep the related data in context.

  3. When you've found the template you want, tap Use This Template.

    Your new list opens with all the predefined columns from the template.

  4. To add a column, tap More, then tap Add New Column.

  5. Choose the type of column data you want, then define the columns settings. Tap the check mark to save the column settings.

  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you’ve defined any additional columns you want.

  7. To remove an existing column, tap the column heading, scroll to the bottom of the settings, and tap Delete Column.

  8. To add an item to your list, tap New, then enter the data for each column. Select the check mark to save your item (or tap the × to discard the item data without saving).

  1. On the Lists Home page, tap New.

  2. Under Create New, tap Blank list to start a list from scratch, or select an option under Templates.

    • Blank list starts a list from scratch.

    • Templates are pre-defined, purpose-based options that have columns already defined for you. Select one to see what it has and whether it is right for you. You may change the columns to fit your needs.

Start your blank list

  1. Tap Blank list, then give it a Name and a Description.

  2. Choose a color and an icon.

  3. Choose whether to save it under My lists or on a specific SharePoint site.

  4. Tap Create.

    A blank list opens with a standard “Title” column on the left.

  5. To add a column, tap More, then tap Add column.

  6. Choose the type of column data you want, then define the columns settings. Tap the check mark to save the column settings.

  7. Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you’ve defined all your columns.

  8. To add an item to your list, tap New, then enter the data for each column. Select the check mark to save your item (or tap the × to discard the item data without saving).

Start a template-based list

  1. After you tap one of the templates, it will open so that you can see the columns and sample data it contains.

  2. Scroll through the template to see if it's right for you.  

    As you scroll horizontally, the left-most column data stays in view, helping to keep the related data in context.

  3. When you've found the template you want, tap Use this template.

    Your new list opens with all the predefined columns from the template.

  4. To add a column, tap More, then tap Add column.

  5. Choose the type of column data you want, then define the columns settings. Tap the check mark to save the column settings.

  6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you’ve defined any additional columns you want.

  7. To remove an existing column, tap the column heading, scroll to the bottom of the settings, and tap Delete column.

  8. To add an item to your list, tap New, then enter the data for each column. Select the check mark to save your item (or tap the × to discard the item data without saving).

Create a list in SharePoint Server 2010

You can create a list that you can later use in your pages. SharePoint Server 2010 includes many kinds of list templates, such as calendar, survey, and tasks.

  1. Select Site Actions Site Actions Menu, select View All Site Content, and then select Create Create Button.

    Note: A SharePoint site can be significantly modified. If you cannot locate an option, such as a command, button, or link, contact your administrator.

  2. Select one of the categories, such as Communications or Tracking, and choose from there.

    Click a category and select the list app you want

    You can also enter the type of list template that you want to create in the Search Installed Items box, such as Contacts or Calendar, and then select Search Search box magnifying glass icon.

  3. Enter the Name for the list. Name is required.

    The name appears at the top of the list in most views, becomes part of the web address for the list page, and appears in site navigation to help users find the list. You can change the name of a list, but the web address will remain the same.

  4. Optionally, for the list and set other options, click Advanced Options, and enter the Description.

    The description appears underneath the name in most views. Some kinds of lists can receive content by email. If you plan to enable the list to receive content by email, you can add the email address of the list to its description so that people can easily find the email address. You can change the description for a list.

  5. To add a link to the Quick Launch panel, in the Navigation section, verify that Yes is selected.

  6. If there is an Email section, your administrator has enabled lists on your site to receive content by email. To enable people to add content to this list by sending email, under Enable this list to receive email, select Yes. Then, in the Email address box, enter the first part of the address that you want people to use for the list. This option is not available for all kinds of list.

  7. Complete any other options, such as specifying whether a calendar works as a group calendar in the Calendar app.

  8. Select Create.

With SharePoint Server 2010 you can create lists from the pages that you are editing. This helps you more efficiently and effectively create the pages and the lists that you need.

  1. From a page, select the Edit tab, and then select the Edit command.

    Edit command of the Page tab

    Note: If the edit command is disabled, you may not have the permissions to edit the page, contact your administrator.

  2. Select the page where you want to add a new list, select the Insert tab, and then select New List.

    Insert new list on a page

    Note: If you don't see the Edit tab or New List is disabled, you may not have the permissions that are needed to create a list; contact your administrator.

  3. In the Create List dialog, enter the List Tile, select the type of list that you want to create, and then select OK.

    Type a name and select a template for a list

Creating a custom list resembles creating lists from a template, except that the custom list is created with only three columns: Title, Created By, and Modified By. After you create a custom list, you can add columns and make other changes to the list to meet your needs.

  1. Select Site Actions Site Actions Menu, select View All Site Content, and then select Create Create Button.

    Note: A SharePoint site can be significantly modified. If you cannot locate an option, such as a command, button, or link, contact your administrator.

  2. Under Custom Lists, select Custom List or Custom List in Datasheet View.

    Notes: 

    • Use custom list when you primarily want to use a form to enter and view data in the list.

    • Use custom list in datasheet view when you primarily want to use a grid, similar to a spreadsheet, to enter and view data in the list. This is helpful when you have several items to update at the same time.

    • You can change how you enter and display data in a list after a list is created.

  3. Enter the Name for the list. Name is required.

    The name appears at the top of the list in most views, becomes part of the web address for the list page, and appears in site navigation to help users find the list. You can change the name of a list, but the web address will remain the same.

  4. Enter the Description for the list. (Optional)

    The description appears underneath the name in most views. Some kinds of lists can receive content by email. If you plan to enable the list to receive content by email, you can add the email address of the list to its description so that people can easily find the email address. You can change the description for a list.

  5. To add a link to the Quick Launch, in the Navigation section, verify that Yes is selected.

  6. If there is an Email section, your administrator has enabled lists on your site to receive content by email. To enable people to add content to this list by sending email, under Enable this list to receive e-mail, select Yes. Then, in the Email address box, enter the first part of the address that you want people to use for the list. This option is not available for all kinds of list.

  7. Select Create.

  1. On the page that you want to add the list or library, select Page, and then select Edit. If you don't see the Page tab, select Settings Office 365 Settings button, and then select Edit Page.

    Edit the Page

    Note: If the Edit command is disabled or doesn’t appear, you may not have permission to edit the page. Contact your administrator.

  2. Select the place on the page where the list or library will appear, select Insert, and then select App Part.

  3. For the list or library, select the App Part, and then select Add.

  4. When you’re finished editing the page, select Save. In some cases, you have the option to Save as Draft or Save and Publish.

Using the previous steps, here’s an example of a list that was added to a page.

List on a page

Want to do the same with Libraries?

To create a library, see Create a document library.

Next steps with Lists

Columns    Configure what type of info a list holds by adding and deleting columns. For more information, see Create a column in a list or library.

Views    Change how a list is displayed by creating views. For more information, see Create, change, or delete a view of a list or library.

Folders    Add a subfolder to a list. For more information, see Create a folder in a list.

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