Microsoft SharePoint is a web-based collaboration platform from Microsoft that integrates with Microsoft 365, serving as a content management system, intranet hub, and document library for organizations. SharePoint evolved from on-premises servers to SharePoint Online (cloud), and now functions as the backbone of modern workplace collaboration, powering Teams, Viva Connections, and OneDrive. Understanding SharePoint means mastering permissions, metadata, workflows, and the modern web part model — not just folder structures — because findability, automation, and governance determine whether your SharePoint deployment succeeds or becomes an unmaintainable sprawl.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers
This topic spans 20 focused tables and 119 indexed concepts. Below is a complete table-by-table outline of this topic, spanning foundational concepts through advanced details.
Table 1: Core Site Types and Structures
SharePoint organizes content using different site types, each designed for specific collaboration patterns. Team sites emphasize collaboration within a defined group, communication sites broadcast information to many readers, and hub sites create associations across multiple related sites to unify navigation and branding.
| Type | Example | Description |
|---|---|---|
Created for "Marketing Team" with channels synced to Teams | • Connected to a Microsoft 365 Group with members and owners • includes document library, calendar, and notebook • best for internal team collaboration. | |
Company news portal or HR policy center | • Read-focused site for broadcasting content • modern pages with web parts • typically fewer editors, many viewers • ideal for one-to-many communication. | |
Corporate intranet hub connecting 12 department sites | • Central association that groups related sites for shared navigation, branding, and search scope • does not store content itself — only connects sites |