Understanding SharePoint List Types: A Guide for Developers

SharePoint lists are a cornerstone of SharePoint’s functionality, providing a versatile way to store, organize, and manage data. Whether you’re building a complex application or designing a simple data tracker, understanding the various list types in SharePoint and their potential use cases is crucial for developers. Let’s explore the different types of SharePoint lists, delve into their coding applications, weigh their pros and cons, and provide real-life scenarios where they shine.

What Are SharePoint Lists?

SharePoint lists function similarly to databases, where each list acts as a table and columns represent metadata fields. Lists can store various types of data, such as text, numbers, dates, and even user information. However, unlike traditional databases, SharePoint lists are optimized for collaborative environments, making them a go-to choice for teams managing structured data.

Types of SharePoint Lists

SharePoint offers several built-in list types, each tailored to specific use cases. Here’s a summary of the most commonly used types, based on Microsoft’s official documentation:

List Type	Description	Example Use Cases
Custom List	A blank list where you define the columns.	Task tracking, project management, or reporting.
Issue Tracking	A pre-configured list for managing issues or problems.	Bug tracking, support ticket management.
Task List	A list designed for tracking tasks, complete with start and due dates.	Project task assignments, personal to-do lists.
Calendar	A list for scheduling events, complete with a calendar view.	Meeting schedules, event planning.
Contacts	A list for managing contact information.	Employee directories, vendor contact lists.
Announcements	A list for posting announcements or messages.	Team updates, company-wide notifications.
Links	A list to store and organize URLs.	Resource hubs, knowledge base links.
Promoted Links	A visually enhanced list of links, often used for navigation.	Intranet quick links, navigation menus.
Survey	A list for collecting feedback with a series of questions.	Employee feedback, customer surveys.
Document Library	A specialized list for storing and managing documents, with version control and metadata.	File repositories, policy libraries.

For official Microsoft documentation on SharePoint list types, visit this page.

SharePoint List Template Types

In addition to the standard list types, SharePoint provides a range of list templates identified by numeric IDs, which are useful for programmatically creating lists. Here is a reference table based on the official documentation:

List template type	Template ID	Base type	Description
Custom List	100	0	A basic list that can be adapted for multiple purposes.
Document Library	101	1	Contains a list of documents and other files.
Survey	102	4	Fields (2) on a survey list represent questions that are asked of survey participants. Items in a list represent a set of responses to a survey.
Links	103	0	Contains a list of hyperlinks and their descriptions.
Announcements	104	0	Contains a set of simple announcements.
Contacts	105	0	Contains a list of contacts used for tracking people in a site (2).
Calendar	106	0	Contains a list of single and recurring events. An events list has special views for displaying events on a calendar.
Tasks	107	0	Contains a list of items that represent finished and pending work items.
Discussion Board	108	0	Contains discussions entries and their replies.
Picture Library	109	1	Contains a library adapted for storing and viewing digital pictures.
DataSources	110	1	Contains data connection description files.
Form Library	115	1	Contains XML documents. An XML form library can also contain templates for displaying and editing XML files through forms, as well as rules for specifying how XML data is converted to and from list items.
No Code Workflows	117	1	Contains additional workflow definitions that describe new processes that can be used in lists. These workflow definitions do not contain advanced code-based extensions.
Custom Workflow Process	118	0	Contains a list used to support custom workflow process actions.
Wiki Page Library	119	1	Contains a set of editable Web pages.
CustomGrid	120	0	Contains a set of list items with a grid-editing view.
No Code Public Workflows<14>	122	1	A gallery for storing workflow definitions that do not contain advanced code-based extensions.
Workflow History	140	0	Contains a set of history items for instances of workflows.
Project Tasks	150	0	Contains a list of tasks with specialized views of task data in the form of Gantt chart.
Public Workflows External List<15>	600	0	An external list for viewing the data of an external content type.
Issues Tracking	1100	5	Contains a list of items to track issues.

For more details, visit SharePoint List Template Types Documentation.

Coding with SharePoint Lists

As a developer, SharePoint lists offer a rich API surface for customization and automation. You can interact with lists using REST APIs, CSOM (Client-Side Object Model), or PnP PowerShell. Below are some common coding scenarios:

1. CRUD Operations

You can create, read, update, and delete list items programmatically. For example:

REST API Example:

fetch("https://yourdomain.sharepoint.com/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('Tasks')/items", {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
        "Accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
        "Content-Type": "application/json;odata=verbose",
        "X-RequestDigest": document.getElementById("__REQUESTDIGEST").value
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
        Title: "New Task",
        StartDate: "2025-01-01",
        DueDate: "2025-01-10"
    })
}).then(response => response.json()).then(data => console.log(data));

2. List Customization

Developers can customize lists using JSON column formatting, SharePoint Framework (SPFx), or Power Apps to enhance UI/UX.

3. Automation with Workflows

Automate business processes by integrating Power Automate to trigger actions based on list events, like sending email alerts when an item is updated.

Pros and Cons of SharePoint Lists

Pros:

Collaboration-Friendly: SharePoint lists are accessible and editable by multiple users, making them ideal for team environments.
Integrations: Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 tools like Power Automate, Power Apps, and Teams.
Customizable: Easily tailored to meet specific needs using JSON formatting, custom columns, or PowerShell scripting.
Version Control: Lists support versioning, ensuring data changes are tracked.

Cons:

Performance Limitations: Large lists (over 5,000 items) can encounter throttling issues unless optimized.
Complex Permissions: Managing fine-grained permissions can become cumbersome in larger organizations.
Limited Relational Data Support: While lookup columns exist, they lack the robustness of relational databases like SQL.

Real-Life Use Cases

Project Management: Use a custom list to track project milestones, assign tasks, and monitor deadlines.
Help Desk System: Implement an issue tracking list to handle IT support requests, complete with status updates and priorities.
Event Management: Leverage a calendar list to plan and share event details across teams.
Knowledge Base: Organize links or documents in a list to centralize access to critical resources.

SharePoint lists are a powerful yet flexible tool for managing structured data within a collaborative environment. By understanding the various list types and their coding potential, developers can unlock a wealth of possibilities—from creating custom workflows to designing tailored business solutions. While SharePoint lists may not replace a full-fledged database for high-volume data processing, their ease of use and integration capabilities make them an invaluable resource for many applications. For more in-depth details, check out Microsoft’s official documentation.