SharePoint Lists has been a game-changer in making this solution customizable, which changes it from being just CRM or DM to a very strong development environment for business solutions as per scenarios. All SharePoint developers use lists in some manner or another- whether it be for issuing tasks, inventory control, or making complex inventory relational data sets for an application carried out elsewhere within the organization.

However, the out-of-the-box capabilities for SharePoint Lists become extremely deficient in a situation where this list-based data needs to be shared and tracked or viewed/listed using different filter criteria thereby needing significant developer customizations just to satisfy your business requirements. Some of the popular sharepoint list examples include managing the task, inventory management, etc.

Even though SharePoint Lists serve the same purpose as Microsoft Lists. Lists have better features and functionality than SharePoint Lists even though SharePoint. Lists can be configured to support various business processes. That is why it is more helpful for working on current business problems. In this blog we will discover about Microsoft Lists and how it is a smarter solution for Data Management.
Read more: Power of Microsoft 365 Document Management

What are Microsoft Lists?

Microsoft Lists are the new solution for organizing your information which has been migrated from Sharepoint Lists. Currently, it simplifies the tracking and scheduling of tasks for the users. It shows information that anybody can understand without requiring further explanation. The Microsoft Lists app lets you easily make a new list and grid, or calendar, etc.

Let me tell you that Microsoft Lists is based on three theories.

• Simplicity: Lists can be created from the ground up or templates are also available.
• Flexibility: Ensure that everyone is informed using clever notifications and style.
• Integrations: It is connected with Microsoft Teams so you can find a Calendar view of the tasks and a List view inside Teams.

 

MS Lists is a work tracking system that is built into the Microsoft 365 package. In it, you can build one or multiple lists containing any sort of data you might require and arrange them in a way to have fast access to viewing them.

Microsoft list use cases:

Microsoft Lists is great for teamwork apart from personal use. This is a great tool because it natively integrates with other Microsoft 365 applications such as Microsoft Teams and SharePoint Online. A few examples of where you may use microsoft lists through various scenarios are below;

• QA engineers: Track issues, assign them to team members, and notify the staff for faster job closure
• Managers: You must be wondering how to use Microsoft lists in project management. It provides lists that you need when helping people share and track their info to collaborate within teams.
• HR: They can leverage a new employee onboarding checklist (e.g. contacts, resources, or tasks), for team leads to share with every new incoming member of your direct/indirect departmental support center unit.
• Chief information officers: They should monitor the physical assets, which include computers and their peripherals, as well as the check-out dates and conditions of the asset manager.
• For general use: You can make use of the learning materials that you still have to create your training path with the help of hands-on microsoft lists read online.

Is Microsoft Lists now open to everyone?

It may have been generally aimed at business and enterprise users but practically anyone can use Microsoft Lists for task management. It facilitates being iOS, Android, and web-friendly for users. Like Taking care of your daily work Or managing the money transaction. The list offers huge customizable options that let you create, export, and share your list with your team members.

Features of Microsoft Lists

With the microsoft lists desktop app, companies can make their data more visually appealing, easier to comprehend, and more user-friendly. Keeping a large list is always useful for the whole team to have access to.

1. Manage Rules

It has a rule system similar to Outlook filters, that can be used to automate updates, notifications, and reminders, based on new files, or changes in data in the Lists app. You can share lists, or items with others to have secure collaboration. With things like edit permissions, and password protection for access, even with complicated lists.

2. Sharing lists and items

Every member will have these documents, although the documents differ somewhat in data here and there. The lists will be used by many contributors. This would benefit all concerned team members.

3. Calendar, gallery, and list views

   There are four views at the top of the Office 365 lists app that allow you to customize your lists. They both have their advantages and you can choose which one is easier for your business. A few of the views in the lists app are:

   • Grid View: It's the "normal" style view that you get when you are making lists. It lets you lay out the items in rows and columns that you can move around and customize. It's the way to go when you want the information in nice little lists you can easily change.
   • List View: This is a SharePoint list without the edit and click grid.
   • Gallery View: It is mainly used when you want to emphasize pictures.
   • Calendar View: This is the best view to use if you would like to show the dates with the information. You can make this screen look nicer by filtering and sorting.

What is microsoft lists used for?

By using the Microsoft Lists app you can easily plan and monitor the project by using default templates. The purpose of using Microsoft Lists are as follows:

• Project and Task Management: That would be costly for small businesses to invest in another tool if they wanted to track the progress of their project. This microsoft lists inventory management will help anyone organize their workflows by giving out assignments and due dates.

• Content Scheduling: They really should make the content planner out of the content scheduler template in the list app. You can attach all the pictures, writings, and videos to the scheduler and you schedule the date of publishing. You can also update other information.

• Client and Employee Onboarding: There is an onboarding template on the Microsoft 365 Lists app to track the onboarding of a new employee. The app alerts can inform managers of the status of the onboarding process.

• Asset Management: Businesses can track all of the data regarding corporate machines with the resource list template. Thats a good way to save time, with the grid view of the asset info.         `

How to create and manage Microsoft Lists?

As you already know that Microsoft List app is available on several platforms from web browsers to the mobile app. If you are wondering about how to use Microsoft lists. This is how you can create a list to enjoy all the functionalities it offers:

• You need to scroll through the Microsoft 365 website and type “Lists” in the search bar. You can click on the list icon to open the app.

• You can create a new list by clicking the “+ New List” button at the top of the page. You can also create a blank list or create a list from the existing lists. You also have another option to create a list from an Excel spreadsheet or CSV file. A default template can also be chosen as this would save a lot of time.

• When you are creating a list you can name it and choose to save it wherever you would like. It is highly recommended to save the list within the SharePoint of an organization.

• When you have saved you can fill your list with items by clicking “+New” in the top left of the page.

What are the Limitations of Microsoft List?

Yes, the Microsoft Lists have a limitation of holding items that are more than 30. With the frequent future updates, this might change. You should always check the Microsoft lists tutorial from the Microsoft website to run and keep your lists smoothly.

How to display multiple lists in a single view?

The use of calendar overlay in List is another way to view all the dates that matter in your important lists. This way there is no stretching oneself to meet deadlines from various projects.

While Microsoft Lists effectively align with the Kanban board for task management, to create a system that is organized and efficient. It allows you to determine within a short time whether a specific task is in progress or is finished. When used together with Microsoft Lists this visual display provides you and your team with an overview of the project.

Unfortunately, Microsoft Lists do not have a built-in Kanban view option inherent to them before the user. Microsoft Lists can connect with Power Automate and Microsoft Planner if one wants a microsoft lists kanban view.       

Where are Microsoft Lists stored in SharePoint?

You create a list but you must be thinking at some point where are my list stored? It is stored in Microsoft Cloud within the environment of SharePoint Online as they are built on the SharePoint platform. When you create a Microsoft List it gets stored in the SharePoint site. If someone is creating a personal list it will be stored in the OneDrive.

Using Microsoft List Templates

The Microsoft lists templates can save you time while creating new lists. It can be a useful source that can provide you with Microsoft List examples.

These templates include all the necessary components, to begin with, list structures, forms, and conditional formatting. You can take a look at each template to determine which one fits your company's needs best. You can also adjust them to meet your specific business requirements.

How to make a list from MS Excel?

You can make a list from Microsoft Excel by importing the data from an Excel database. Here are some ways to make a list from Excel:

• You can select any CSV file from your device.

• Choose the data you want to upload and use in the list you're making. You can modify the column types if the chosen column is not correct.

Is there any way to duplicate lists in Microsoft?

If someone wants to duplicate a list. They should use the “save list as template” option which can be uploaded to the site collection.

Make sure to save the list you create in MS List to your SharePoint site. You can turn on custom scripts for your SharePoint site at any time.

What are the ways to delete a column in MS List?

You need to check if you can have permission to delete a column in the MS list. Some of the ways to delete a column are as follows:

• You just select an open option when choosing your list in MS Lists.
• Find the column you need to delete, move toward “column settings” and click “edit”.
• The window to the right gets opened, select delete on the bottom-right-hand side.

For example, when you are deleting a column make sure to backup all the necessary information as it will remove all the associated data. Whenever to look for the Microsoft Site for any recent updates you should always check on these guides also.

How to show images on Microsoft Lists?

MS-List has a lot of functionalities and also you can add and show pictures into it. Some of the ways to show pictures in MS Lists are as follows:

• You need to add a column and make sure it is set to image format.
• You can click on an existing item or create a new one to upload your image.

• Finally, you can click on a picture in the list of items. By clicking it once more you can see the picture in full size.

Ways to print Microsoft Lists

It is not very easy to take a print of Microsoft Lists directly because of the absence of built-in print settings. You can use the print function in the web browser. You need to navigate to the file section on the browser ribbon and then select the “print” option. You may adjust the option if needed.

What is the Microsoft List Mobile app?

When it comes to increasing productivity for the business you can use the Microsoft Lists mobile app. This app allows you to experience the full functionality of it. You can modify the columns, and share the data in links with your team members. It also features dark mode and easy landscape view, while the Office 365 Lists app on mobile lets you do all that when you’re not on your laptop. 

MS List vs Other Microsoft Apps

Some of the other similar project management apps available in Microsoft 365 would make it more confusing to use. The following are the differentiations between these Apps and the Lists App.

• Microsoft Lists Vs Microsoft To do

Microsoft -To-Do is another application management system that helps you create reminders and recurring tasks. On the other hand, MS Lists are useful for storing important information about a project. Microsoft-to-do helps employees remind employees to finish their pending work which is suitable for personal use. The Microsoft Lists is convenient for projects with large amounts of data. The similarity between them is both facilitate task management.

• Microsoft Lists Vs Microsoft Planner

With the help of the Microsoft List app, you can create lists with different views and data types and use them in whichever format you prefer. Apart from that you can use templates like Microsoft lists inventory management, human resources, and content management.
Microsoft Planner is used for team collaboration in agile environments and it gives the appearance of a kanban board. This planner is created for managing projects and can be used daily. However, it is not customizable like the lists app.

• Microsoft Lists vs SharePoint Lists

Now you must be wondering whether the Microsoft List is similar to SharePoint Lists. The Lists are mostly seen as the new version of SharePoint List. Some of the differences between them are as follows:
Microsoft Lists is a collaboration platform on the other hand SharePoint Lists is about the way you store data in the same way in Excel spreadsheets. You can discuss the items that are added to the Lists app.
SharePoint Lists allow users to store and organize structured data in a way that resembles the Excel table. On the other hand, in Microsoft Lists, you can see data in four different ways.

Integration with apps

Like all the features of Microsoft 365, Lists app can be integrated with other products and services in this enterprise. Now let’s take a look at the most popular ones.

• Integration with SharePoint: Microsoft lists are available in Microsoft 365 not only within the Lists app but can also be used on SharePoint sites. This integration is provided as standard. You can achieve the integration of MS Lists in SharePoint in two ways.
• You can click the new button on the home page of a site
• You can click on the new button on the content page of a site.

Selecting either opens the list creation pop-up that you may recognize from the Microsoft Lists app. The difference in this case is that this list will be created on the current site where the work in the enterprise is performed,

• Integration with One Drive: Remarkably, one can create private lists using Microsoft Lists, which means the platform is appropriate for work and personal use. You must have noted that if create a personal list it gets stored in Onedrive instead of the SharePoint library.

• Integration with Power Automate: MS Lists has the potential to be integrated with custom forms used in PowerApps and Microsoft Automate You can automate activities like sending emails to employees. You can even add new files or manage approval requests. You can automate many business processes because of this robust tool.

How to use lists in teams?

You can use the Lists tab in the Teams channel to bring all kinds of information upfront whether working with List, SharePoint, or Teams. Here are a few use cases where you could utilize Microsoft teams lists:

• In a teams channel, there is a “+” icon on the top right corner, which after clicking will open the tab library and allow you to add a lists application as a tab into your desired channel.
• How to do You may the list app click on it and save it.
• Either begin with a new empty list or use the default templates that the lists app offers for you to create.

Here are some of the features that the list app in Microsoft team can offer:

• There are lists that you can use or create a list in Excel
• Description; This will have all Lists functions in a SharePoint website (i.e. functionality to view column types, different views, quick editing, etc).
• It helps to allow the channel conversations for list items,
• This list can be customized as per your needs & preferences. The companies can customize your Lists app and how it works. You can do this directly from MS Teams.

And last but not least, keep in mind Microsoft List is no project management application. It might look like an old-school Excel split-screen. It is good in the sense that it can be beneficial, however, but not like agile tools. Using Kanban boards in project management is a choice for managers to track the project easily.
FAQs

1. Can you use MS Lists as a database?

   It is not a relational database. Each lists are independent and SharePoint lists were not created to be used as relational DB. SharePoint does have a Lookup field but it does not serve as a true relational database.

2. What can you automate in Microsoft Lists?

   Rules are the simplest form of automation in MS Lists. The rules in the list allow you to notify a team member automatically when a column or item is created or deleted.

3. How to back up MS Lists?

   You can select the export option in the bar at the top of the list. You can save the exported file as a backup.

• Kalpana Verma
• Apr 14, 2025