SharePoint Version Tracking: Best Practices for Monitoring Changes

SharePoint version tracking is an essential feature that helps organizations keep track of changes made to their SharePoint sites, documents, and other content. This feature allows administrators to monitor who made changes, when they were made, and what was changed.

To enhance the core SharePoint versioning history features, check out the following custom developed SharePoint web parts and then read more about best practices and features below.

Version History Manager Web Part

The Version History web part displays all versions of a file.

Version Comparison Web Part

The Version Comparison web part allows you to compare two versions of a document.

Version Batch Operations Web Part

The Batch Version Restore web part allows you to restore multiple files to previous versions at once.

Version Detailed Metadata Web Part

The Version Detailed Metadata web part displays detailed information about a specific version of a file.

Here are some best practices for monitoring changes in SharePoint:

1. Enable Versioning: The first step in tracking versions is to enable versioning on the site or library where you want to track changes. To do this, go to Site Settings > Library Settings > Versioning and go to the “Create a version every time a new revision is created” option.
2. Use the SharePoint Recycle Bin: Another important feature for tracking changes is the SharePoint Recycle Bin. This feature allows you to recover deleted items for a certain period of time (usually 30 days). To access the recycle bin, go to Site Settings > Library Settings > Recycle Bin.
3. Use Auditing: Auditing is another powerful feature that helps track changes in SharePoint. You can use auditing to log all changes made to your site or library, including who made the change and what was changed. To enable auditing, go to Site Settings > Security and Compliance > Audit Log.
4. Create a Change History Log: Creating a change history log is an important best practice for tracking changes in SharePoint. You can create a custom list or library to track changes and include columns for date, time, user, and description of the change. This will allow you to easily view and analyze changes made to your site or library.
5. Use SharePoint’s Built-in Reporting Features: SharePoint has built-in reporting features that allow you to generate reports on changes made to your site or library. For example, you can use the “Site Usage Reports” feature to track page views, unique visitors, and other metrics. To access this feature, go to Site Settings > Site Administration > Site Usage.
6. Use SharePoint’s Built-in Analytics Features: In addition to reporting features, SharePoint also has built-in analytics features that allow you to track changes made to your site or library. For example, you can use the “Search Queries” report to track search queries and see what users are searching for. To access this feature, go to Site Settings > Search Administration > Reports.
7. Create Custom Alerts: Creating custom alerts is an important best practice for tracking changes in SharePoint. You can create custom alerts that notify administrators when specific events occur, such as a new document being uploaded or a change being made to a site or library. To access this feature, go to Site Settings > Alert Me.
8. Train End-Users: Finally, it’s important to train end-users on how to use SharePoint effectively and track changes. This will help ensure that users are using the system correctly and minimizing errors.

Some of the features that you can use within SharePoint for version tracking include:

• Versioning: As mentioned earlier, enabling versioning allows you to track changes made to documents or other content.
• Check-out/Check-in: The check-out/check-in feature allows multiple users to work on a document simultaneously without overwriting each other’s changes.
• SharePoint Designer: SharePoint Designer is a tool that allows developers to create custom workflows and automate repetitive tasks. You can use this feature to track changes made to your site or library.

By following these best practices and using the features mentioned above, you can effectively track changes made to your SharePoint site or library and ensure that your organization’s data is accurate and up-to-date.