A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

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2/18/2008

A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

My name is Tom, and I write for Office Online. I'm a new guest blogger on Get the Point, and today I'd like to discuss the default site templates included in Office SharePoint Server 2007.

When you create a new Office SharePoint Server site, you can start by using a site template, which you can later customize. There are four categories of site templates from which you can choose: Collaboration, Meetings, Enterprise, and Publishing. In each category, there are several site templates provided.

You might be thinking…

"What do the site templates look like?"
"What features are included?"
"Which one should I use?"
"Why do I see different templates depending on where I access this page from?"

It's worth noting that there is a description of each template on the left side of the page as you highlight each template. However, you may find this insufficient if you want to preview each one and get an idea for how it might fit your needs.

In this blog, we'll identify the default templates, provide a preview of each, list the features included, and suggest practical uses for them. Before we do this, let's go over what a site template is in Office SharePoint Server 2007.

A site template is a pre-built Web site that contains Web pages, lists, libraries, and other features that support content publishing, content management, records management, or business intelligence for your organization. After you create a site from a site template, you can customize it as much as you like. You can even save your new site as a site template for others to use.

Site templates are grouped into four categories: Collaboration, Meetings, Enterprise, and Publishing. We'll go through each category, starting with Collaboration.

Collaboration

The site templates under Collaboration are intended to help teams in an organization work on projects, collaborate on documents, and share information.

Team site
	The Team site is an all-purpose template that can be used by any team, large or small, to create, organize, and share business information. You might use the site to store planning and budget documents, track issues and tasks, and share links and contacts with others. What's included in the template: Document library Announcements list Contacts list Links list Calendar
Blank site
	The Blank site template is empty, containing no libraries, lists, or sample content. If you want to create a site from scratch, this template is for you. To add content, you will need to add new libraries, lists, Web parts and so on. You can also use a Web design program, like Office SharePoint Designer, that is compatible with Office SharePoint Server. What's included in the template: Site image Web Part Ability to add more Web Parts
Document Workspace
	The Document Workspace template can be used for sharing and managing documents with others. The template includes features that are used to share and update files, keeping others informed on the status of those files. What's included in the template:: Document library Announcements list Tasks list Members list Links list
Wiki site
	The Wiki site template can be used to create a community site for a team or a project. As a wiki, users can quickly and easily add, edit, and delete Web pages on the site. Wikis promote an environment where everyone can brainstorm and share ideas. They are also useful for collaborating on business processes and documents because everyone can contribute to it. What's included in the template: Wiki pages Wiki page library Links list
Blog site
	The Blog site template can be used to create a site where users post information quickly and allow others to comment on it, otherwise, known as blogging. Blogs are online journals where users can share ideas quickly in an informal, chronological format. You might create a blog to share a new idea or vision in an engaging journal format, where others can ask questions and add comments. What's included in the template: Blogs list Posts list Comments list Categories list Links list Photo library Tools to manage posts and other resources

Meetings

The site templates under Meetings are intended to help teams within an organization manage various types of meetings.

Basic Meeting Workspace
	The Basic Meeting Workspace template can be used to create a site for planning, organizing, and tracking meetings. A meeting workspace is useful for managing a reoccurring meeting, such as a weekly team meeting. There are useful features you can use to track topics, documents, attendees, and so forth. What's included in the template: Objectives list Agenda Attendees list Document library
Blank Meeting Workspace
	The Blank Meeting Workspace template can be used to create a meeting workspace that is initially empty, containing no sample content or features. Add your own libraries, lists, and Web Parts to make this site work for your team meetings. What's included in the template: Empty page where you add your own content
Decision Meeting Workspace
	The Decision Meeting Workspace template can be used to create a site for meetings that involve reviewing documents and recording decisions. Included in the template are features that help you record decisions and action items based on those decisions. All of this helps a team stay focused on the outcome of a meeting. What's included in the template: Objectives list Attendees list Agenda Document library Tasks list Decisions list
Social Meeting Workspace
	The Social Meeting Workspace template can be used to create a site that helps you plan and coordinate social occasions. You can use the template for everything from a team party to a charity event. What's included in the template: Attendees list Things To Bring list Directions Picture library for photos Image/log
Multipage Meeting Workspace
	The Multipage Meeting Workspace template can be used to create a site that helps you plan, organize, and capture the results of a complex meeting or a series of meetings. Use the site to manage meetings that require in-depth supporting materials that need to be stored on separate pages. What's included in the template: Objectives list Attendees list Agenda Two pages that can be customized Ability to add 10 pages per meeting

Enterprise

The site templates under Enterprise are intended to support enterprise-level document management, records management, and information management needs.

Document Center
	The Document Center template can be used to create a site where you centrally manage a large numbers of documents in your enterprise. The site contains powerful content management features, such as the ability to support large-scale content authoring (50,000 or more documents actively edited), mandatory checkout, versioning, workflows, and content types. What's included in the template: Document library Relevant Documents Web Part Upcoming Tasks Web Part Tree View navigation Personalized views Document management features enabled
Records Center
	The Records Center template can be used to create a site where you provide records management for your organization. A records management site serves as a central repository where all records are stored, and it supports the records management process (collection, management, disposition, etc.). Such a site can help you comply with governmental or legal regulations. What's included in the template: Vault abilities to ensure integrity of records Information management policy enforced Holds list to suspend records subject to litigation Record Routing list to route records to the correct location Unclassified Records library to store records that don't match any other Record Routing entry Support for content submitted through a Web service using SOAP or through e-mail using SMTP.
Personalization site
	The Personalization site template can be used to create a site for delivering personalized views, data, and navigation for My Sites. (My Sites are discussed later in this topic.) The site can be used to expose content that is personalized for or targeted to individual users on their My Sites. What's included in the template: Personalization-specific Web Parts (optimized for My Site) Personalization-specific navigation (optimized for My Site)
Site Directory
	The Site Directory template can be used to create a site that lists and categorizes important sites in your organization. A site directory can help you if you want to provide site visitors with a central place to view or locate all of the sites in your site collection. What's included in the template: Different views for categorized sites, top sites, and site map
Report Center
	The Report Center template can be used to create a site that serves as a central location for business-intelligence-related content, such as dashboards, Web Parts, key performance indicators (KPI), and business data connectivity technologies. Such a site provides users with a single place to find the latest reports, spreadsheets, and KPI's that drive their business. What's included in the template: Document libraries for storing reports, lists, and connections to external data sources Page templates and Web Parts used to create pages and lists with business information Search for items using categories View calendar of upcoming reports Subscribe to relevant reports
Search Center with tabs
	The Search Center with tabs template can be used to create a search-based site for users. The main Welcome page features a simple search box in the center of the page. The search returns items only from your site and eliminates returns that don't apply to your search. You can search different collections of information separately using tabs. What's included in the template: Multiple tabs for general searches and searches for people Ability to add and customize tabs that focus on other search scopes or result types
Search Center
	The Search Center template can be used to create a search-based site for users. The main Welcome page features a simple search box in the center of the page. The search returns items only from your site and eliminates returns that don't apply to your search. What's included in the template: Pages for search results and advanced search
My Site Host
	The My Site Host template can be used to create a hosted location for My Sites. (My Sites are discussed later in this topic.) Note: This template is only available when you create a site collection using Central Administration.

Publishing

The site templates under Publishing are intended to help organizations design, deploy, and manage divisional portal sites, enterprise intranet portals, and public-facing Internet sites. All site templates in this category have publishing features enabled, including the content editor, page editing toolbar, and check out.

Publishing site
	The Publishing site template can be used to create a site where you quickly publish Web pages. As a publishing site, Contributors can work on draft versions of pages and then publish those pages to make them visible to other users. What's included in the template: Document library (for Web publishing assets) Image library (for Web publishing assets) Publishing features available Note: This site template is available when publishing features are enabled on the parent site.
Publishing site with workflow
	The Publishing site with workflow template can be used to create a site where you quickly publish Web pages on a schedule using workflows. As a publishing site, Contributors can work on draft versions of pages and then publish those pages to make them visible to other users. With workflows enabled, you can better manage when pages get published by enforcing an approval process. What's included in the template: Document library (for Web publishing assets) Image library (for Web publishing assets) Publishing features available Note: This site template is available when publishing features are enabled on the parent site.
News site
	The News site template can be used to create a site with news articles that are easy to create and manage. The site can serve as the single place to deliver important and up-to-date information for your entire organization. What's included in the template: Sample news page layouts Archive for storing older news items Easy-to-use layout for readers and news providers RSS Viewer Web part This Week in Pictures Web part Publishing features available
Collaboration Portal
	The Collaboration Portal template can be used to create a starter site hierarchy for an intranet divisional portal. A portal site typically hosts numerous team sites, and there will likely be as many contributors as there are readers on the site. What's included in the template: Home page News site Site Directory Search Center with Tabs Note: This site template is available when you create a site collection in Central Administration.
Publishing Portal
	The Publishing Portal template can be used to create a starter site hierarchy for a large intranet portal or Internet-facing site. The site can be customized with distinctive branding to match the look and feel of your organization. What's included in the template: Home page Press releases subsite Search Center Login page Publish pages with approval workflows Only publishing subsites (with workflow) can be created Note: This site template is available when you create a site collection in Central Administration.

My Site

My Site is a site that is available to every user in an organization. It is included with Office SharePoint Server as a way for employees to store their personal documents, lists, contacts, calendars and more. My Site is not one of the site templates you choose from when you create a new site, but it is included here so that you can consider how you might want to share or promote its content on your site. You may, for example, create a new site that depends on My Site functionality and content, such as the Personalization site and My Site Host templates above.

My site

My Sites are enabled by default in Office SharePoint Server. Every user in your organization has a unique My Site.

Similar to the default site templates, they contain features that can be used and customized to share content with others.

What's included in the template:

2 parts: My Home personal site and My Profile public profile page
Links list
Colleagues Web Part
In Common with You Web Part
Memberships Web Part
Calendar Web Part
SharePoint Sites Web Part
Documents Web Part

Posted at 12:00 PM by | Category: Collaboration; Team Sites; Productivity | Permalink | Email this Post | Comments (45)

Comments

This will be helpful for those who are starting out

It would be nice if these images were included in the UI when the sites are created, instead of the placemat images that exist today. Perhaps next version.

at 2/21/2008 12:58 PM

Regarding default template images in UI

This is a great suggestion -- to include the images in the UI when sites are created. However, we've encountered a few challenges with this. For starters, how to deal with readable text, browser-specific UI, templates that are empty at first (as is the case above), and what part of the site to capture since most of the functionality is rarely on the home page. Keep the comments coming!

at 3/11/2008 10:19 AM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

Hi thank to write this very helpful post.

Please let me post this article in my Persian blog. It's a really useful post for those who are start up to work with SharePoint and I want to translate it for Persian native language if you don't mind.

at 3/11/2008 10:47 AM

content approval in an image library

It appears there is no way to enable content approval in an image library. is this by design or a defect? Do you know of a workaround?

at 3/13/2008 6:33 PM

This will be helpful for those who are starting out.

at 3/17/2008 2:29 PM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

You are welcome to translate this for your Persion blog. The only thing we ask is if you can link (permalink) to the original English blog post. Thank you for your comments!

at 3/17/2008 8:07 PM

content approval in an image library

Thanks for the comment. Do you have a question about the site templates or was your question intended for another blog post? Thanks, Tom

at 3/17/2008 8:53 PM

This will be helpful for those who are starting out.

Thanks for your question. See comment "Regarding default template images in UI" to answer your specific question.

at 3/17/2008 8:54 PM

My Profile, My Links et al

A more detailed description of these parts and how they can be customised, along with discussion of how the My Site Portal links in with the My Sites would be a very useful addition.

Screenshots -- even a real live demo -- of each site and part would be a massive boon. the current description and placement images leave a lot to be desired.

Hence the need for your blog post. ;)

at 3/18/2008 4:51 PM

RE: My Profile, My Links et al

Thanks for your comments. I agree that more info is needed. A demo of the templates, web parts, and using them together would be ideal. Just wondering how detailed users would want it (some like high level others want heavy customization.)

at 3/21/2008 11:06 AM

Translate this post to my Persian Sharepoint blog

Of course I will link Persian post to the original English post. When I'll translate this post I will let you know. Thank you for your respond.

at 3/26/2008 12:44 PM

Persian Language Pack for SharePoint

Tom,
Thank you for posting MOSS 2007 templates. Is there a way to see these templates in Persian (Farsi)? Or is there any language pack from Microsoft for SharePoint in Persian so a site, document library, etc could be created in Persian?

at 4/5/2008 1:59 PM

Template for 'My Site' and Web Parts for 'My Site'

Hi,

Need to know

1. Is there any way to replace the default My Site template?

2. Is there any way to add custom web part (custom developed) into My Site gallery?

at 4/7/2008 8:59 AM

RE: Persion Language Pack for Sharepoint

I'm not aware of a Farsi language pack. I stumbled onto this blog post, which maybe you've seen already?http://blogs.msdn.com/sharepoint/archive/2007/02/01/estimated-release-timeframes-for-sharepoint-2007-language-packs.aspx

at 4/8/2008 12:05 PM

RE: Template for 'My Site' and Web Parts for 'My Site'

I believe modifying the master page for My Sites might get you somewhere (see post). You're other question about custom web part is a little beyond the scope of this blog, and I don't have an answer for you. Thanks, Tom

at 4/8/2008 12:14 PM

The templates are not existed!

hi..I am new to Sharepoint..and I am excited to learn how to managing the content..

the problem that I face now is that I have zero templates..I mean when I try to create a new website, the template option doesn't have anything in it..is it because the version that I have?

please help me..

at 4/28/2008 3:02 PM

Translate this post to my Persian Sharepoint blog

Hi
I wrote one part of this post on my Persian Blog in this link:

http://www.sharepointsolutions.ir/blogs/arezoo/Lists/Posts/Post.aspx?ID=24
I'll write other parts one by one as soon as I can and I Also added the link of this post in my blog.

Regards

at 5/2/2008 7:48 AM

Persian Language Pack for SharePoint

Tony Jalali,

There is language pack for Persian (Farsi) language but not from Microsoft. We already have this language pack with Jalali calendar support.
We have a SharePoint community base on Moss 2007; it's an English/Persian language site that introduces our experience, solutions and products in this technology since 2002.
http://www.sharepointsolutions.ir/en-uk/Pages/default.aspx
Also we have a community bloggers whom write about SharePoint in their Persian and English blogs.
http://www.sharepointsolutions.ir/en-uk/resources/Pages/Bloggers.aspx

at 5/2/2008 9:04 AM

RE: The templates are not existed!

I'm not sure why the templates aren't showing up for you. I was able to see these templates after a default install of MOSS 2007. Are you running WSS or MOSS?

at 5/8/2008 2:55 PM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

Can we add anouncement list in collabration portal template. I treid but no results. I created one and tried it that way, but it doesnt show up in webpart gallery to add list as a webpart. coulu you please explain me with this?

Thanks

at 5/13/2008 8:15 AM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

I'm able to add announcements using the Create option (Communications > Announcements). Does this work for you? Thanks, Tom

at 5/13/2008 12:26 PM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

Thanks tom,

yes i tried by ceating one.but it doesn't show up in the webpart gallery to add that as a webpart on my main site. collabration page somewhere disabled this functionaliy for announcement for being add as webpart. If you know any other solution. let me know

Thanks, Singh

at 5/15/2008 9:38 AM

Office SharePoint Server site templates

I have just 2 category of site template (collaborative and meeting ) The publishing and enterprise is messing Any idea way?

at 5/24/2008 1:19 PM

RE: Office SharePoint Server site templates

Are you creating a new sub-site or new site collection (from Central Admin)? Does the top-level site have Publishing enabled.

You will see different templates, depending on what you are creating (collection or subsite) and whether Publishing features are enabled on the top site.

at 5/28/2008 2:58 PM

Wizard

I think a wizard approach might be helpful. Admin selects the type of features they want in a site during the site creation screen. For example the admin selects they need the following features: Objectives list Attendees list Agenda Document library Based on their needs, they are provided with the following site templates: Basic Meeting Workspace Decision Meeting Workspace Multipage Meeting Workspace From this screen, there could be a help icon that when hovered over or clicked on, shows them additional screenshots of different areas within a site. Best practices on what the site template could be used for. etc.

at 9/17/2008 12:56 AM

Addition info in the descriptions

Great tutorial/preview. Additional info that would be very nice to see is which zones are included on each template type. My understanding is that to add zones to a site after it has been created from a template, requires SharePoint Designer.

at 10/8/2008 8:30 AM

adding other template?

Hey Tom, I'm new to MOSS and it's my internship assignment. If I choose, for example, Publishing Portal template as a starting point, can I also add other templates like Wiki or Blog as another page (subsite/site collection)?

It's unsure to me whether you can combine a few templates to build the site or not. Thanks!

at 10/10/2008 7:23 AM

RE: adding other template

Yes. Once you create a top-level site or a sub-site, you can continue to create more child sites beneath it. In fact, you have to add a child site, if you want a SharePoint-based blog on your site (since blogs only exist as sites). Hope this helps!

Thanks,

Tom

at 10/10/2008 2:41 PM

Vina

Hey Tom,

Thanks for the advice! Now I can see my direction ;)

Cheers, Vina.

at 10/17/2008 7:17 AM

How do I modify or chang my site default template

In the case that we need to customize my site creation using a specific custom template, how would we find the default template to be replaced by the one we made?

at 11/4/2008 7:04 PM

RE: How do I modify or chang my site default template

I'm not sure I completely understand your question. If you're looking to create new custom site templates, you may want to check out http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms454677.aspx. To customize which templates are available to your users, see http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepointserver/HA101213001033.aspx

Thank you,

Tom

Tom at 11/7/2008 1:37 PM

Which site to choose as a staring point?

Please could anybody advise which is the most flexible site template to choose for a site collection. If we choose a Publishing Portal site could we then, within this site collection, create fully functioning team sites, blog sites, wiki sites, meeting workspaces, document centers, news sites, (basically Collaboration, Meetings, Enterprise and Publishing sites). Also as the publishing features would be enabled at site collection level could we also create 'branded' subsites using custom master pages, page layouts and content types? Many thanks,

at 1/14/2009 6:47 AM

Re: Which site to choose...

I think you're right that Publishing Portal is a good versatile starting point for the site collection. That way, you can do all the basic stuff like team sites, wikis, blogs, and you also get more advanced features that you might not get if you chose, say, a team site for the site collection.

--Matt

at 1/14/2009 10:09 AM

Re: Which site to choose...

The Publishing Portal is ideal for creating publishing Internet sites that have subsites based on the publishing template (Publishing Site with Workflow).

Since you're looking for more flexibility with sites like team site, wikis, and blogs, I'd recommend the “Site Directory” template (on the Enterprise tab). It includes all the necessary features and capabilities, and it rolls up all of the subsites into a site directory on the home page. Following this template, I'd consider the "Collaboration Portal" in part because it already includes a sampling of subsites you can start using and customizing.

Both templates have publishing enabled and offer plenty of flexibility for customizing subsites.

Thanks,

Tom

at 1/21/2009 11:14 AM

Question

Hello Tom,

i have question about site collections.
i have installed company portal for whole company i need to create
saprate site collection for big departement has large amout of
suddivison and sudivision has theirs own subsite.
i am going to create site collection under http://companyportal/sites path

what template i should use A. COLLOBRATION PORTAL B. TEAM SITE
thanks

at 3/17/2009 12:00 PM

RE: Question

Similar to the previous comment, I think I'd again recommend the “Site Directory” or "Collaboration Portal" template. Please keep in mind that I don't have all the details of your deployment. I only suggest these for their flexibility. I wouldn't go with a team site to serve as the collection.

Thanks,

Tom

at 3/20/2009 8:43 AM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

Thanks Tom,

very good info

i have something like this

i have 4 major department under sales like Salesdept1, salesdept2 , salesdept3, Seledept4
Under each department (Salesdept1, salesdept2 , salesdept3, Seledept4) they have about more then 13 small sales division and each need their own team sites

thanks

at 4/6/2009 4:49 AM

Re: A preview of Office SharePoint Server site templates

I just wanted to thank you guys for the great resources

at 4/13/2009 8:55 AM

RE: Question

Tom,

can you please remove these two dissusion from your blog

or atlease remove my name from this blog

Thanks

Question

Hello Tom,
i have question about site collections.
i have installed company portal for whole company i need to create
saprate site collection for big departement has large amout of
suddivison and sudivision has theirs own subsite.
i am going to create site collection under http://companyportal/sites path
what template i should use A. COLLOBRATION PORTAL B. TEAM SITE
thanks

Thanks Tom,
very good info
i have something like this
i have 4 major department under sales like Salesdept1, salesdept2 , salesdept3, Seledept4
Under each department (Salesdept1, salesdept2 , salesdept3, Seledept4) they have about more then 13 small sales division and each need their own team sites
thanks
at 4/6/2009 4:49 AM

at 4/28/2009 9:33 AM

customising the global navigation list using MOSS

Hi,

I have started working on MOSS recently. i dont have the option for using Sharepointer Designer, Can i get to know about how to create a Global navigation list ( similar to Quick launch List , but present at the top) and customise it to give links to other Web pages. I cannot find the Option to create it. It is not present in Site Settings->Look and Feel ->

at 8/12/2009 3:51 AM

RE: customising the global navigation list using MOSS

Have you tried going to Navigation Settings page and using the "Add Heading" and "Add Link" options next to "Editing and Sorting"? This is one way to add custom links to specific pages on your site and other sites in the top global nav. In SharePoint Designer, you can can further customize the look and feel of the navigation controls using CSS/script/etc.

Tom

Tom at 8/12/2009 8:19 AM

Reports Center Site Template - Not Found

I have enterprise edition...

Having problem with the report center that the option to create report center template site is not there in the template list of the enterprise teplates list?

at 8/31/2009 7:21 AM

RE: Reports Center Site Template - Not Found

Hi,

Are the Enterprise features enabled both in Central Admin and as a site collection feature for the site itself?

Laura

SharePoint End User Content Team

Laura at 8/31/2009 3:10 PM

Missing templates

Our vendor suppressed the ability to create sites from templates other than the ones they provided. So, all of the templates above are not available when I go to the

http://servername/_Layouts/AreaTemplateSettings.aspx

page.

Where are the site templates stored that populate the available templates.

My ALL list has only the 4 templates they decided we needed and I want to restore ALL of the out of the box templates.

at 9/23/2009 9:58 AM

Missing templates

features enabled both in Central Admin and as a site collection feature for the site itself

at 11/17/2009 12:37 AM

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