How to set up Metadata Navigation and Filtering for list or library in SharePoint 2013?

Hello everyone, today we will discuss about metadata navigation and filtering in SharePoint.

Metadata Navigation and Filtering

When you set up metadata navigation in large lists and libraries, you make it easier for users to find content either a list item or document.

Metadata navigation enables users to filter and find content in lists and libraries based on metadata or list column in list. We also apply Key Filters, which work in combination with the navigation tree to refine the list of items that display which is easier for searching list data.

By default, metadata navigation and filtering is not enabled on most of sites. If it is not enabled for your site, you can enable it from the Site Features under site setting of your site.

You must be a Site Owner or a Site Collection Administrator to enable metadata navigation and filtering.

Follow steps to enable metadata navigation and filtering 

1. Click Settings Gear icon , and then click Site Settings.
2. Under Site Actions, click Manage site features.
3. In this Features, find Metadata Navigation and Filtering, and activate it.
   

How to setup metadata navigation for list/library?

 You must have at least Full control permission to set up metadata navigation and filtering for a list or library.

1. Create list or library for metadata navigation and filtering.
   • I have created sample SharePoint list ‘Mobiles’ with below details.
   • I have created ‘Company’ column for metadata.
2. Now, let’s enable metadata navigation and filtering for the list.
   • Click the List tab from ribbon, and then click List Settings.
   • Under General Settings, click metadata navigation settings.
   • Configure Navigation Hierarchies. 
     • Here, the added fields will appear in the Tree View for filtering items in the SharePoint list and libraries.
     • Only these fields are available in navigation hierarchies like Content Type, Managed Metadata Field/column, Choice Field. The rest of the other fields are not supported for navigation hierarchy.
       
       Content type: it may be item or folders
       Folders: its one type of content type which use in library
       Company: choice field, if you don’t need to filter values so don’t add this.
   • Configure key Filter. 
     • Here, the added fields will appear in below the Tree View for filtering items in the SharePoint list and libraries.
     • Supported columns are
       Person or group field (Created By, Modified By)
       Number (Quantity) for my metadata, these field may vary from your requirement
       Managed Metadata Field
       Date/Time Field (Created, Modified)
       Content Type (Item and Folder)

       

   • Configure automatic column indexing for this list.
     • It will come as default by Automatically manage column indices on this list. We also created column index in the SharePoint list and libraries. This feature helps to SharePoint for best searching based on metadata column indexes.

       
       Here I am going with the Default “Automatically manage column indices in this list”.

     • Click ok to save all above setup. 
3. Lets see this cool metadata filtering feature it added in list.
    

I am going to filter mobiles by ‘Apple’