How to Use the Multiple Lines of Text Column in SharePoint
When you need somewhere to capture longer notes — a summary, a description, history — use Multiple Lines of Text. Just don’t try to filter on it.
What it is
Multiple Lines of Text columns hold larger blocks of free-form content: paragraphs of notes, summaries, comments, history, descriptions. They support plain text or rich text (with formatting), and can be configured to append entries (so old entries are preserved when new ones are added) for an audit-style change log.
These are reading columns, not filtering columns. Users add information to them; readers absorb that information; reports rarely use them. That’s fine — sometimes you genuinely need a place for narrative content. The mistake is treating them like searchable categories. They’re not. SharePoint can search inside them via full-text search, but you can’t filter cleanly the way you can with Choice or Managed Metadata.
The ‘Append Changes’ option is the hidden superpower. If you turn it on, every time someone edits the column, their entry is added to a running log with their name and the date. Useful for change history, comment threads, and any field where you want a record of who said what.
When to use this
- When you need a description, summary, or longer notes field.
- When you want a running log of comments or changes (with Append Changes enabled).
- When the field genuinely holds narrative content that doesn’t fit any structured type.
- Almost never as the primary filter for views — it’s for reading, not categorising.
How to do it
- Click + Add column → Multiple lines of text.
- Choose plain text, rich text, or enhanced rich text (rich is best for most descriptions).
- Decide if you want to append changes (preserves history with each edit).
- Set the number of lines to display in forms.
- Add a description explaining what should go here.
- Save and use it for narrative content, not categories.
Best practices
- Enable Append Changes for change logs. Each edit becomes a timestamped entry. Powerful for audit.
- Keep entries focused. Long entries are harder to read. Aim for paragraphs, not essays.
- Use Plain Text unless you need formatting. Rich text is more flexible but creates inconsistent appearance.
- Use sparingly. One Multiple Lines column per library is usually enough.
Common mistakes
- Using it as a category replacement. Filtering ‘contains HR’ is brittle. Use Choice instead.
- Letting it become a dumping ground. If users put everything in ‘Notes’, nothing is findable.
- Forgetting Append Changes when you’d benefit from it. Without it, every edit overwrites the previous entry.
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What is a Multiple Lines of Text column in SharePoint?
A Multiple Lines of Text column lets users enter longer, free-form text — paragraphs, notes, summaries, descriptions. It supports plain text, rich text (formatting), or enhanced rich text (images and links). Unlike Single Line, there’s no 255-character limit. But also unlike Single Line, you can’t filter, sort, or group by it.
What’s the difference between plain text and rich text in SharePoint?
Plain text stores just the text you type — clean, simple, easy to work with. Rich text and enhanced rich text store HTML formatting (bold, lists, images, links). Rich text looks nicer in the file properties pane but makes the data harder to work with downstream — Power Automate flows and exports inherit the HTML. Default to plain text unless you genuinely need formatting.
What is ‘Append Changes’ in a Multiple Lines of Text column?
It’s a setting that turns the column into a running log. Instead of overwriting the existing text, every new entry is added with a timestamp and the user’s name. Useful for activity logs, internal notes, or running commentary on a file. Once enabled, history can’t be edited or deleted — making it useful for audit trails.
Can I filter or sort by a Multiple Lines of Text column?
No. SharePoint doesn’t allow filtering, sorting, or grouping by Multiple Lines of Text. The content is searchable (and Copilot can read it), but for any structured operation — views, filters, reports — this column type is invisible. If you need filtering, use a different column type.