How to Add a Project Phase Column in SharePoint
Phase shows where a project is in its lifecycle. Combined with Project Name, it lets you slice content by ‘all the planning documents for all active projects’.
What it is
A Project Phase column tracks where a project is in its lifecycle — Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring, Closure (or whatever phase model your organisation uses). At the document level, this means you can see not just which project a document belongs to, but which phase of that project it relates to.
Phase is most useful when filtering across many projects. ‘Show me all the Closure phase documents’ across an entire portfolio gives you a view of what’s wrapping up. ‘Show me all Planning phase documents this month’ shows what’s starting. Combined with Project Name, you get a full matrix view of project activity.
Match the phase values to your organisation’s project methodology. PRINCE2 has different phases from PMI which has different phases from Agile. Use whatever your team actually uses — don’t invent a phase model that doesn’t match your real practice.
When to use this
- When projects move through formal phases and document content varies by phase.
- When you want phase-level reporting across a portfolio of projects.
- When auditors or governance need to see what’s been completed at each phase.
- When you’re aligning SharePoint with a project management methodology.
How to do it
- Confirm the phase model your organisation uses (PRINCE2, PMI, Agile, custom).
- Add as a Choice column with phase values.
- Set Initiation (or Planning) as the default for new files.
- Apply colour formatting if useful (early phases blue, closure green).
- Build views grouped by Project Name and Phase for portfolio visibility.
- Update phase as the project progresses.
Best practices
- Match to your real methodology. PRINCE2 phases for PRINCE2 shops. Don’t invent phases.
- Update phase as work moves. A document tagged ‘Planning’ three months after closure is misleading.
- Pair with Project Name. Phase alone isn’t enough; combined with project, it’s powerful.
- Use for portfolio reporting. ‘How many projects are in Execution right now?’ becomes a one-click query.
Common mistakes
- Phase values that don’t match your method. Confusing for project managers, useless for reporting.
- Static phases that don’t get updated. Stale phase data is worse than no phase data.
- No default value. Files appear with blank phase, which breaks filters.
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What is a Project Phase column in SharePoint?
A Project Phase column tags content with the stage of the project lifecycle it belongs to: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Closure (or similar PMBoK-style stages). Useful for project libraries where the same document type means different things at different stages — a Risk Register in Planning vs in Closure tells very different stories.
What phase values should a SharePoint project library use?
Match whatever methodology your team uses. PMBoK: Initiation, Planning, Execution, Monitoring, Closure. Agile: Discovery, Design, Build, Test, Release. Construction: Pre-Construction, Construction, Commissioning, Handover. Pick the model that matches your team — and use the same values across every project library so reporting works.
Should Project Phase be Choice or Managed Metadata?
Choice is almost always right. Project phases are usually consistent enough within one team or one site to live in a Choice list, and they don’t need cross-tenant management. The exception is large PMO operations where one consistent phase taxonomy applies across dozens of project sites — there, Managed Metadata is justified.
Can I automate document movement based on Project Phase?
Yes. Common Power Automate patterns: when Project Phase changes to Closure, archive draft documents; when Phase = Execution, notify the Project Lead about overdue Risk Register reviews. The clean discrete phase values are excellent triggers for status-driven workflows.