Versioning Settings for SharePoint list using PowerShell

SharePoint is a powerful collaboration platform that allows teams to work together effectively. One of the key features of SharePoint is the ability to create lists, which can be used to store and manage data. As with any software, it is important to keep track of the version of your SharePoint list settings. This is particularly important when it comes to managing permissions, workflows, and other settings.

In this article, we will discuss how to version SharePoint list settings using PowerShell. PowerShell is a command-line scripting language that is used to automate administrative tasks in SharePoint. With PowerShell, you can easily manage SharePoint list settings, including versioning settings.

Enable Versioning for a SharePoint List

Here are the steps to enable versioning for a SharePoint list using PowerShell:

Step 1: Open SharePoint Management Shell as a administrator.

Step 2: Connect to the SharePoint site where the list is located. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to connect to a SharePoint site:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url <SharePoint Site URL> -UseWebLogin

Note: Make sure to replace <SharePoint Site URL> with the actual URL of the SharePoint site.

Step 3: Get the list for which you want to enable versioning. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to get the list:

$list = Get-PnPList -Identity <List Name>

Note: Make sure to replace <List Name> with the actual name of the list.

Step 4: Enable versioning for the list. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to enable versioning:

Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -EnableVersioning:$true

Note: Replace <List Name> with the actual name of the list.

Step 5: (Optional) Set the maximum number of major versions and/or major/minor versions allowed for the list. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlets to set the maximum number of versions:

Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -MajorVersionLimit <Max Major Versions>
Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -MajorWithMinorVersionsLimit <Max Major/Minor Versions>

Note: Replace <List Name> with the actual name of the list, and <Max Major Versions> and <Max Major/Minor Versions> with the desired maximum number of major versions and major/minor versions, respectively.

Step 6: (Optional) Enable minor versioning for the list. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to enable minor versioning:

Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -EnableMinorVersions:$true

Note: Replace <List Name> with the actual name of the list.

Here is the complete PowerShell code to enable versioning for a SharePoint list:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url <SharePoint Site URL> -UseWebLogin
$list = Get-PnPList -Identity <List Name>
Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -EnableVersioning:$true
Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -MajorVersionLimit <Max Major Versions>
Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -MajorWithMinorVersionsLimit <Max Major/Minor Versions>
Set-PnPList -Identity <List Name> -EnableMinorVersions:$true

Note: Replace <SharePoint Site URL> and <List Name> with the actual URL of the SharePoint site and the name of the list, respectively. Also, replace <Max Major Versions> and <Max Major/Minor Versions> with the desired maximum number of major versions and major/minor versions, respectively.

View Versioning Settings for a SharePoint List

Here are the steps to view versioning settings for a Sharepoint List using PowerShell:

Step 1: Open SharePoint Management Shell as a administrator.

Step 2: Connect to the SharePoint site where the list is located. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to connect to a SharePoint site:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url <SharePoint Site URL> -UseWebLogin

Note: Make sure to replace <SharePoint Site URL> with the actual URL of the SharePoint site.

Step 3: Get the list for which you want to view the versioning settings. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to get the list:

$list = Get-PnPList -Identity <List Name>

Note: Make sure to replace <List Name> with the actual name of the list.

Step 4: View the versioning settings for the list. You can use the following PowerShell cmdlet to view the versioning settings:

$list.EnableVersioning
$list.MajorVersionLimit
$list.MajorWithMinorVersionsLimit
$list.EnableMinorVersions

The above cmdlets will display the current settings of versioning for the given list.

Note: EnableVersioning returns True or False to indicate whether versioning is enabled or not. MajorVersionLimit and MajorWithMinorVersionsLimit return the maximum number of major and major/minor versions, respectively, allowed for the list. EnableMinorVersions returns True or False to indicate whether minor versioning is enabled or not.

Here is the complete PowerShell code to view versioning settings for a SharePoint list:

Connect-PnPOnline -Url <SharePoint Site URL> -UseWebLogin
$list = Get-PnPList -Identity <List Name>
$list.EnableVersioning
$list.MajorVersionLimit
$list.MajorWithMinorVersionsLimit
$list.EnableMinorVersions

Note: Replace <SharePoint Site URL> and <List Name> with the actual URL of the SharePoint site and the name of the list, respectively.

Conclusion

Versioning is a useful feature in SharePoint that helps users keep track of changes made to documents and list items over time. By enabling versioning and adjusting the settings to meet your specific needs, you can ensure that your SharePoint content is properly tracked and maintained. With PowerShell, managing versioning settings for a SharePoint list is quick and easy. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily enable and view versioning settings for your SharePoint lists.

Frequently Asked Question

Q: What is versioning in SharePoint?

A: Versioning in SharePoint allows users to keep track of changes made to a document or list items over time. Each time a user edits or updates a document, SharePoint creates a new version of that document, which can be tracked and managed over time.

Q: Why should I use versioning in SharePoint?

A: Versioning in SharePoint is useful for a number of reasons. It allows you to track changes made to documents over time, so you can see who made changes, what changes were made, and when those changes were made. This can be helpful for collaboration, as well as for maintaining document history and compliance.

Q: What versioning settings can I adjust using PowerShell?

A: Using PowerShell, you can adjust a number of versioning settings for a SharePoint list, including the number of major versions to keep, the number of minor versions to keep, and the draft version visibility. You can also set versioning to only create a version when a file is edited.