Designing a SharePoint DMS with Metadata and Retention

A practical walkthrough for building a compliant document management system on SharePoint Online.

Why metadata beats folders

Folders are familiar but metadata scales better for search and lifecycle management.

Note

Start with 3–5 core content types. Expand later.

Key steps

  • Content audit
  • Information architecture
  • Content types and libraries
  • Retention and labels
Need help with IA?