If you use SharePoint to create Document Libraries regularly, you'll know that when you use the "Create document library" screen to create a Library, it uses the "Name" field for both the Library Title AND the Library URL. For example, if we create a document using the text "SP123 - Technical Documents relating to Machine Assembly for Machine XYZ" as shown in the screenshot, the document library will be created as follows:
Title:
SP123 - Technical Documents relating to Machine Assembly for Machine XYZ
URL: https://otagem.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects/SP123%20%20Technical%20Documents%20relating%20to%20Machine%20Ass
Now - that Title is OK, but that URL is just horrendous! The bit after /sites/Projects/ is based on the Name entered in the "Create document library" screen; it has encoded characters, words are truncated, it is hard to read and - most seriously - it is taking up valuable path length (remember SharePoint Online limits the length of URLs to just 400 characters)
So - how can we create a Document Library which has a meaningful, descriptive Title like that shown above, but a short, sharp URL based on - for example - a Project Code?
There are two options here:
Option 1: You *could* do achieve this manually by creating the Library based on the shorter "Project Code" initially. This will create the Library with the Title and URL both based on the Project Code, e.g., SP123. You can then manually rename the Library to use the lengthier, more descriptive Title. SharePoint will change the Title of the Library to use this longer description, but keeps the URL 'as-is', e.g., using the shorter Library Code.
Option 2: the better option is to automate Option 1 using PowerAutomate (aka Flow!). You can trigger a Flow to create your Library using 2x HTTP Requests as shown in the screenshot below. Simple, elegant and MUCH better for your SharePoint Information Architecture!
Using Option 2 above will give us a Library with the following characteristics:
Title:
SP123 - Technical Documents relating to Machine Assembly for Machine XYZ
URL: https://otagem.sharepoint.com/sites/Projects/SP123
A MUCH nicer result 🤗
If you would like more information on this, please feel free to get in contact using the Contact Page!
