Incorporating likes and rating features into SharePoint can significantly enhance the user experience. People often overlook the ability to quickly gauge the popularity and usefulness of content, but we recognize its importance. With SharePoint, the process of adding these functionalities is streamlined, empowering us to tailor the interaction within our libraries and lists. Likes act as a straightforward indicator of user appreciation, while ratings provide a more nuanced perspective on content quality.
We find that enabling these features encourages a culture of feedback and recognition within teams. Whether it’s likes or star ratings, the choice depends on the type of engagement we want to foster in our SharePoint environment. Enabling likes is perfect for a quick acknowledgment, whereas star ratings offer a more detailed response, assessing content on a scale. This engagement data can be crucial for content creators to understand their audience’s preferences and for users to discover recommended materials easily.
Our experience with SharePoint has taught us that enabling these features is not only about improving functionalities but also about enhancing collaboration and content management. By allowing users to express their opinions quickly, we create a more interactive and responsive environment. It aids in filtering valuable content and elevates user satisfaction, as everyone feels their opinion matters. Integrating these social features into our SharePoint strategy is a testament to our commitment to embracing modern, user-friendly tools for business collaboration.
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Planning the Like and Rating Feature Integration
Before we begin integrating the Like and Rating features into SharePoint, it’s crucial for us to carefully assess our SharePoint environment and understand the mechanism of these features to ensure a smooth implementation that fits our organizational needs.
To tailor the feedback mechanisms for our SharePoint or SharePoint Online sites, we first need to determine the purpose these features will serve. Are we looking to gather quick feedback through Likes or do we prefer a more detailed Rating system using stars? We must decide which lists or libraries will benefit from this feature and how it aligns with our user engagement goals.
- Define the scope:
- Select specific lists or libraries for feedback.
- Determine if Likes or Star Ratings better suit our needs.
- Consider visibility and control:
- Decide who can view and submit ratings.
- Establish permissions to maintain data integrity.
The Ratings and Likes features provide a mechanism for users to give feedback directly within SharePoint. By enabling these features in Rating Settings of our list or library settings, we add a new Rating column where users can express their opinion. SharePoint offers two types of voting/rating experiences: the Like button, for a simple thumbs-up approach, and Star Ratings, which offer a more graduated feedback option with one to five stars.
To implement:
- Navigate to List or Library Settings.
- Access Rating Settings and enable the desired options.
- Customize the Rating column to capture and display the user feedback effectively.
By understanding these mechanisms, we ensure that the feedback collected is meaningful and supports our organizational objectives.
In SharePoint Online, we have the flexibility to enrich user interaction with content by enabling ratings in document libraries, and activating likes on pages, which can lead to enhanced collaboration and content management.
Enable Ratings in Document Libraries
To enable ratings for a document library, we navigate to the desired library and access the Library Settings. We look for the General Settings section, where we can find the Rating Settings option. Once we’re in the Rating Settings, we choose Yes for the option Allow items in this list to be rated?. Here we decide whether to use a star rating system or likes. Selecting this feature adds two columns, Rating (0-5) and Number of Ratings, to the library, allowing users to rate documents. The implementation of this enhances user engagement and provides valuable feedback on the documents stored within SharePoint libraries.
To activate likes on SharePoint pages, we ensure that the Ratings feature is turned on. For each page where we want to enable likes, we edit the page properties and include the Liked By column, which is not just a visual feature but an interactive one. Engaging with the like button is as simple as clicking it—this action is reflected in the Number of Likes count visible to all users with access to the page. This immediate feedback mechanism serves as a quick ad-hoc poll on the relevance and helpfulness of SharePoint content.
Managing and Customizing List and Library Ratings
In SharePoint 2013 and later, we have the flexibility to engage site visitors by allowing them to express their opinions through likes and ratings. This not only helps in content curation but also enhances user interaction.
Customize Rating Columns
When we enable the ratings feature on a SharePoint list or library, three new columns are typically created: a Rating Column, for star ratings or likes, LikesCount, and RatingCount for tracking the number of likes or ratings a list item has received.
- Like column: We can add this to display a simple ‘Like’ button, enabling site visitors to quickly express their preference.
- Rating column: For more nuanced feedback, we can select a star ratings system, which lets site visitors rate items on a predefined scale, typically from one to five stars.
To modify these columns, we navigate to the Library Settings and select Rating Settings. Here, we can choose which rating experience to enable and define the related properties.
Manage Like and Rating Properties
The management of like and rating properties involves configuring settings within General Settings in our list or library settings.
For Likes:
- We ensure “Allow items in this list to be rated?” is set to Yes.
- We can track popularity with the LikesCount, denoting how many times an item has been liked.
For Star Ratings:
- We similarly enable ratings and select Star Ratings.
- The RatingCount records the aggregate number of ratings, while the rating value represents the average star rating.
Both features are influenced by the length of time they’ve been active and the interaction level of the site visitors. We must consider these factors because they affect the relevance and freshness of the data we gather. We may also need to monitor these properties over time to ensure they reflect our tenant’s engagement levels correctly.
Optimizing User Experience and Engagement
Integrating ratings and likes within SharePoint enhances user experience and fosters greater engagement. Features designed to capture feedback can elevate the usability of communication sites and provide valuable insights into user interaction.
Enhancing Interaction with Ratings and Likes
To boost interaction on our SharePoint site, we implement a like button and ratings. This feature engages site visitors and allows them to express their opinions quickly and easily. Here’s how to activate it:
- Navigate to the Library Settings
- Look for Rating settings under General Settings
- Enable items to be rated by selecting Yes
- Choose the type of voting/rating experience
With these steps, users can engage with content through likes and different forms of ratings. Whether it’s a thumbs up or a star rating, we’re empowering users to communicate what content resonates with them, which in turn, helps others to discern valuable content at a glance.
Monitoring Feedback and Ratings
Regularly observing the number of likes and the nature of ratings is crucial for continual enhancement of the SharePoint experience. Here’s what we keep an eye on:
- Unique viewers: Understanding the distinct users interacting with the content.
- Number of likes: Gauging the popularity and approval of specific items.
- Star ratings: Assessing the quality perceived by users.
By monitoring these metrics, we can gather direct feedback from users and ensure that our SharePoint site meets their needs and expectations. This feedback loop aids us in fine-tuning the site’s content and functionality, ultimately leading to an improved user experience and higher levels of user engagement.