How to Populate an Office Document with Data from a SharePoint List Using a Lookup Column and Content Controls

If you need to populate an Office document with data from a SharePoint list, you can do so using content controls and a lookup column. This can be a useful way to quickly create documents based on information stored in your SharePoint list. In this article, we’ll walk you through the steps of populating a Office document with data from a SharePoint list using a lookup column and content controls.

Step 1: Create a Custom Content Type for Your SharePoint List

The first step is to create a custom content type for your SharePoint list. This content type should include all of the fields that you want to use in your Office document, including the lookup column. You can create a custom content type by following these steps:

1. Go to the List Settings page for your SharePoint list.
2. Click on “Advanced settings.”
3. Select “Yes” for “Allow management of content types.”
4. Click on “Add from existing site content types.”
5. Select “Document Content Types” and choose the appropriate content type for your list.
6. Customize the content type by adding fields, including the lookup column.

Step 2: Add an Item to Your List and Populate the Fields

Once you’ve created your custom content type, add a new item to your SharePoint list and populate the fields as necessary, including the lookup column.

Step 3: Insert Content Controls in Your Office Document

Next, open your Office document and navigate to the Developer tab. Insert content controls for each of the fields that you want to populate with data from your SharePoint list.

Step 4: Set Content Control Properties

In the Properties window for each content control, set the “Title” property to match the name of the corresponding field in your SharePoint list.

Step 5: Set Data Mapping for Content Controls

In the “Data” tab of the Properties window, set the “Data Mapping” to “Custom XML Part” and select the appropriate content type.

Step 6: Save and Close Your Office Document

Save the Office document and close it.

Step 7: Open Your Office Document and the XML Mapping Pane

Open the Office document and navigate to the Developer tab. Click the “XML Mapping Pane” button to open the XML Mapping Pane.

Step 8: Map Fields from SharePoint List to Content Controls

Drag the appropriate field from the SharePoint list onto the corresponding content control in the Office document.

Step 9: Save Your Office Document

Save the Office document.

With these steps, your Office document should now be populated with data from your SharePoint list, including the lookup column. When you select a value in the lookup column, the other fields should be populated automatically based on the lookup value.

In summary, using content controls and a lookup column is a powerful way to populate a Office document with data from a SharePoint list. This method can save time and reduce errors when creating documents that require data from your SharePoint list.