Managed metadata navigation – SharePoint 2013

Let’s start off by taking a look at this new feature named as “managed metadata navigation”.

Now one of the big challenges to navigation inside SharePoint is a fact that we need to set it up in each site so the problem is if i remove any links then I need to go in each site by site and delete the links or make any changes. On top of that, I have limited control over those links, relatively static i.e. modify each and every link by referring every site collection.

But I am looking out for the ability to have my links a little bit flexible and hierarchical. My capability is to do things like that are limited in certain situations.

What are the challenges?

1.   Limited control over links

2.   Search engine optimizations issues like

·         URL with spaces

·         Pages with query strings

·         Buried pages

How managed metadata comes to rescue in this situations?

1.   Enable navigation via Term set

2.   Terms becomes nodes

·         Terms can point to pages, catalog items, simple URL’s

Enabling managed metadata navigation:-

Couple of things needs to consider like-

1.   Enable SharePoint Publishing feature at the site collection level.

2.   Enable managed navigation at the site level

3.   Configure navigation structure inside the Term Store.

How to setup? Let’s see now-

Phase-1

1.   Open your SharePoint 2013 site

2.   Site settings

3.   Site collection administration

4.   Site collection features

5.   Activate SharePoint publishing feature.

Phase-2

1.   Open your SharePoint 2013 site

2.   Site settings

3.   Under look and Feel

4.   Navigation

5.   Will see two options i.e. Global navigation and Current navigation

6.   Global navigation means top navigation and Current navigation means left navigation.

7.   Scroll down

8.   Will see the section “Term Set”

9.   By default “term store management” is selected. Hit OK.

By means of this, all the links can now be managed by Team Store.

Phase-3

1.   Open your SharePoint 2013 site

2.   Site settings

3.   Site administration

4.   Term store management

5.   There is a Term group “Site collection-nameofyoursite”

6.   Underneath – Team site navigation

7.   Make sure the check box named as “Use this term set for site navigation” is always ticked.

That’s it- we are done. Simple and easy!

Applies to: SharePoint Server 2013.