Best Practices

Josh French
Josh French
  • Updated

This article compiles recommended guidelines for keeping 4th Court and Teams efficient, organized, and secure. Refer to these best practices whenever you:

  • Create or update content on 4th Court

  • Set up new Teams channels

  • Manage permissions and naming conventions

Keeping Content Fresh

  • Assign an Editor: Ensure each department has at least one designated Editor (two is ideal).

  • Review Cadence: Set a reminder (quarterly or biannually) to review all News, Documents, and Quick Links.

    • Archive posts older than 6–12 months unless they remain relevant

    • Update policies, forms, and procedures to reflect any changes

Audience Targeting & Clarity

Use Audience Targeting on News/Web Parts

    • If a notice is relevant only to Fellows (e.g., research grants), target that group.

    • Prevents “noise”—ensures users see only what’s pertinent to them.

Consistent Naming Conventions

    • SharePoint Pages & Libraries:

      • Use clear, descriptive titles (e.g., “Porters’ Duty Rota,” “Catering Menus 2025,” “Maintenance Request Forms”).

      • Avoid abbreviations or jargon unfamiliar to casual visitors.

    • Teams Channels:

      • Keep names under 25 characters where possible to avoid truncation in mobile apps.

Organizing Files & Libraries

Minimize Folder Nesting

    • Instead of deeply nested folders, create separate document libraries or Teams channels to separate distinct topics.

Version Control & Co-authoring

    • Encourage team members to use the online Office apps (Word/Excel/PowerPoint Online) so that co-authoring and version history are enabled by default.

Archive Unused Documents

    • If a document hasn’t been accessed in 12+ months, consider moving it to a departmental “Archive” library.

Managing Permissions

Regular Audits

    • Quarterly, check SharePoint Editor lists and Teams channel members.

    • Remove access for departed staff, students, or fellows.

Principle of Least Privilege

    • Grant only the necessary permissions.

    • For sensitive content (budgets, HR documents), use Private Channels or restricted SharePoint libraries.

Microsoft Teams Tips

Limit Total Channels per Team

    • Teams perform best when you keep Standard + Private + Shared channels under ~20 total.

    • Archive or delete obsolete channels rather than leave them dormant.

Use Tabs to Surface Important Resources

    • Pin frequently accessed files, SharePoint pages, or OneNote notebooks as Tabs at the top of each channel.

    • For example, a departmental policy PDF on 4th Court can be added as a Tab in the “Policies” channel.

Leverage Planner and Forms for Task Tracking

    • Instead of emailing a spreadsheet, create a Planner tab in your Team to assign and track tasks.

    • Use Microsoft Forms for simple surveys, feedback forms, or sign-ups, and pin them in a Tab.

Naming Best Practices

    • Use clear, date-aware file names (e.g., “Catering_Menu_Summer_2025.pdf” instead of “Menu_Final”).

    • For Teams meetings, include the date in the title (e.g., “IT Strategy Meeting – 2025-06-10”) so that old recordings are easy to locate.

SharePoint Editor Best Practices

Draft Before Publish

    • When making major layout changes, save as a draft first and preview in both desktop and mobile views.

Use Built-In Web Parts

    • Use the Hero Web Part for visually highlighting key links or documents.

    • Use Document Library Web Parts to surface files directly on your homepage rather than expecting users to navigate to “Documents.”

    • Use Power BI or Quick Chart Web Parts sparingly—only when a visual metric/dashboard benefits the department.

Metadata & Filtering

    • Tag documents with metadata (e.g., “Policy,” “Form,” “Guideline”) to allow easy filtering within libraries.

    • When uploading multiple files, fill in the metadata fields immediately.

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