SharePoint Sites: Quick Guide

This guide is for staffwho are setting up SharePoint a site to host content previously held in Organisations within Blackboard.

SharePoint can be used to create internal websites and as a secure place to store, organise, share and access information. It can be accessed from any device via a web browser.

Contents:

Creation of your SharePoint site

Access your SharePoint site

SharePoint site interface

Add a Document Library app

Add documents to your Document Library

Customise your home page

Add a sub-page

Add content (for example, embed a video)

Manage access and permissions

Important: Data Protection

Learn more

Creation of your SharePoint site

First, request a new SharePoint Site using the ‘I would like to make an application request’ form at: The form will ask you to provide the names for a primary and a secondary owner.

Access your SharePoint site

Once your site is set up, you will receive an email with a link to the site.

When prompted to sign in:

  • Enter your University username with @bradford.ac.uk appended, for example:
    (Note: this is not the same as your email address.
  • Enter your University password.

SharePoint site interface

The Settings button (cog) at the top right is for the main settings for your site, where you can add a page, add an app, see all your site contents etc.

Near the top right is an Edit option, and below that is where your site content is held. See the ‘Customise the home page’ section further on in this document to learn what you can do.

Add a Document Library app

  1. Click on theSettings button (cog) at the top right, and selectAdd an app.
  2. Click on App Details to see a description of what each app does. One of the most useful apps is Document Library. Here is a description from Microsoft about what the Document Library app does:

“Use a document library to store, organize, sync, and share documents with people. You can use co-authoring, versioning, and check out to work on documents together. With your documents in one place, everybody can get the latest versions whenever they need them. You can also sync your documents to your local computer for offline access”.

  1. Select the Document Libraryapp and enter a name (for example, Meeting Minutes).

Add documents to your Document Library

  1. Click on the Settings button (cog) at the top right and selectSite contents to view all your apps. Here, you can rename, add or remove apps as per your requirements.
  1. Click on the Document Library app you added and named in the previous section.
  2. Click on Upload to find and upload a document into this Library (or you can drag and drop or copy and paste).

The documents that are uploaded herecan be viewed and edited in Word Online, or in your Microsoft Office package in your computer.

If you work on a document in Word Online, this will be auto-saved in your site, so you don’t have to save it separately.

You can also send the documents as an attachment from your site.

Customise your home page

  1. Click on the Editlink near the top right of your home page. This allows you toadd, edit and delete content, link to your document libraries and change images etc.

As you hover over each block of content, options appear to the left (Edit, Move or Delete). Use these options to customise your home page to your requirements.

The five tiles you see at the top are using what’s known as the ‘Hero’ web part. You can link each tile in the web part to different content within your site (it’s best to do this bit last, after you’ve added sub-pages etc – see the next heading).

You can also change the number of tiles that appear here by hovering over the web part and selecting the Edit option - .

Once you are happy with your changes, click on the Publishbutton at the top right of the page.

To link one of the tiles to your Document Library:

  1. Hover over the tile and click on the Edit button at the bottom right of the tile -. A dialogue box will be launched on the right side of your page.
  1. In the Linkfield, click on Change.
  2. Click onSiteon the left choose the DocumentLibrary you added and named earlier.
  3. Click on Open.
  4. Edit the tile again (as per step 1) to add a title for the tile and to upload an image for the tile.You must have copyright permission for images you include.
  5. Close the dialogue box.

Add a sub-page

  1. Within your site, click on the Settings button (cog) at the top right and select Add a page.
  2. Type in a title for your page in the ‘Name your page’ field.
  3. Click on the Add image option to add a banner image. Remember, you must have copyright permission for images you add.
  4. Click on the + below the banner to add content (text etc).

It’s a good idea to link to your sub-pages from your main home page. See the ‘Customise the home page’ section earlier in this document for how to do this.

Add content (for example, embed a video)

  1. Open YouTube and find the video you want to embed.
  1. Copy the web address.
  2. On the page you want to embed the video on, click on Edit near the top right.
  3. As you hover over existing page content sections, a bar with + will appear.
  4. Click on the + to display a list of web parts (content templates) which you can use to add different types of content (text, video, a Document Library etc).
  5. Click on Embedand in the field that appears on the right, paste the link. Your video should now be embedded within the page.

Manage access and permissions

By default, only you will be able to access your site once it’s set up. If anyone obtains the link to your site, they will be informed that they need to request access - requests will be emailed to you, as the site owner.

  1. Within your site, click on the Settings button (cog) at the top right and select Site Permissions.

SharePoint sites have three kinds of users:

  • Owners- have full control of the site and are fully responsiblefor granting and maintaining access (permissions) to users.Each site should have two owners.
  • Members- cancontribute tothe site (for example, by uploading and editing documents).
  • Visitors- can view the site. If you don't add anyone here, nobody will be able to view the site.

You can add and maintain permissions for people using the Advanced Permissions settings link.

Important: Data Protection

Site Owners are responsible for ensuring:

  • The security of the information in their sites – confidential information (especially personal information) may need extra security measures, such as password protection.
  • Information is classified, so users understand how sensitive it is and handle it accordingly.
  • The site complies with all data protection legislation if it contains personal data (if in doubt they should contact the Data Protection Officer, Matt Stephenson).
  • Access controls are adequate to protect the information contained therein.
  • Only authorised users should have access:
  • Do: check and double check that the people you are giving access to for your site are the correct people. It is easy to add the wrong details, especially where names are common.
  • Do: if someone moves to a new role, and should no longer have access, you must remove their access to the site as soon as possible. If a new member of staff joins and should have access to the site, you must manually add them.
  • Do not: grant permission to any users who are not required to have access to the site.

Data Protection principles apply to any content you add, and any permissions you give. See

Learn more

All University of Bradford staff and students have access to Microsoft Imagine Academy online learning resources. There are hundreds of courses. Find out more at:

Further help can be found on the Microsoft Support site at:

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