How to propagate updated metadata from document sets to child files in Sharepoint

Question

How to propagate updated metadata from document sets to child files in Sharepoint

Georgia 0

The managed metadata columns associated with documents within document sets are not being propagated from the document set upon update. The document sets and columns are configured at the site level, and I’ve confirmed that the managed metadata fields are selected as shared fields in the document set settings at both the site and library levels.

I’ve seen this happen automatically in online demos, and in other cases, users are prompted to propagate changes when saving updates at the document set level. Any idea's?

Note this is in the modern experience of SharePoint.

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Answer 1

Julie-Hu 1,580 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Dear @Georgia,

Good day! Welcome to Q&A forum!

I have tested this on my end, and I could see the managed metadata columns associated with the documents in the document set were propagated.

I have my term set all set up as "internal" and "external" and here is my document set:

User's image When I created a managed metadata column in the document set, I set the value to "external" and it was synced to the child file documents

User's image

Here are the documents in the document set:

User's image When I edited the test column, I could see the "external" value being propagated

User's image To test it again, this time I changed the value to "internal" in the test column at the document set

User's image And this is the result when I checked it in the test column associated with documents within document sets

User's image Could you please confirm if you have followed these steps to create a document set?

1. Enable Document Sets Feature

Go to Site Settings > Site collection features.
Find Document Sets and click Activate.

2. Configure the Document Library

Create or open a document library.
Go to Library Settings > Advanced settings.
Set “Allow management of content types” to Yes.

3. Add Document Set Content Type

In Library Settings, click “Add from existing site content types”.
Select Document Set and click Add > OK.

4. Customize Document Set (Optional)

In Library Settings, click Document Set under Content Types.
Click Document Set Settings:
- Add allowed content types (e.g., Document).
  - Select Shared Columns to propagate metadata.
    - Add default content or customize the welcome page.

5. Create a Document Set

Go to the library > Click New > Document Set.
Fill in name, description, and metadata > Click Save.

6. Use the Document Set

Open the set > Add files using New or Upload.
Edit metadata via the info panel or grid view.
Check if shared metadata propagates to child documents.

Please give these suggestions a try and kindly let me know when there are updates or if you need further assistance. Any updates you’re able to share would be really helpful. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing how things are going!

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Julie-Hu 1,580 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-24T09:18:13.5933333+00:00

Dear @Georgia,

Good day! I hope everything is going well on your end.

It’s been a little while, so I just wanted to follow up and see how things are progressing with your concern. If you've run into any challenges or if there's anything further that I can help with, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Any updates you’re able to share would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for your time and attention! I look forward to hearing from you.

If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".

Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Georgia 0 Reputation points

2025-08-25T09:59:57.1233333+00:00

Hi Julie-Hu, thank you so much for your assistance. I can confirm I have set up everything as you have listed. Our document sets use managed metadata columns that are also used by other document sets we have set up so we cannot edit the columns like you did in your example. I have been updating the metadata by selecting the document set > Details > Edit All > Make my change >Save. But the changes do not propagate to the documents within the document set.
Julie-Hu 1,580 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-26T09:00:38.5+00:00
Hi @Georgia,

Good day! Thank you for your updating me with your detailed information.

Here are some more ways you could try to help with this issue:

Step 1: Check Content Type Inheritance: Sometimes metadata doesn’t flow properly because child documents aren’t inheriting the right content type

Go to Site Settings > Site Content Types

Find Document Set, open Advanced Settings, and make sure inheritance is enabled

In your library, check if the child content type is correctly inheriting metadata. If not, remove and re-add it

Try creating a new document set and test metadata propagation. If it works in new sets but not old ones, migrating to a new library might help

Step 2: Trigger Metadata Sync with Bulk Edit: Instead of using Edit All, try bulk editing:

Open the document set, select all child documents, and use Grid View or Quick Edit

Update the metadata field to match the document set and save

Step 3: Automate with PowerShell: For shared/site-level columns, automation can force updates to child items. Use PnP PowerShell (preferred for Online) to query the document set and update children

Setup:

Install PnP PowerShell: Run this in PowerShell (admin mode)
Install-Module -Name PnP.PowerShell

Connect:
Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite -Interactive

Feel free to give these suggestions a go and reach out if you have any updates or need more help! Thank you for your time and understanding!
Julie-Hu 1,580 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-28T09:53:24.11+00:00

Dear @Georgia,

Good day! I hope everything is going well on your end.

It’s been a little while, so I just wanted to follow up and see how things are progressing with your concern. If you've run into any challenges or if there's anything further that I can help with, please don’t hesitate to let me know. Any updates you’re able to share would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks again for your time and attention! I look forward to hearing from you.
Julie-Hu 1,580 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-08-29T10:00:21.42+00:00

Dear @Georgia,

I hope things are going well on your end. As there hasn’t been any recent activity, I’ll move on to other posts for now. That said, if you’re still facing issues or have new questions, please don’t hesitate to tag me in a comment, I’ll be happy to help further.

Thank you very much for your understanding and kindness!

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How to propagate updated metadata from document sets to child files in Sharepoint

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