SharePoint, a Microsoft product, is a web-based system for team collaboration that enables businesses to work together through workflow apps, “list” databases, and other web components and security features. It helps bring crucial data from several sources together in one location. SharePoint offers an extensible platform with a range of products that can be customized to meet the demands of organizations.
While every interview is unique and every position has a different scope, if you have finally discovered your dream job in SharePoint but are still determining how to ace the interview, EDUCBA can help you. We have designed the most common SharePoint Interview Questions and Answers to assist you in succeeding in your interview.
Here is a list of frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers on Sharepoint. These top interview questions are divided into two parts as follows:
Part 1 – SharePoint Interview Questions And Answers for Freshers
Q1. What are the essential features of SharePoint?
Answer:
These features are a good base for Content Management, Business Process Management, and Web Publishing. The tools are as below:
- SharePoint Sites help store and organize data.
- Insights are a tool that brings all information together from different data sources.
- SharePoint Communicates in networking and collaborating with other people.
- Search helps provide efficient and quick communication and the contents of an enterprise.
- SharePoint also manages content.
- Lastly, Composition assists in using various tools and capabilities together.
Q2. What is the latest version of SharePoint, and explain its main features in brief?
Answer:
The latest version of SharePoint is SharePoint 2021. Its main features are that it has improved performance; it provides new features for Business Connectivity Services (BCS); it supports Cross-Site publishing and an improved and better search with precise results. Also, they have made changes in the workflow architecture. It also provides a Design Manager who helps with publishing sites. SharePoint 2021 also includes office web app servers and has newly added social networking features. It also has shredded BLOBs for storage. As everything is on mobile devices these days, they enable the user with an optimized user interface for mobile devices.
The latest on-premises version is SharePoint Server Subscription Edition, while SharePoint Online is continuously updated as part of Microsoft 365.
Key features include:
- Improved security
- Better performance
- Modern user experience
- Mobile responsiveness
- Enhanced search capabilities
- Microsoft 365 integration
Q3. Explain the terms: Site template, Site definition, and ONET.xml.
Answer:
The site template helps provide a basic template and layout for creating a new site in SharePoint. The design information contains information about an area which includes:
- List which is to be a part of the site
- Site content like document libraries
- The themes and borders on the site
- Web part pages that will be used in the site
In addition, it allows other applications of SharePoint to be instantiated whenever required.
The site definition is mainly a collection of XML or ASPX files with all necessary components. It mostly has three files- webTemp.XML, onet.XML, and default. aspx. ONET.xml specifies all components that will be present on the site. It is the most essential part of the site definition. This file can be found at: %SharePoint Root% \TEMPLATE\SiteTemplates\XML\Onet.xml
ONET.xml
An XML file that specifies:
- Lists
- Libraries
- Navigation
- Site components
It is a core file within a site definition.
Q4. What do you understand about WSP?
Answer:
A web Solution Package (WPS) is a file that contains assemblies, resource files, features, images, application pages, site definitions, etc., in a single file. All the above-listed items will be deployed whenever a new upgrade or any customizations are made in SharePoint. Deploying these to development, staging, QA, and production is challenging. Which creates a need for the WSP tool
A WSP (Windows SharePoint Solution Package) is a deployment package containing:
- Assemblies
- Features
- Images
- Site Definitions
- Resource Files
- Application Pages
It simplifies deployment across development, testing, and production environments.
Q5. What are safe controls, and what type of information is placed in that element in a SharePoint web? Config file?
Answer:
When a user chooses to deploy a web part to SharePoint, it is necessary to have a safety control, which is present in the web—config file. The SharePoint Handler object correctly loads the entries made in safe control elements in the environment. The file generally contains an assembly name, namespace, public key token numeric, type name, and safe declaration. The items not loaded in the environment properly will throw an error.
Safe Controls are entries in the web.config file that allow SharePoint to load custom web parts securely.
They contain:
- Assembly Name
- Namespace
- Public Key Token
- Type Name
- Safe=True declaration
Part 2 – SharePoint Interview Questions And Answers for Experience
Q6. What are SPSite and SPWeb? Please explain the difference between them.
Answer:
SPSite is a site collection represented in an object model. It is the object where we start working with a server object model. SPWeb is a subsite Site collection in SharePoint. It is referred to as the SPWeb class in the server object model. SPWeb represents an instance in SharePoint Web and contains actual content.
Difference:
| SPSite | SPWeb |
| Site Collection | Individual Site |
| Higher Level Object | Child Object |
| Contains Multiple Sites | Contains Content |
Q7. What is CAML?
Answer:
CAML is an abbreviation for Collaborative Application Markup Language. It is like XML. A markup language that assists in providing constructs that build fields, view, and create table definitions when the site is going for provisioning in SharePoint. It is responsible for splitting data and creating a resulting HTML that acts as an output to SharePoint.
Example:
<Query>
<Where>
<Eq>
<FieldRef Name=”Title”/>
<Value Type=”Text”>Document</Value>
</Eq>
</Where>
</Query>
Q8. What is GAC in SharePoint?
Answer:
The Global Assembly Cache contains the assembly or machine code needed to run a program. It gives custom binaries placed into entire trust code groups. After signing, the binary will have a public key identifier so that the sender and receiver can use it. GAC can be used with .NET assemblies cache for the command line platform.
Benefits:
- Centralized assembly management
- Version control
- Enhanced security
Q9. Explain the concept of Content-type in SharePoint.
Answer:
SharePoint has a Contents facility; hence the Content-type is a reusable collection of settings and metadata to represent a particular content. For example, an employee content type may have a set of metadata like employee_id, employee_name, salary, etc. It helps organize the content in a more meaningful and organized way. It also supports the inheritance of all properties and appearances.
Employee Content Type
- Employee ID
- Employee Name
- Department
- Salary
Q10. What is a Theme?
Answer:
Themes are a tool to customize a site per the user’s needs. It applies lightweight branding by changing the site layout, colors, background, headers, etc. The latest version has an expandable theming engine with many new facilities, which makes customization easier. It provides the creation of os font schemes and color palettes.
Themes allow customization of:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Backgrounds
- Headers
- Navigation Styles
They help organizations maintain branding consistency.
Q11. What is a Theme in SharePoint?
Answer:
A Theme in SharePoint lets you change how your site looks. You can adjust colors, fonts, backgrounds, headers, and navigation styles to match your company’s branding. Using themes helps keep SharePoint sites consistent, making them easier to use and more professional.
Themes allow customization of:
- Colors
- Fonts
- Backgrounds
- Headers
- Navigation Styles
Themes help organizations keep their branding consistent.
Q12. What is a SharePoint List?
Answer:
A SharePoint List is an easy way to store and organize information. It works like a spreadsheet, with data in rows and columns. You can add, edit, and share information with your team. People often use SharePoint Lists to track tasks, manage contacts, record issues, keep inventories, and store business information in one place.
Examples:
- Employee Records
- Task Tracking
- Issue Tracking
- Contact Lists
Q13.What is a Document Library?
Answer:
A Document Library in SharePoint is a place to store, organize, and share files like Word documents, Excel sheets, PDFs, and presentations. It helps teams work together by keeping all documents in one spot. Features such as version history, permissions, and document tracking make it easy to manage files, find what you need, and work together while keeping documents secure.
A Document Library is a repository for storing and managing files such as:
- Word Documents
- Excel Sheets
- PDFs
- PowerPoint Presentations
Features include:
- Version Control
- Check-In/Check-Out
- Permissions
Q14.What is a version in SharePoint?
Answer:
SharePoint keeps track of every change made to documents and list items. When you edit a file, SharePoint saves a new version instead of replacing the old one. You can look at earlier versions and restore them if needed. There are Major Versions (1.0, 2.0) and Minor Versions (1.1, 1.2). This helps teams work together and prevents losing important information.
Types:
- Major Versions (1.0, 2.0)
- Minor Versions (1.1, 1.2)
Benefits:
- Audit history
- Restore previous versions
- Better collaboration
Q15. What is Check-In and Check-Out?
Answer:
Check-In and Check-Out in SharePoint help teams avoid overwriting each other’s changes. When someone checks out a document, only they can edit it. Others can still view the file but can’t make changes. After editing, the user checks the document back in so others can update the latest version. This prevents conflicts and keeps documents organized.
Check-Out
Locks a document for editing by one user.
Check-In
Saves changes and makes the document available to others.
This helps prevent editing conflicts.
Q16.What are SharePoint Workflows?
Answer:
SharePoint Workflows help automate routine business tasks. They handle things like document approvals, leave requests, purchase orders, and task assignments automatically. Workflows send information to the right people, send notifications, and track progress. This saves time, reduces mistakes, improves teamwork, and makes sure business processes are done consistently.
Workflows automate business processes such as:
- Document Approval
- Leave Requests
- Purchase Orders
- Task Assignments
Workflows cut down on manual work and help teams work more efficiently.
Q17. What is a Feature in SharePoint?
Answer:
A Feature in SharePoint is a package that adds a specific function to your site. It lets users and developers enable things like custom lists, workflows, web parts, and content types without changing the whole system. You can turn features on or off as needed, which makes it easier to manage and reuse customizations across different sites.
Examples:
- Custom Lists
- Workflows
- Event Receivers
- Site Templates
You can turn features on or off depending on what you need.
Q18. What are Event Receivers?
Answer:
Event Receivers in SharePoint are tools that run custom code automatically when certain actions happen in lists, libraries, or items. They help automate tasks and enforce business rules without needing users to do anything. For example, an Event Receiver can send an email when a new document is uploaded to a library.
Examples:
- Item Added
- Item Updated
- Item Deleted
They help automate actions whenever users do something in SharePoint.
Q19. What is Managed Metadata?
Answer:
Managed Metadata in SharePoint helps you organize and classify content using a central set of predefined terms called a Term Store. You can tag documents, list items, and pages with the same keywords, which makes it easier to search, filter, and manage information. For example, you can use tags like HR, Finance, or IT across your organization.
Benefits:
- Consistent tagging
- Better search results
- Improved content organization
Q20. What is a Master Page?
Answer:
A Master Page in SharePoint is a template that sets the overall look and layout of your website. It keeps things like the header, footer, navigation menus, branding, and page structure the same on every page. Using a Master Page gives users a consistent experience and makes it easier to update the site’s design.
It controls:
- Header
- Footer
- Navigation
- Branding
Q21. What is the Difference Between SharePoint Online and SharePoint On-Premises?
Answer:
SharePoint Online is a cloud service managed by Microsoft as part of Microsoft 365. It gives you automatic updates, scalability, and remote access without needing your own servers. SharePoint On-Premises is installed on your organization’s servers. It gives you more control and customization, but you have to handle updates, hardware, and management yourself.
| SharePoint Online | SharePoint On-Premises |
| Cloud-based | Installed locally |
| Managed by Microsoft | Managed by organization |
| Automatic updates | Manual updates |
| Subscription model | License-based |
Q22. What is Business Connectivity Services (BCS)?
Answer:
Business Connectivity Services (BCS) in SharePoint lets you connect to external business systems like SQL Server, SAP, Oracle, and web services. You can access, view, and manage external data right in SharePoint without storing it there. BCS helps organizations build central portals, make data easier to reach, and connect different data sources to streamline business processes.
SQL Server
- SAP
- Oracle
- Web Services
This lets you display external data inside SharePoint.
Q23. What are Web Parts?
Answer:
Web Parts in SharePoint are reusable blocks that let you add and show content, data, and features on web pages without much coding. They help you create interactive pages with things like document libraries, calendars, task lists, announcements, and charts. Organizations use Web Parts to customize pages and give users the information they need in one place.
Examples:
- Calendar
- News Feed
- Document Library
- Image Viewer
Q24. What is Search Crawling in SharePoint?
Answer:
Search Crawling scans content sources and indexes information so you can quickly find documents, pages, and list items using SharePoint Search.
Search Crawling in SharePoint means scanning and collecting content from sites, document libraries, lists, and external sources. The SharePoint Search service then indexes this information and stores it in a search database. You can quickly find documents, pages, and records by searching. Crawling can be full, incremental, or continuous, depending on what you need.
Q25. What are the Advantages of SharePoint?
Answer:
SharePoint simplifies content management by providing secure access and collaboration tools. It helps teams work together using shared workspaces, document libraries, and communication tools. SharePoint also supports workflow automation, version control, and secure access. When you connect it with Microsoft 365 apps, it boosts productivity, teamwork, and workflow management.
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