Syncing SharePoint Metadata Tags to GovEagle

GovEagle can sync your SharePoint metadata columns (also called managed metadata or taxonomy tags) directly into the platform as SharePoint tags. This allows you to search, filter, and reference your content based on your organization's existing SharePoint taxonomy.

What Are SharePoint Tags?

SharePoint tags are different from regular GovEagle tags:

• SharePoint tags come from your SharePoint metadata columns and sync automatically with each refresh

• Regular GovEagle tags are created and managed manually within GovEagle

For more information about regular tags, see Content Library Overview.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have:

1. SharePoint metadata columns already configured in your SharePoint document libraries

2. An Azure AD/Entra ID admin with Global Admin or Cloud Application Administrator role who can grant organization-wide consent to enterprise apps

3. Column descriptions added in SharePoint for each metadata column you want to sync (see Step 2 below)

Setup Process

Step 1: Connect SharePoint to GovEagle

If you haven't already connected your SharePoint to GovEagle:

1. Navigate to Settings (click your profile icon at bottom left → Settings)

2. Click the "Integrations" tab

3. Click "Add SharePoint"

4. Select your SharePoint environment type (Commercial or Government)

For detailed SharePoint connection instructions, see Connecting SharePoint & Integrations.

Step 2: Add Descriptions to Your SharePoint Columns

This is a required step. Without column descriptions, GovEagle cannot make the column names fully dynamic in the platform.

In each SharePoint document library:

1. Navigate to Library Settings

2. Click on the metadata column name you want to sync

3. Select "Edit"

4. Add a clear description in the "Description" field

5. Save your changes

6. Repeat for each metadata column you want to sync

Step 3: Select Metadata Columns to Sync

After your SharePoint connection is established:

1. In GovEagle Settings, navigate to the "Integrations" tab

2. Locate your SharePoint drives in the list

3. Click the tag icon next to the drive you want to configure

4. Select which metadata columns to sync by checking the boxes next to each column

5. Click "Save"

Note: You can configure different metadata columns for different SharePoint drives based on your needs.

Step 4: Wait for Sync to Complete

After configuration:

1. GovEagle will sync your SharePoint metadata during the next scheduled sync (typically nightly)

2. You can view the timestamp of the last sync on the Integrations page

3. Once synced, your documents will display the SharePoint tags

Step 5: Verify in Content Library

Navigate to the Content Library and verify that:

1. Your documents now show the SharePoint metadata tags

2. Filters appear for your selected metadata columns

3. You can hover over "+[number]" to see all tags when documents have many

How SharePoint Tags Work in GovEagle

In the Content Library

Grouped display: SharePoint tags appear as grouped categories (e.g., "Geographic Location," "Service Type"). Click to expand and see all values within each category.

Filtering: Use the filter panel on the left to select any combination of SharePoint metadata values to view specific documents.

Hover to view all tags: When documents have many tags, a "+[number]" indicator appears. Hover over it to see the full list of tags for that document.

In AI Chat

@ Mention menu: Type @ in the chat input to see your SharePoint tags appear in the mention menu. Select them to reference documents with specific tag values.

Natural language search: Ask the AI to find documents using tag values even without @ mentioning them directly.

Example: "Find me documents tagged with United States and summarize their cybersecurity capabilities"

Optimized AI search: When you mention a SharePoint tag, GovEagle automatically limits searches to only documents with that tag, making results more precise.

Automatic Syncing

• Any changes you make to metadata tags in SharePoint will be reflected in GovEagle after the next scheduled sync

• Syncs typically occur nightly

• Check the Integrations page to see when the last sync occurred

Managing Your SharePoint Tags

Editing Which Columns Are Synced

To add or remove metadata columns from syncing:

1. Go to Settings → Integrations

2. Click the tag icon next to the relevant SharePoint drive

3. Check or uncheck the columns you want to sync

4. Click "Save"

5. Changes will take effect after the next sync

Column Naming

The exact column names from SharePoint will appear in GovEagle as tag category names. Consider:

• Using clear, descriptive column names in SharePoint

• Keeping naming consistent across document libraries

• Adding descriptions to provide context for your team

Best Practices

Planning Your Taxonomy

Work with your Knowledge Management or SharePoint admin team to:

• Finalize your taxonomy structure before syncing to production

• Determine which columns provide the most value for filtering and search

• Keep column names concise but descriptive

Managing Large Numbers of Tag Values

If you have metadata columns with hundreds of values (e.g., hundreds of client names):

• Consider whether all values need to be visible as filters

• Contact GovEagle support to discuss options for managing large tag sets

• Users can always search for tag values in chat even if they're not prominently displayed

Column Limitations

• GovEagle cannot merge multiple SharePoint columns into a single tag group

• If you need to consolidate similar columns (e.g., "Teaming Partner" and "JV"), consider merging them on the SharePoint side first

• Each SharePoint column will appear as a separate tag category in GovEagle

Troubleshooting

Metadata columns not appearing in GovEagle:

• Verify that column descriptions have been added in SharePoint for each column

• Check that you've selected the columns in the tag configuration for that drive

• Wait for the next sync to complete and check the sync timestamp on the Integrations page

Tags not updating after changes in SharePoint:

• Changes to SharePoint metadata only appear in GovEagle after the next scheduled sync

• Check the sync timestamp on the Integrations page

• Syncs typically occur nightly

Not sure which columns to sync:

Start with the metadata columns your team uses most frequently for organizing and finding documents in SharePoint. You can always add or remove columns later.

Need help?

For questions or issues with SharePoint tag integration, contact your GovEagle Customer Success team or email support@goveagle.com.