TechTips - How to Enable Tree View in a SharePoint 2007 Website

When you build a SharePoint 2007 website the site you get is very basic and is the starting website that is there for you to mold it into what you want it to be. One of the handy settings I have found that I like to enable for all of my sites is the Tree View setting, this gives your users a Tree View of the sites entire hierarchy and they can easily navigate to different sections of the SharePoint 2007 website. In this guide I will explain why you might want to turn this on and how to enable the Tree View for your SharePoint 2007 website.

The reason I like to enable the Tree View in my SharePoint 2007 websites is that it gives the users an easy to use navigation pane that is in a Tree format from top down. This helps them to find different areas of the website quickly and can get around more easily. As SharePoint states when you enable this feature it displays the content in a more physical manner so you can see what is within the site. You don't have to stumble around to find the meat of the site; it will be listed in the left hand view pane for your users.

When you are working with SharePoint 2007 it can be confusing for users to know where things are located, the Tree View just gives them another way to find the different portions of the website. I am always trying to find ways that I can make a site more user friendly; Tree View does that for me. Now the users have the information displayed in two different formats and can choose which one they would like to follow.

So in order to enable the Tree View you will want to follow these steps:

1. Open your SharePoint 2007 website

2. Click on Login (if you aren't logged in already by default)

3. Click on Site Actions (will only appear if you have admin rights to this SharePoint 2007 website)

4. Click Site Settings

5. Click Tree View (Under Look and Feel Section)

6. Check the box next to Enable Tree View

7. Click OK

Now if you go back to your main website home page you will see the Tree View displayed at the bottom section of the left hand view pane window. You should have all of the links that are in the quick launch section (and a few others, Form Templates, Announcements, and Links) but now they are simply listed with small icons next to them.

Like I said before this is just a preference I like to enable to give my users a little more choice when it comes to how they navigate the site. The links aren't anything astonishing and they don't really give you any more content I just like to have them there for my users. Sometimes clicking these links is faster than trying to find where they are hidden within the basic interface of the SharePoint 2007 website home page.

Well I hope this guide helps you to enable the Tree View in your SharePoint 2007 Website.