SharePoint Document Issues

Fix SharePoint Choice Column Options Disappearing from Editing View

Partner Editor Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to restore choice column options that vanish from the properties panel or grid view in a SharePoint document library.

How to Fix SharePoint Choice Column Options Disappearing During Editing

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Editing document metadata or list items within a SharePoint document library.
Observed behavior: Choice values remain visible in library filters but disappear when attempting to edit via the properties panel or grid view, and updates to the affected column fail to save.

Before you start

Verify your permission level in the SharePoint document library. You need at least Edit or Design permissions to modify column settings and remove custom JSON formatting.

Solution 1Recommended

Remove JSON Code from Custom Formatting Settings

Clearing the custom JSON formatting (often used for colored pill effects) frequently restores the visibility of choice options in the editing panel.

Conditional formatting is designed to change how data is displayed, but a known rendering bug in SharePoint can cause the underlying choice options to disappear from the editing interface entirely.

Access Column Settings

Navigate to your SharePoint document library, click the dropdown arrow next to the affected choice column header, and select 'Column settings' followed by 'Format this column'.

Clear the JSON Code

In the formatting pane on the right side of the screen, select the 'Advanced mode' link at the bottom. Highlight all the JSON code in the text box and delete it.

Save and Test

Click the 'Save' button. Refresh the document library page, open the properties panel for a document, and verify if the choice options have reappeared.

Remove JSON Code from Custom Formatting Settings

Formatting Cleared: Once the JSON is removed, you will lose the custom colored pill effect, but core data entry functionality should be restored.

Solution 2

Create a New Choice Column for Testing

If removing the JSON does not resolve the problem, create a fresh choice column to determine if the issue is isolated to that specific column.

Solution 3

Open a Microsoft Support Ticket

If updates to the column still do not save and options remain invisible, the issue may require escalation to Microsoft for backend troubleshooting.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do SharePoint choice options sometimes appear as colored pills?

SharePoint allows administrators to apply default or custom JSON formatting to choice columns. This formatting is used to visually distinguish different values, often rendering them as distinct colored pill shapes to make list scanning easier.

Can custom JSON formatting prevent saving column updates?

Normally, JSON formatting only affects the visual display of the column. However, rendering bugs in SharePoint can sometimes cause the choice options to disappear from the properties grid, which inadvertently prevents users from selecting and saving new values.

Are there alternative search tools if native SharePoint choice columns fail?

Yes, some users report that tools like PnP Search continue to function correctly and retrieve document metadata even when native SharePoint grid editing experiences glitches due to custom formatting.

Document & File Issues