SharePoint Document Issues

Fix SharePoint Terms Disappearing Before Application

Olivia Miller Sep 28, 2026 870 views

Question details

Users are unable to apply newly added terms in a SharePoint document library because the terms vanish immediately after being entered.

How to Fix New SharePoint Terms Disappearing Before Being Applied

Product: Microsoft SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Adding a new term to an open term set within a SharePoint document library properties dialog.
Observed behavior: The newly added term disappears instantly after the user presses Enter, and it cannot be selected or applied until the properties dialog is completely closed and reopened.

Before you start

Before troubleshooting, verify that your user account has the appropriate permissions to add new terms to the SharePoint term store and ensure your browser cache is cleared.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the Dialog Refresh Workaround

Since this is a known synchronization delay in SharePoint, you can force the newly added term to appear by refreshing the document properties interface.

This issue is often related to a known bug in the SharePoint term-management system affecting multiple tenants. While waiting for an official Microsoft patch, closing and reopening the dialog forces the interface to fetch the most up-to-date term set data.

Add the new term

Type your new term into the open term set field in the document properties and press Enter.

Close the dialog

When the term disappears from the screen, click the 'X' or 'Cancel' button to close the document properties dialog completely.

Reopen and apply

Reopen the properties dialog for the same document. Your newly added term will now be visible and can be successfully selected and applied.

Known Tenant Issue: This behavior has been identified as a recent SharePoint dialog issue affecting multiple tenants. The workaround is temporary until Microsoft deploys a permanent fix.

Solution 2

Report the Issue to Microsoft Support

If the workaround is too disruptive for your organization's workflow, opening a support ticket will help Microsoft prioritize the fix for your specific tenant.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my newly added SharePoint terms disappear after I press Enter?

This is currently a known synchronization bug affecting the term-management and document-properties dialog in SharePoint across multiple Microsoft 365 tenants. The system successfully registers the term but fails to display it immediately.

Can I apply the disappeared term without having to reopen the properties dialog?

Currently, no. The system's user interface fails to refresh the open term set automatically. The standard workaround requires you to close and reopen the document properties dialog to force the interface to fetch the newly added term.

Does this synchronization issue affect all users in my SharePoint site?

Yes, because this is a tenant-level issue with how SharePoint processes open term sets, it typically affects all users who try to add new terms to the affected document library.

Document & File Issues