How to Restore the Missing Item Content Type in a SharePoint List
Question details
The default 'Item' content type needs to be restored after it disappears from the selection menu in a SharePoint list.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- The user added or renamed custom content types in a SharePoint list, which caused the default built-in 'Item' type to vanish from the New menu.
- Observed behavior
- The default Item content type is missing from the list's content-type selection, preventing users from creating standard items.
Ensure you have the necessary site owner or administrator permissions to modify list settings and manage content types in your SharePoint environment.
Enable Content Type Management and Add the Missing Type
By enabling the management of content types in your list's advanced settings, you can manually re-add the missing 'Item' content type from the site's existing templates.
SharePoint lists hide the default content types from the management view until you explicitly allow content type management. Once enabled, you have full control over which item types appear in the 'New' drop-down menu.
Navigate to your SharePoint list, click the Gear icon (Settings) in the top right corner of the screen, and select 'List settings' from the drop-down menu.
Under the 'General Settings' column on the settings page, click on 'Advanced settings'.
Locate the 'Allow management of content types?' option at the very top, select the 'Yes' radio button, and click 'OK' at the bottom of the page.
Back on the List Settings page, scroll down to the newly visible 'Content Types' section and click the 'Add from existing site content types' link.
Choose 'List Content Types' from the group drop-down menu. Select 'Item' from the list of available site content types, click 'Add' to move it to the list of content types to add, and click 'OK'. The Item type will now be restored to your list's New menu.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my default Item content type disappear in SharePoint?
The default 'Item' content type usually disappears from the 'New' menu when you add custom content types to a list or rename the existing ones without first enabling content type management in the list's advanced settings.
How do I change the default content type for a SharePoint list?
Go to your List Settings and ensure 'Allow management of content types' is enabled. Under the Content Types section, click 'Change new button order and default content type', then assign position '1' to your preferred content type.
Can I hide a content type from the New menu without deleting it?
Yes, you can hide a content type. Navigate to List Settings, click on the specific content type under the Content Types section, select 'Advanced settings', and uncheck the option to show it on the 'New' button.
