Show the Last Editor in a SharePoint Document Library
Question details
The user wants to display the person who most recently modified each document in a SharePoint document library.
- Product
- Microsoft SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Make last-modifier information visible alongside documents in a library view.
- Observed behavior
- SharePoint’s built-in Modified By column automatically displays the user associated with the most recent modification.
Open the SharePoint document library and select the view you want to update. Make sure you have permission to edit that view; changing a shared view may require help from the library owner.
Enable the Modified By column in the SharePoint library view
Use the built-in Modified By column to show who most recently modified each document without creating a custom metadata field.
Go to the SharePoint document library, then select the current view name above the document list.
Choose Edit current view from the view menu to open the view settings.
In the Columns section, select the checkbox for Modified By. Adjust its column position if you want it to appear next to the document name.
Select OK or the available save control, then return to the library. The Modified By column will display the user associated with each document’s latest modification.
Use WPS Office to Edit Office Documents Alongside SharePoint
WPS Office is a free, lightweight, easy-to-use alternative for editing Office documents downloaded from SharePoint. Its familiar interface and Microsoft Office format compatibility support seamless migration for everyday document work. The Modified By column remains a SharePoint setting and must be enabled in the library itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to create a custom Last Editor column?
No. SharePoint already provides the Modified By column. Open the document library’s current view menu, choose Edit current view, select Modified By, and save the view.
Why can’t I edit the current library view?
You may not have permission to change that view, especially if it is a shared public view. Ask the library owner to enable Modified By, or create a personal view if your permissions and library settings allow it.
Does Modified By show everyone who has edited a document?
No. It shows only the user associated with the latest modification. To review earlier changes, open the document’s menu and choose Version history, if versioning is enabled for the library.
Will Modified By appear in every library view after I enable it?
Not automatically. Column visibility is configured for each view. Switch to another view and use Edit current view to enable Modified By there as well.
