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Changing content types visibility behaviour in Docs Explorer
Who is this article for?
Users who want to learn how to change content type visibility behaviour.
No elevated permissions are required.
From Desktop 9.4 onwards, Ideagen Mail Manager Docs Explorer has been updated to align content type visibility behaviour with the modern Microsoft SharePoint experience.
1. Understanding the background
SharePoint has two experiences: the classic experience and the modern experience. Content types can be set to visible or hidden in SharePoint library settings by your SharePoint administrator.
Ideagen Mail Manager Docs Explorer was originally built to mirror the classic SharePoint experience, which hid content types not marked as Visible on New Button in SharePoint library settings. As Microsoft has moved away from the classic experience, Ideagen Mail Manager Docs Explorer has updated its content type visibility behaviour to align with how modern SharePoint handles this.
2. Reviewing what has changed
Prior to Desktop 9.4, Ideagen Mail Manager Docs Explorer followed classic SharePoint behaviour, meaning content types not marked as Visible on New Button in your SharePoint library settings would not appear anywhere in the product (see Figure 1.0 for an example of a content type not marked as Visible on New Button).
Figure 1.0: Sample of a content type not marked as 'Visible on New Button'
From Desktop 9.4 onwards, the product now follows modern SharePoint behaviour:
| Scenario | Visual Reference | Before 9.4 (Classic behaviour) | From 9.4 (Modern behaviour) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selecting an existing item (Content Type dropdown in the Properties panel) | Refer to Figure 1.1 | Content type not marked as 'Visible on New Button' will not be available for selection | Content type not marked as 'Visible on New Button' will be available for selection |
| Creating a new item (New button in the toolbar) | Refer to Figure 1.2 | Content type not marked as 'Visible on New Button' will not be available for selection | Content type not marked as 'Visible on New Button' will not be available for selection |
Figure 1.1: Selecting an existing item
Figure 1.2: Creating a new item
3. Identifying who is affected
From Desktop 9.4 onwards, Ideagen Mail Manager Docs Explorer will no longer mirror classic SharePoint behaviour specifically in how content type visibility is handled. If your organisation is still on classic SharePoint, we recommend reviewing this change before upgrading to ensure it does not disrupt your current setup.
4. Determining next steps
If your organisation uses hidden content types (content types not marked as Visible on New Button in your SharePoint library settings) and you are on modern SharePoint:
- No action is required — the new behaviour aligns with what you already see in SharePoint
If your organisation is still on classic SharePoint:
- Review whether upgrading to Desktop 9.4 may impact your current setup
- Consider marking those content types as Visible on New Button in your SharePoint library settings if you want consistent behaviour across all versions