How to Create and Use a List in Microsoft Lists

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Microsoft Lists, Teams, SharePoint)
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-17

Summary

This article shows you how to create, customize, and share lists using Microsoft Lists — a flexible tracking tool built into Microsoft 365 for managing tasks, issues, inventory, events, and other structured data across your team.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft 365 account with access to Microsoft Lists (included in most business and enterprise plans).
• An active internet connection.
• No admin rights are required for any step in this article.

Instructions

1. Open Microsoft Lists

You can access Microsoft Lists from multiple entry points across Microsoft 365.

1. From the web: Navigate to https://lists.microsoft.com and sign in with your Microsoft 365 account.
2. From the Microsoft 365 app launcher: Click the App launcher (grid icon) in the top-left corner of any Microsoft 365 page and select Lists.
3. From Teams: Open a Teams channel, click the + (Add a tab) button at the top, and select Lists from the app gallery.

Verification: The Microsoft Lists home page displays with sections for Recent, My lists, and Shared with me.

2. Create a New List

Microsoft Lists provides multiple starting points depending on your needs.

1. Click + New list at the top of the Lists home page.
2. Choose a creation method:
   • Blank list — Start from scratch with an empty list.
   • From template — Choose from pre-built templates such as Issue tracker, Event itinerary, Content scheduler, Recruitment tracker, or Travel requests.
   • From Excel — Import data from an existing .xlsx file. Lists will auto-detect your columns.
   • From existing list — Duplicate the structure (and optionally the data) of a list you already own.
3. Enter a Name for your list (e.g., IT Equipment Requests).
4. Optionally add a Description and choose a Color and Icon to help identify the list visually.
5. Under Save to, choose where to store the list:
   • My lists — Personal list visible only to you (until you share it).
   • A SharePoint site — Shared list stored in a team or project site.
6. Click Create.

Verification: The new list opens in grid view with default columns (or the columns defined by the selected template).

3. Add and Customize Columns

Columns define the data fields in your list. Customize them to match your tracking needs.

1. Click + Add column in the header row (to the right of the last column).
2. Select a column type:
   • Text — Free-form text (e.g., Description, Notes).
   • Number — Numeric values (e.g., Quantity, Cost).
   • Choice — A dropdown with predefined options (e.g., Status: Not Started, In Progress, Completed).
   • Date — Date picker (e.g., Due Date, Start Date).
   • Person — A people picker linked to your organization's directory (e.g., Assigned To).
   • Yes/No — A toggle field (e.g., Approved, Urgent).
3. Enter a Name for the column.
4. Configure any additional settings (e.g., default value, required field, choices for a Choice column).
5. Click Save.
6. To edit or delete an existing column, click the column header and select Column settings > Edit or Column settings > Delete.

4. Add and Edit List Items

Each row in the list represents a single item (task, request, record, etc.).

1. Click + New at the top of the list to add a new item.
2. A form opens with all your columns as fields. Fill in the relevant details.
3. Click Save.
4. To edit an existing item, click on its row to open the detail pane, or double-click a cell to edit inline in grid view.
5. To delete an item, select the row (click the checkbox on the left), then click Delete in the command bar.

5. Switch Views and Create Custom Views

Views let you filter, sort, and display your data in different ways without changing the underlying list.

1. Click the view name dropdown at the top-left of the list (default is All items).
2. Choose a built-in view or click Create new view.
3. Configure the view:
   • Name the view (e.g., My Open Tasks).
   • View type: Choose List (default grid), Calendar (date-based), Gallery (card layout), or Board (Kanban-style grouped by a Choice column).
   • Filter: Add conditions to show only certain items (e.g., Status equals In Progress).
   • Sort: Set the default sort column and direction.
   • Group by: Group rows by a column value (e.g., group by Assigned To).
4. Click Create.

Verification: The new view appears in the view dropdown and displays only the items matching your filters.

6. Share a List with Others

Sharing allows team members to view or edit the list collaboratively.

1. Open the list you want to share.
2. Click the Share button (or the ⚙️ Settings gear icon > List settings > Permissions).
3. Enter the names or email addresses of the people or groups you want to share with.
4. Set the permission level:
   • Can edit — Recipients can add, modify, and delete items.
   • Can view — Recipients can only read the list.
5. Optionally add a message, then click Send.
6. To add a list as a tab in Teams, open a channel, click + > Lists, and select the existing list from Add an existing list.

7. Use Rules for Simple Automation

Lists includes a built-in rules engine for lightweight automation — no Power Automate required.

1. Click Automate in the command bar and select Create a rule.
2. Choose a trigger condition:
   • When a column changes (e.g., when Status changes to Completed).
   • When a new item is created.
3. Choose an action:
   • Notify someone — Send a notification to a specific person.
   • Set a column value — Automatically update another field (e.g., set Completed Date to today).
4. Configure the details and click Create.

Verification: Trigger the condition (e.g., change an item's status) and verify the action fires as expected.

Troubleshooting

TIP

Microsoft Lists and SharePoint lists share the same backend. A list created in a SharePoint site is automatically a "Microsoft List" — the difference is purely in the user interface used to access it.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
"Lists" app not visible in the app launcher	License does not include Lists	Contact IT to verify your Microsoft 365 license includes Microsoft Lists.
Cannot create a list — "You don't have permission"	SharePoint site permissions restrict list creation	Ask the site owner to grant you Edit or Contribute permission, or create the list under My lists instead.
Imported Excel columns are wrong types	Excel data had mixed types or blank headers	Clean up your Excel file first — ensure every column has a header and consistent data types, then re-import.
List does not appear in Teams after adding	Browser cache or Teams cache stale	Refresh the Teams tab. If the list still does not appear, remove the tab and re-add it.
Rules are not firing	Rule condition does not match the change	Open Automate > Manage rules and verify the trigger column, value, and action are configured correctly.

Related Articles

• How to Use List Views and Filters in SharePoint
• How to Manage Files in SharePoint Document Libraries
• How to Use Power Automate Basics in Microsoft 365
• How to Create and Manage Teams Channels
• Understanding Microsoft 365 Apps — What Each App Does and When to Use It
• Understanding Task Management in Microsoft 365 — To Do vs. Planner vs. Lists

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