SharePoint Online: How to Create a List Template using PowerShell?

Requirement: Create a List Template in SharePoint Online.

How to Create a List Template in SharePoint Online?

List templates in SharePoint Online provide re-usability without recreating every single field and other settings in the SharePoint list. E.g., you may create a custom list (say: Projects) in a SharePoint site collection with all relevant columns, and then you may need that list structure in other site collections without recreating the list on every single site. To create a list template in SharePoint Online, follow these steps:

1. Go to your SharePoint Online List >> Navigate to Settings >> List settings.
2. Click on “Save list as Template” under the Permissions and Management group.

   

3. Provide the file name and template name.

   

4. Choose the appropriate option for “include content” and click OK to create a list template in SharePoint Online. You can use the above steps to save the document library as a template as well in SharePoint Online.

SharePoint Online: Save List as Template using PowerShell

When you need to repeatedly create a list in SharePoint Online with some specific columns and items, you may find it helpful to save the list as a template. You can then easily create new list instances by using the template. Let’s use PowerShell to save a list as a template in SharePoint Online:

#Load SharePoint CSOM Assemblies
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"
 
#Set parameter values
$SiteURL="https://Crescent.sharepoint.com/"
$ListName="Projects"

#Configure Save list as template parameters
$FileName="Projects Template"
$TemplateName="Projects Template"
$Description ="List Template for Projects"
$IncludeData = $False

Try{
    #Get Credentials to connect
    $Cred= Get-Credential
  
    #Setup the context
    $Ctx = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($SiteURL)
    $Ctx.Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($Cred.Username, $Cred.Password)
 
    #Get the List
    $List = $Ctx.Web.lists.GetByTitle($ListName)
    $List.SaveAsTemplate($FileName, $TemplateName, $Description, $IncludeData)
    $Ctx.ExecuteQuery()

    Write-Host -f Green "List Saved as Template!"
}
Catch {
        write-host -f Red "Error Saving List as template!" $_.Exception.Message
} 

This PowerShell script creates a list template in SharePoint Online.

Save list as Template is not visible in SharePoint Online? Here is the fix: SharePoint Online: Save List as Template Missing?

PnP PowerShell to Save List as Template

Here is how to save a list as a template in SharePoint Online using PnP PowerShell:

#Parameters
$SiteURL= "https://crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/marketing"
$ListName = "Documents"
$TemplateFileName = "DocumentsTemplate.stp"
$TemplateName = "DocumentsTemplate"
$TemplateDescription=""
$IncludeData = $False
 
#Connect to PnP Online
Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteURL -Credentials (Get-credential)
$Context  = Get-PnPContext

#Get the List
$List = Get-PnpList -Identity $ListName

#Save List as template
$List.SaveAsTemplate($TemplateFileName, $TemplateName, $TemplateDescription, $IncludeData)
$Context.ExecuteQuery()

This can be useful if you need to create a new list that is similar to an existing list, or if you want to create a template that you can use for future lists. To delete an existing list template, refer to How to Delete a List Template in SharePoint Online using PowerShell?