Location based Metadata defaults in SharePoint Document Library

Introduction:

Location based metadata defaults is a great feature to manage default values for documents in SharePoint Document Library. It allows to configure default values for document library, folders, sub folders etc. based on location / hierarchy so users will not have to provide the metadata values when they upload the documents in the document library.

How to setup Metadata defaults in Document Library ?

Following steps give you a very quick overview on how to configure the default column values feature in SharePoint. (These screenshots are for SharePoint 2013, but it’s almost identical in 2010 as well).

Open Document Library --> Library Settings --> General Settings --> Column default value settings

Here you can configure default values for several fields (Fields those support metadata defaults) for different location/ hierarchies.

If you don't configure default values for any folder or sub folder then it will be inheriting default values from its parent hierarchy otherwise its own configured default values.

Once you configured default values, go to your Document library or folder inside it and try adding any document, you will be having configured default values auto filled in those fields in Edit metadata form. Enjoy!!