Route document using Content Organizer in SharePoint based on metadata

SharePoint provides out of box feature to automatically route document specific libraries or folder is called Content Organizer. It can be used to manage document library constantly. Content organizer is automatically move document to specific target location based on specified metadata.

Using this feature end user do not to remember where to upload the document. It will automatically route the document based on defined custom settings & rules or applying proper manage metadata. This is a very powerful feature of SharePoint to organize the documents consistently.

With Content Organizer, you can automatically route document from one site collection to another site collection. Make sure you should have Content Organizer feature is activated in another site collection. 

You can route content or document within the farm using content organizer.

Content organizer will work only with content types that are inherited from document content type.

How to use content organizer in site

1. Activate Content Organizer feature

2. Create library or folder to route document

3. Configure content organizer settings

4. Create content organizer rule

5. Upload document in Drop off Library

6. Verify the routed document in specified library or folder

Step 1: Activate Content Organizer feature

• Navigate to SharePoint 2013 Web Application
• Navigate to Site Settings >> Site Actions >> Manage Site Features
• Click on Activate button to enable Content Organizer feature from the list of features

• Once Content Organizer activated it will add Content Organizer settings and Content Organizer Rules options inside Site Settings >> Site Administration
• Also creates new document library called Drop off Library. You can see it in quick launch bar of home page.

Step 2: Create library or folder to route document

• Click on Site Contents from quick launch or from clicking on gear icon from top right corner of the screen
• Click on Add an app
• Click on Document library app
• Give name to document library as "SampleDocLib"
• Click on Create

Step 3: Configure content organizer settings

• Navigate to Site Settings >> Site Administration >> Content Organizer Settings
• Select the check box for Redirect Users to the Drop Off library to route user to upload the document in this library and route it based on defined rules.
• If you would like to route content or document to another site’s library or folder then select the Allow rule to specify another site as a target location under Send to Another Site section.

Step 4: Create content organizer rule

• Navigate to Site Settings >> Site Administration >> Content Organizer Rules
• Click on New Item to add new rule
• Provide rule name as Sample Rule
• Select Content type group as Document Content Type and type as Document in Submission’s Content type section. You can also add custom content type that must be inherited from document content type.
• In Conditions section, select property as Title and operator as contains all of and value as Sample in property-based conditions.
• Select newly created document library named “SampleDocLib” in target location section by clicking on browse button.
• Click OK.

• Once you add new rule it will create new item in content organizer rule. You can create many rules and define the priority of rules as well.

Step 5: Upload document in Drop off Library

• Click on Drop Off Library from quick launch in left side navigation
• Click on New Document
• Select the document and give title values as “Sample HTML Design file”
• Click Submit

• If content organizer rule named Sample Rule is match with the metadata "Sample" which we added for uploaded document then it routes the document to "SampleDocLib" library

• And if Sample rule is not match then it will upload the document in Drop off library itself.

• Later on site administrator will take decision to move the document from Drop off library

Step 6: Verify the routed document in specified library or folder

• Navigate to document library named "SampleDocLib"
• You will see the routed document in the library as we have mentioned the meta data as "Sample".

Enjoy SharePoint!!!