How to Reuse Content Types Between Different Web Applications Using the Content Type Hub in SharePoint 2010

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Problem

SharePoint defines content types to store different types of metadata. SharePoint 2007 was limited in respect to content type centralization and sharing between site collections/web applications.

Solution

SharePoint 2010 introduces a new concept called the 'Content Type Hub'. It is a centralized application where users can create different content types and publish them. As it would be defined as content type hub, every application could use it with a single configuration. The advantage is it would be centralized and could be shared among different applications. In this article we will show how to achieve this.

First of all create a new web application and a team site.

my content type hub

Now go to Central Administration  -> Application Management  -> Manage Service Applications -> Select Managed Metadata Service. Click Properties on the Ribbon.

site actions

Scroll down to the Application Pool Section. In the lower half, under Content Type Hub, we need to add the URL of the root site collection of web application which we have just created. By adding it here, it will define the web application as a content type hub. Once you have added it, click OK.

managed metadata

Move back to created web application and create a content type (I name mine 'EmployeeContentType'). It has some basic information like empname, empno, empage, empaddress and empcontact.

site content information

After defining all metadata, click on "Manage publishing for this content type". A screen will appear with three options "Publish","Unpublish" and "Republish". In our case, Select Publish and click OK.

content tupe publishing

Now for an immediate effect, we need to run two timer jobs. The first is the Content type Hub and other the is the Content Type Subscriber. Do this from Central Administration  -> Monitoring -> Timer Job Definitions.

content type hub

Now go to the site where you want to have the defined content type. Go to Site Settings -> Site Collection Administration  -> Content Type Publishing.

site collection administration

If everything was followed correctly, you should be able to see the defined content type under ContentTypeHubService (Managed Metadata Service name). If not, click on "Refresh all published content types on next update" and select OK and by next timer job execution, it will be published and imported automatically.

refresh

You can also check in Site Settings  -> Site Content Types. It should be listed there too.

folder content types
Next Steps


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About the author
MSSQLTips author Rahul Mehta Rahul Mehta is a Project Architect/Lead working at Tata Consultancy Services focusing on ECM.

This author pledges the content of this article is based on professional experience and not AI generated.

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