SharePoint Document Library Check in and Check out

In this SharePoint online tutorial, we are going to discuss about SharePoint Document Library Check in and Check out. Also, we will cover the topics below:

• Enable the checkout feature in the SharePoint document library
• Enable the check-in feature in the SharePoint document library
• How to discard Check out the feature
• Checking the changes in the version history
• Required Check-Out in the SharePoint Document Library
• SharePoint check-in document checked out by someone else
• SharePoint check-in all files

Also, Read: SharePoint Calculated Column Today [With Various Examples]

Check out in SharePoint Online Document Library

Here, we will discuss check-out a file in the SharePoint document library

When the user needs to edit a file in the SharePoint document library, they need to ensure that no one else can edit that file or document by the checkout feature.

Else, if they try to make changes in a document, they receive a message as shown below:

In the SharePoint document library, once we enable the check-out feature, only we can edit it online in Microsoft 365 or offline and save the changes before checking the file back in. 

Example: We have already created a document library for RENA Technologies, a company based out in the United States of America.

Based on the business scenario, the client stored the RENA Procurement Documents in a document library, where there is a file of the Procurement Management plan when we enable check-out, after editing it we can enable the check-in feature where other users can see the changes made, and they can modify it.

Check-in in SharePoint Online Document Library

The check-in feature allows other users to edit a file else describes the process of adding a new or modified file to a SharePoint document library.

Example: We have already created a list for RENA Technologies, a company based out in the United States of America.

Based on the business scenario, the client stored the RENA Procurement Documents in a document library, where there is a file of the Procurement Management plan, where we need to do changes in the file, and no one else can make changes while we are editing it by enabling a Check-out feature.

SharePoint Document Library Check Out Settings

As per the above example of the RENA Technologies, RENA Procurement Documents in a document library, where there is a file of the Procurement Management plan we will make some changes by enabling the check-out feature.

There are two approaches:

Approach 1:

• We have a SharePoint document library named RENA Procurements. By using this file, we will do the check-out feature.
• Select a file of the Procurement Management plan in Semiconductor Procurement -> Select More Options

• Expand More -> Select Check out

Approach 2:

• Select a file of the Procurement Management plan in Semiconductor Procurement -> Select More Options on the top-left corner of the document library

• Click on the Check out

• Now we can see that our file has been checked out.

• If we hover over the red arrow mark, we can see details that, this item is checked out, so other members can’t edit.

• Let’s open the file and make some changes to it.

• The changes that we made will be saved(If we’re done editing this file and we want other members to be able to edit it, we need to check in the file) 

This is how we can enable the file as check-out.

SharePoint Document Library Check in Settings

As per the above example of the RENA Technologies, RENA Procurement Documents in a document library, where there is a file of the Procurement Management plan we already made some changes by enabling the check-out feature, now if we want other members to be able to edit it, we need to check in the file.

There are two approaches:

Approach 1

• We have a SharePoint document library named RENA Procurements. By using this file, we will do the check-in feature.
• Select a file of the Procurement Management plan which is checked out, in Semiconductor Procurement -> Select More Options

• Expand More -> Select Check in

Approach 2

• Select a file of the Procurement Management plan which is checked out, in Semiconductor Procurement -> Select More options on the top-left corner of the document library

• Click on the Check in

• A dialog box appears with a Check-in comment, provide the comment as per the user’s requirement -> Click on the Check in button.

• Now we can see that our file has been checked in.

Now, the other members can able to edit it and check the files. This means that anyone can open and edit the file again at the same time.

Discard Check out in SharePoint online document library

Once the file, which we added to the check-out feature, we can discard the check-out.

There are two approaches:

Approach 1

• Select the file, which has been added to check-out -> Select More Options
• Expand More -> Select Discard Check-out

Approach 2

• Select the file, which has been added to check-out -Select More Options on the top-left corner of the document library

• Click on the Discard Check-out

• A dialog box appears as if we discard the check-out, what are the changes we made will be lost -> Click on the Yes or NO button based on the user requirement.

• Once we click on the ok button, Check-out will be discarded.

This is how we can discard the check-out feature.

SharePoint document library check in and check out the version history

In Version history, we can see the history of the user who has made changes to the item and has a comment.

• Select the file, which has been added to check-in and check-out – Select More Options
• Click on the Version history

• Now we can find the users, who have made changes to the item and has a comment. It’s the comment that we added earlier when we check in the file.

This is how we can check the changes in the version history.

SharePoint document library require files to be checked out

Here we will see, that the changes take place when we specify whether users must check out documents before making changes in this document library. 

• Go to the SharePoint Online Library settings -> Select Versioning Settings

• Go to Require Check Out(Specify whether users must check out documents before making changes in this document library) Yes or NO.

• If we provide a Yes
  • Create or add a file to a library: Initially, we must check the file, before others can see it and work with it.
  • Open a file for editing: When we select Edit, the file will be automatically checked out.

If we specify yes, users must check out documents before making changes with the below link provided by Microsoft Set up a library to require check-out of files.

SharePoint document library check-in document checked out by someone else

If we have permission to file or document library when need to edit a file, but if someone is already checked out a file, still if we try to edit a file, we receive a warning dialog that it is checked out to another person.

We can see who got a file checked out.

• Select a file, which is checked out, If we hover over the red arrow mark, we can see details that, this item is checked out, so other members can’t edit and who got a file checked out.

SharePoint document library check-in all files

If there are two or multiple files checked in or need to check out, we can do them at the same time by:

• Select multiple files in the SharePoint document library. Example: RENA Procurement
• Click on More options available in the top-right corner of the SharePoint document library, where we can check in at the same time if multiple files are checked out.

• Else, we can Check out multiple files at the same time.

Conclusion

In this SharePoint online tutorial, we discussed check-out in the SharePoint document library, Check-in in the SharePoint document library, and also we discussed

• Enable the checkout feature
• Enable the check-in feature
• How to discard Check out the feature
• Checking the changes in the version history
• Required Check-Out in the SharePoint Document Library
• SharePoint check-in document checked out by someone else
• SharePoint check-in all files