Use case
For specific groups of people.
Not recommended for
- Storing personal information in Teams, use screen sharing instead during a meeting.
- Transferring personal information, use LiquidFiles.
- Usage as tool to replace official business communications or the management of official business records.
- Your official document management repository, use a shared repository.
- Official filing system and document storage.
Naming conventions
Information shared in a Teams site must follow the University of Ottawa naming convention (See tab for Best Practices).
Useful for
- Choose Teams when the need to quickly collaborate with others and share knowledge outweighs the need for structured document management and strong governance.
- Use for instant messaging.
- Hold virtual meeting for groups, teams, service or Faculty meetings
- Real-time co-authoring on working documents.
SharePoint Sites Connected to Microsoft Teams
Every Microsoft Team includes a connected SharePoint site used for document storage and collaboration. These sites are designed to support Teams and are not intended to be managed as standalone SharePoint sites.
What you should know
- Manage membership and access through Teams whenever possible, as Teams permissions automatically apply to the connected SharePoint site.
- Most access and membership changes should be managed in Teams rather than in SharePoint.
- Avoid managing permissions directly in SharePoint or breaking permission inheritance unless advised by IT.
- Site owners are responsible for managing their SharePoint content within the available self-service capabilities.
Support available
- Guidance on how Teams and SharePoint permissions work together.
- Basic consultation on permission settings.
- Case-by-case assistance with permission resets.
- Limited support for SharePoint page design and web part configuration.
Limited or unsupported
- Advanced SharePoint customization, complex design work, or extensive site development.
- Translation services for SharePoint content.
- File- or library-level retention policies.
- Anonymous sharing or broad "Everyone" access.
- Direct permission management in SharePoint, including breaking permission inheritance.
Important SharePoint sites connected to Teams are intended to provide collaboration and file storage for Teams. They are not designed to function as standalone SharePoint sites with advanced customization, complex permission structures, or independent governance features.
FIPPA
The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) applies to Teams and employees must search all information under their control, including all information stored or shared in Teams. Contact [email protected] if you have any questions.
Retention period
