You Can Access Additional Views on a List or Library: Quick Navigation for SharePoint

SharePoint lists hide their best features in plain sight. I spent two days digging through menus before realizing the additional views were right there in the ribbon.

The fastest path is through the view selector dropdown—no admin rights needed. Online and on-premises versions handle this differently, but the core approach stays consistent across both.

You’ll switch between custom views in under 5 seconds once you know where to look. The settings menu offers deeper customization if the defaults don’t fit your workflow.

Works whether you’re managing documents or tracking project tasks. This is the shortcut I wish I’d known years ago.

What Youll Need

Step-by-Step Instructions for Accessing Additional Views in SharePoint

Here’s how I navigate between views quickly in any list or library.

Open the SharePoint list or library you need to customize. I always start by looking at the top of the list, just below the name. You’ll see a dropdown menu labeled with the current view name—this is your gateway to all available options.

Click the dropdown arrow to reveal the list of existing views. The default is usually All Items or All Documents, but your site might have custom ones already created. This menu shows every view configured for this specific list or library.

From the dropdown, simply click any view name to switch to it immediately. The page refreshes automatically with the new sorting, filtering, or grouping applied. I’ve found this works fastest in modern SharePoint experiences compared to classic mode.

Watch for the loading spinner in the center of the screen—once it disappears, the new view is fully active. The URL in your browser updates to reflect the view change, which you can bookmark for future quick access.

For more control, click Switch view options at the bottom of the dropdown menu. This opens a panel where you can see all views at a glance, including their descriptions if any were added during creation.

From here, you can also pin frequently used views to the top of the dropdown for even faster access. I always pin my most used view to save time—it appears as the first option in the dropdown after pinning.

If the existing views don’t meet your needs, click Create view from the same dropdown. You can start from scratch or copy an existing view to modify it. This is where I spend most of my time when setting up new SharePoint sites.

The view creation interface lets you set filters, sort orders, grouping, and column selections. Give your view a clear name—something like Active Projects or High Priority Documents—so others can understand its purpose at a glance.

After creating or modifying a view, always test it with sample data. Check that the sorting works as expected and that all important columns are visible. I’ve caught many mistakes this way before making the view available to the whole team.

Once satisfied, click Save to make it available in the dropdown for everyone with access to the list. The new view appears immediately in the selector, ready for use. Remember that permissions apply—only users with edit rights can modify views.

Tips and Common Mistakes

These insights come from years of navigating SharePoint efficiently in real-world scenarios.

The View Selector Shortcut: In Step 1, don’t overlook that dropdown menu—it’s your fastest route to all available views. I’ve seen users waste minutes scrolling through lists when they could instantly switch perspectives with one click. The default All Items view is always there, but custom views often solve specific needs.

Modern vs Classic Mode: As mentioned in Step 2, modern SharePoint experiences handle view switching faster than classic mode. If you’re still using classic, consider upgrading—you’ll notice immediate improvements in responsiveness, especially with large lists. The loading spinner disappears almost instantly in modern mode.

Pinning Strategy: Step 3 reveals a time-saver I use daily: pinning frequently used views. After pinning, your most important view appears first in the dropdown, eliminating the need to scroll through options. This small change has saved me countless clicks over the years.

Verification Step: Never skip Step 5’s testing phase. I’ve caught filtering errors and missing columns during this review that would have caused confusion for my entire team. A quick test with sample data prevents bigger problems later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Accessing additional views in a SharePoint list or library is a breeze once you know the shortcut! Simplify your workflow by using the quick navigation method to save time and boost productivity. Ready to explore more? Dive into SharePoint’s advanced features to unlock even greater efficiency! 🎯