One of the most frequent points of confusion I hear from users is how SharePoint and Teams work together. SharePoint and Teams are two essential tools in the Microsoft 365 suite, and they work together to enhance collaboration and productivity. Let’s dive in.

Teams is a powerful collaboration platform where you can chat, hold meetings, and collaborate with colleagues on specific subjects or tasks. Each team in Teams serves as a hub for communication and collaboration. Channels within a team allow you to organize discussions and content around specific topics.

There are three types of channels in Teams:

• Standard channels: Accessible to all team members. The default channel is called “General.”
• Private channels: Limited to specific team members for private conversations.
• Shared channels: Open to external collaborators beyond the team. (However, shared channels cannot be created in a team that includes guest users.)

SharePoint is a versatile platform for creating web sites, publishing content, and managing files. When you create a new Team in Teams, it automatically generates a corresponding SharePoint site linked to that team which powers document management within Teams.

• Key points about SharePoint in the context of Teams:
  • SharePoint site: A web site in SharePoint where you can create pages and collaborate on files. It serves as the storage location for team files.
  • Teams-connected sites: These are SharePoint sites automatically created for each team. They facilitate file storage and collaboration.
  • Channel sites: Created when you set up private or shared channels within a team. Only channel members have access to these sites.
  • Parent site: The SharePoint site associated with the entire team, used for file storage across standard channels.
  • Document libraries: These libraries store files and documents shared within Teams and SharePoint. Updates sync instantly between the two platforms.

In summary, Teams provides the collaborative workspace, while SharePoint handles document storage and management. Together, they empower efficient teamwork and content sharing.

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