“Content Type Not Available” – Troubleshooting Guide for SharePoint

🔍 Error Overview

The error “Content type not available” occurs when a document library, list, or site cannot access a specific content type that should be available. This issue can prevent users from uploading, editing, or managing documents correctly.

📌 What is a Content Type in SharePoint?

A content type in SharePoint is a reusable collection of metadata (columns), settings, and templates applied to lists and document libraries. It helps in organizing and managing content efficiently.

When this error appears, it typically means:
✔ The required content type is missing, deleted, or not published.
✔ The document library does not have the correct content type settings.
✔ There is a permission issue preventing access to the content type.
✔ There is a SharePoint synchronization issue causing a temporary failure.

This guide will walk you through step-by-step solutions to resolve this issue.

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🛠 Step-by-Step Solutions to Fix “Content Type Not Available” Error

🟢 Step 1: Verify Content Type Availability in Site Settings

The first step is to check whether the content type exists and is enabled.

How to Check Available Content Types

1. Go to SharePoint Site Settings:
   • Click the gear icon (⚙️) in the top-right corner.
   • Select “Site Settings”.
2. Navigate to Content Types:
   • Under the “Web Designer Galleries”, click “Site content types”.
3. Look for the Missing Content Type:
   • Use the search bar to find the content type name.
   • If it is missing, it may have been deleted or unpublished.

✔ Solution:

• If the content type is missing, recreate it manually (Step 4) or publish it again (Step 3).

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🟢 Step 2: Check if Content Type is Enabled for the Library/List

Sometimes, the content type exists but is not enabled for a particular library or list.

How to Enable Content Types in a Document Library

1. Go to the Affected Library or List:
   • Open the document library where the error occurs.
   • Click on Library Settings.
2. Enable Content Types:
   • Under Advanced Settings, find the option “Allow management of content types”.
   • Set it to “Yes”.
3. Check Associated Content Types:
   • Scroll down to Content Types.
   • Ensure the required content type appears in the list.

✔ Solution:

• If the content type is missing, add it manually from Site Content Types.

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🟢 Step 3: Publish or Republish Content Type from Content Type Hub

If the content type is part of a Content Type Hub (used in SharePoint Online and SharePoint 2013+), it may need to be published or republished.

How to Publish a Content Type in SharePoint Online

1. Open SharePoint Admin Center.
2. Navigate to Content Type Gallery:
   • Go to SharePoint Admin Center > Content Services > Content Type Gallery.
3. Select the required content type.
4. Click “Publish” (or “Republish” if it was already published).
5. Wait 30-60 minutes for changes to sync across all sites.

✔ Solution:

• If content types are not syncing, run Step 5 to force synchronization.

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🟢 Step 4: Recreate the Missing Content Type

If the content type is deleted or unavailable, manually recreate it.

How to Create a New Content Type

1. Go to Site Settings > Site Content Types.
2. Click “Create New Content Type”.
3. Enter:
   • Name: (e.g., “Project Document”)
   • Parent Content Type: Choose the relevant category (e.g., Document, List).
   • Group: Select Custom Content Types or create a new group.
4. Click OK, then add required columns (metadata).

✔ Solution:

• Once created, add it to the library (Step 2) and test if the error is resolved.

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🟢 Step 5: Force Content Type Synchronization with PowerShell (Advanced Users)

If content type updates are not syncing properly, force synchronization using PowerShell.

How to Run PowerShell Script to Sync Content Types

1. Open PowerShell (Run as Administrator).
2. Run the following script:

Connect-SPOService -Url https://yourdomain-admin.sharepoint.com
Start-SPOSiteContentTypesSync

3. Wait for synchronization to complete (it may take up to 1 hour).

✔ Solution:

• This forces SharePoint to resync content types across all site collections.

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🟢 Step 6: Check SharePoint Permissions

A user may not have the correct permissions to access a content type.

How to Check User Permissions

1. Go to Site Settings > Site Permissions.
2. Click Check Permissions and enter the username.
3. Ensure they have at least Edit or Contribute access.

✔ Solution:

• If users lack permissions, grant them access to the document library.

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🟢 Step 7: Remove and Re-Add the Content Type to the Library

If the content type is partially broken, removing and re-adding it can fix the issue.

How to Remove & Re-Add Content Type

1. Go to Library Settings > Content Types.
2. Remove the affected content type.
3. Click “Add from existing site content types”.
4. Re-add the missing content type and save changes.

✔ Solution:

• Refresh the page and check if the error disappears.

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🟢 Step 8: Contact Microsoft Support if the Issue Persists

If none of the above steps resolve the issue, it may be a server-side problem.

📞 Contact Microsoft Support:

• Open Microsoft 365 Admin Center > Support > New Service Request.
• Provide details about the affected content type, site, and users.

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📌 Final Summary & Solutions

🔹 If the content type is missing: Check Site Content Types and re-enable it (Step 1 & 2).
🔹 If content type sync is broken: Republish it from the Content Type Hub (Step 3).
🔹 If the content type was deleted: Manually recreate it (Step 4).
🔹 If sync is delayed: Force sync with PowerShell (Step 5).
🔹 If users cannot access it: Check and adjust SharePoint permissions (Step 6).
🔹 If the library is broken: Remove and re-add the content type (Step 7).

Would you like Power Automate solutions to automate content type assignments?