Understanding SharePoint Column Internal Names

Oct 13, 2025 by pinkandtrash.com 82 views

Introduction

As a SharePoint administrator, you may encounter issues when trying to reference a column by its internal name. This problem can be frustrating, especially when you are working on a critical project and need to access specific data. In this article, we will discuss the issue of unable to reference a column by its internal name, and provide solutions to resolve this problem.

Understanding SharePoint Column Internal Names

In SharePoint, each column has a unique internal name that is used to reference it in code or through the SharePoint object model. The internal name is different from the display name of the column, which is the name that appears in the list or library. When you create a new column, SharePoint automatically generates an internal name for it.

The Problem: Unable to Reference a Column by Its Internal Name

When you try to reference a column by its internal name, you may encounter an error message that says "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user." This error can occur for several reasons, including:

The column has been deleted by another user.
The column has been renamed or its internal name has been changed.
The column is not visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
There is a conflict between the internal name of the column and another column or field in the list or library.

Causes of the Error

There are several causes of the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user." Some of the common causes include:

Column deletion: If another user deletes the column, its internal name will no longer be valid, and you will encounter this error.
Column renaming: If the column is renamed, its internal name will change, and you will need to update the reference to the new internal name.
Column visibility: If the column is not visible to the user who is trying to reference it, you will encounter this error.
Internal name conflict: If there is a conflict between the internal name of the column and another column or field in the list or library, you will encounter this error.

Solutions to Resolve the Error

To resolve the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user," you can try the following solutions:

Check the column existence: Verify that the column exists in the list or library and that it has not been deleted by another user.
Check the column internal name: Verify that the internal name of the column is correct and that it has not been changed.
Check column visibility: Verify that the column is visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
Update the reference: Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name if the column has been renamed.
Use the display name: Instead of using the internal name, use the display name of the column to reference it.

Example: Unable to Reference a Column by Its Internal Name

Let's say you created a new site column named "Business Category" inside your issue tracking list on SharePoint 2013 server. The column type is a dropdown list. Now the internal name for the column is "Business_x0020_Category". When you try to reference this column by its internal name, you may encounter the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user."

To resolve this error, you can try the following:

Check the column existence: Verify that the column exists in the list or library and that it has not been deleted by another user.
Check the column internal name: Verify that the internal name of the column is correct and that it has not been changed.
Check column visibility: Verify that the column is visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
Update the reference: Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name if the column has been renamed.
Use the display name: Instead of using the internal name, use the display name of the column to reference it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" can occur when trying to reference a column by its internal name in SharePoint. This error can be caused by several reasons, including column deletion, column renaming, column visibility, and internal name conflict. To resolve this error, you can try checking the column existence, checking the column internal name, checking column visibility, updating the reference, and using the display name of the column. By following these solutions, you can resolve the error and successfully reference the column by its internal name.

Best Practices

To avoid encountering the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user," follow these best practices:

Use the display name: Instead of using the internal name, use the display name of the column to reference it.
Check column existence: Verify that the column exists in the list or library and that it has not been deleted by another user.
Check column internal name: Verify that the internal name of the column is correct and that it has not been changed.
Check column visibility: Verify that the column is visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
Update the reference: Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name if the column has been renamed.

Q: What is the cause of the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user"?

A: The error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" can occur due to several reasons, including column deletion, column renaming, column visibility, and internal name conflict.

Q: How can I resolve the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user"?

A: To resolve the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user," you can try the following solutions:

Check the column existence: Verify that the column exists in the list or library and that it has not been deleted by another user.
Check the column internal name: Verify that the internal name of the column is correct and that it has not been changed.
Check column visibility: Verify that the column is visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
Update the reference: Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name if the column has been renamed.
Use the display name: Instead of using the internal name, use the display name of the column to reference it.

Q: What is the difference between the internal name and the display name of a column?

A: The internal name of a column is a unique identifier that is used to reference it in code or through the SharePoint object model. The display name of a column is the name that appears in the list or library.

Q: How can I find the internal name of a column?

A: To find the internal name of a column, you can follow these steps:

Go to the list or library where the column is located.
Click on the column header to select the column.
Right-click on the column and select "Column Settings."
In the Column Settings page, click on the "Advanced" tab.
The internal name of the column will be displayed in the "Internal Name" field.

Q: What should I do if I encounter the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" while using PowerShell?

A: If you encounter the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" while using PowerShell, you can try the following:

Check the column existence: Verify that the column exists in the list or library and that it has not been deleted by another user.
Check the column internal name: Verify that the internal name of the column is correct and that it has not been changed.
Check column visibility: Verify that the column is visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
Update the reference: Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name if the column has been renamed.
Use the display name: Instead of using the internal name, use the display name of the column to reference it.

Q: Can I use the display name of a column instead of the internal name?

A: Yes, you can use the display name of a column instead of the internal name. This can be useful if you are not sure of the internal name of the column or if you want to avoid using the internal name.

Q: How can I update the reference to a column if its internal name has been changed?

A: To update the reference to a column if its internal name has been changed, you can follow these steps:

Find the new internal name of the column.
Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name.

Q: What should I do if I encounter the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" while using a SharePoint workflow?

A: If you encounter the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" while using a SharePoint workflow, you can try the following:

Check the column existence: Verify that the column exists in the list or library and that it has not been deleted by another user.
Check the column internal name: Verify that the internal name of the column is correct and that it has not been changed.
Check column visibility: Verify that the column is visible to the user who is trying to reference it.
Update the reference: Update the reference to the column to use the new internal name if the column has been renamed.
Use the display name: Instead of using the internal name, use the display name of the column to reference it.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the error "Column does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user" can occur due to several reasons, including column deletion, column renaming, column visibility, and internal name conflict. To resolve this error, you can try checking the column existence, checking the column internal name, checking column visibility, updating the reference, and using the display name of the column. By following these solutions, you can resolve the error and successfully reference the column by its internal name.