Add M-Files Property

Note: This content is no longer updated. For the latest content, please go to the user guide for M-Files Online. For information on the supported product versions, refer to our lifecycle policy.

To add object metadata to the content of a Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Microsoft PowerPoint document, click Insert Property in the M-Files tab. It is also possible to add an electronic signature to a Microsoft Word document with the Insert property function. For more information, see Electronic Signatures.

Note: For Microsoft PowerPoint, the Insert Property function is available in versions 2013, 2016, and 2019, and in versions of Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise that Microsoft supports.

By default, the metadata fields in a Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, or Microsoft PowerPoint document are updated when someone checks out the document in M-Files. As an alternative, it is possible to enable automatic updates for metadata fields. When this setting is enabled, the metadata fields are updated when metadata is changed in M-Files Desktop, the classic M-Files Web, or M-Files Mobile. To enable this feature, tell your M-Files system administrator to enable automatic updates for metadata fields.

Using Insert Property with document templates

The Insert Property function can be very helpful when you create document templates. Text fields or cells in the template are automatically filled with the selected properties when a user creates a new document. If a property does not have a value, the text fields or cells in the document templates stay empty.

To define an existing document as a document template in M-Files, use the Is template property. To control which users can set documents as templates, see Property Definition Permissions. It is, however, not necessary to set a document to be a template to add metadata to the document.

An M-Files property added into a Microsoft Word document shows as a text field, that turns gray when clicked. In Microsoft Excel documents, M-Files properties show as cell formulas. Microsoft PowerPoint documents show the properties as text areas.

Example: Inserting M-Files Properties in Microsoft Word

  1. Find a Microsoft Word document in M-Files.
  2. Double-click the document and click Check Out.
    Result:The selected document is opened in Microsoft Word.
  3. In Microsoft Word, place the cursor where you want the M-Files property to be added.
  4. Open the M-Files ribbon and click Insert Property.
    Result:The Insert M-Files Property dialog is opened.
  5. Click the name of a property.
  6. Click OK to close the Insert M-Files Property dialog.
The value of the selected property is added to the selected location of the document.