Add M-Files Property

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. You can also add an electronic signature to a Microsoft Word document. For more information, see Electronic Signatures.

Note: For Microsoft PowerPoint, the Insert Property function is available in versions 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 opens the document in a Microsoft Office desktop application. It is also possible to enable automatic updates for metadata fields on check-in. When this setting is enabled, the metadata fields are updated when metadata is changed in M-Files. 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. M-Files automatically fills text fields or cells in the template 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 set a document to be used as a 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, which turns gray when clicked. In Microsoft Excel documents, M-Files properties show as cell formulas. Microsoft PowerPoint documents show the properties as text areas.

Additional information about properties with date and time information

  • Properties of the Timestamp data type added to Microsoft Word documents always use the time 0:00. To have the timestamp include the correct time, ask your administrator to set up a property of the Text data type to contain the timestamp value. Then, use that Text property in your template.
  • For instructions on how to change how date and time information is shown in the inserted properties, refer to the article How to change the date and time formats in Word templates.

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.