How to set up a vendor list with renewal dates in SharePoint

Short answer: you can build a working vendor list in one sitting. Create a blank list, add about ten columns (including a Date column for the renewal date and one for the notice date), save a view sorted by the soonest date, enter one sample row, and share the list with the right people. This guide is only the build steps. It does not explain why renewals slip or how to schedule alerts. For that, see "Contract renewal dates missed: how to track them so none slip". For the onboarding side, see "Vendor onboarding takes weeks: how to see every stage and speed it up".

Menu names in Microsoft 365 change from time to time, and your tenant may show a slightly different layout. The exact menu names may differ from the ones below. Each step names the Microsoft page it comes from, and the full list of pages is at the end.

Before you start

You need three things:

A Microsoft 365 account that can create lists on a SharePoint site or in the Lists app.
The contract dates for your vendors, or at least a few vendors to start with.
About ten minutes to decide who will own the list.

One way to start is with five to ten vendors, not all of them. You can add the rest after you see that the list works.

Step 1. Create a blank list

Microsoft describes two ways to create a blank list. Use whichever one you can open.

From the Lists app:

Open the Microsoft 365 app launcher, select More apps, then select Lists.
Select +New list.
On the Create a list page, select Blank list.
In the Name field, type "Vendors and renewals". You can add an optional Description.
Choose where to save it. My lists keeps it under your own account. If the team will use it, one way to start is to pick a SharePoint site the team already uses.
Select Create.

From a SharePoint site (same Microsoft page):

Go to the site home page or the Site contents page.
Select + New, then List.
Select Blank list.
Type the name, and select Create.

The list opens, ready for items.

Step 2. Plan your columns

A column holds one kind of fact about each vendor. Each row in the list is one vendor. Microsoft names these column types in its introduction to lists: Text, Number, Choice, Currency, Date and Time, Lookup, Yes/No and Calculated. Microsoft also describes a column that lets you pick a person's name, and a drop-down list of options.

One way to start is with these columns. The names are examples. Use words your team already says.

Vendor name. Type: Single line of text. If your new list already has a first text column, use it for this.
What they provide. Type: Single line of text. Example: "Office cleaning".
Category. Type: Choice. Example choices: Software, Services, Supplies, Facilities, Other.
Owner. Type: Person. This is the one person who decides about the renewal.
Contract start date. Type: Date and Time.
Renewal date. Type: Date and Time. This is the day the term ends or renews.
Notice days. Type: Number. This is how many days of notice the contract requires, for example 60.
Notice deadline. Type: Date and Time. This is the last day to give notice. You will fill it in by hand (see Step 4).
Annual cost. Type: Currency.
Auto-renews. Type: Yes/No.
Status. Type: Choice. Example choices: Active, Under review, Renewing, Cancelling, Ended.
Contract location. Type: Single line of text. Paste the link to the contract file here.

You do not need all twelve. If you only add four, add Vendor name, Owner, Renewal date and Notice deadline. Those four make the list useful.

Step 3. Add the columns

Microsoft gives these steps for the modern experience:

Open the list.
To the right of the last column name, select + Add column (or the + sign).
In the dropdown, select the column type.
In the Create a column panel, type the name in the Name field.
Fill in any other details. The fields change by column type. For a Choice column, this is where you type your choices.
Select Save.

Repeat for each column in your plan.

If your list uses the classic experience, Microsoft says to select Add column at the end of the heading row, scroll to the bottom and select See all column types, then select Next. Type a Column name, pick the type, and select OK. The same page explains that in the classic view you can add a description and column validation.

Tip for naming: keep column names short and clear. Pick the names before you build views, so you do not have to change them later.

Step 4. Set up the Date columns for renewal and notice

The two Date and Time columns are the heart of the list. Add them the same way as in Step 3, picking Date and Time as the type.

Renewal date: the day the contract term ends or renews. Copy it from the contract.
Notice deadline: the last day you can give notice. The contract states the notice period. Count back from the renewal date by that many days.

Example: if the renewal date is 31 December and the contract needs 60 days of notice, the notice deadline is 60 days before 31 December. Type that date into the column.

Optional: let SharePoint do the counting. Microsoft explains that a Calculated column can work out a value from other columns in the list. The page shows a date example that adds days to a date, written like =[Start Date]+30. It does not show a subtraction example for dates, so use this formula: =[Renewal date]-[Notice days], with return type Date and Time. Test it on three rows and check the answer against a calendar. A calculated column cannot use today's date, so it only works from the other columns. If you are not sure, type the notice deadline by hand. A wrong formula is worse than a typed date.

Check each date against the contract when you enter it. A wrong date in the list is the one mistake the list cannot catch for you.

Step 5. Build a view sorted by soonest

A view is a saved way of showing the same list. Microsoft says that if you have permission to modify a list, you can create public views that everyone can use.

Steps for a view sorted by the notice deadline, from Microsoft's sorting page:

Open the list. Select the Notice deadline column header and choose Older to newer.
Open View options, select Save view as, type "By notice deadline", and select Save.
Classic screen: View options, Edit current view, Sort, First sort by Notice deadline, ascending, OK.

Quick sort also works. Select a column header and choose a sort. Microsoft notes that a quick sort goes back to the default order when you close the list, unless you save the view. Use the saved view when you want everyone to see the same order.

To make this the view people see first, Microsoft says to open View options, select Edit current view, check Make this the default view, and select OK. The classic steps note that only a public view can be the default.

Optional second view: only the contracts coming up soon. Microsoft says the [Today] keyword works on date columns and can be used with math, such as [Today] - 30. The page also says [Today] and [Me] filters cannot be set from a column header. They work only in the classic view editor (Edit current view, Filters): select the view name, choose Edit current view, scroll to Filters, select "Show items only when the following is true", add your statement, and select OK. One way to start is to show rows where the Notice deadline is less than or equal to [Today] + 90. Try it with your sample rows first, because the exact words in the filter menu may differ.

Step 6. Enter one sample row

Add one row first, and check it before you add more. Use the button your list shows for adding a new item (the label may differ), fill in the form, and save it.

A sample row with made-up values:

Vendor name: Example Cleaning Co
What they provide: Office cleaning
Category: Facilities
Owner: (pick a person from your team)
Contract start date: 1 January of last year
Renewal date: 31 December of this year
Notice days: 60
Notice deadline: 60 days before the renewal date
Annual cost: 12,000
Auto-renews: Yes
Status: Active
Contract location: (paste the link to the contract file)

Then check three things:

Does the row appear in the "By notice deadline" view?
Is the Owner shown as a name?
Are both dates what you expect?

Delete or edit the sample row once the real vendors are in. Do not leave made-up data in a list the team relies on.

Step 7. Add your real vendors

Enter the real vendors now, starting with the ones with the nearest dates. Open each contract and copy the dates across. This is slow the first time, because the facts are inside the contract files. After that, each new vendor is a few minutes.

If you have the vendors in a spreadsheet already, see "Replace a spreadsheet tracker with a SharePoint list". Do not paste in hundreds of rows before you have checked the sample row and the view.

Step 8. Set simple permissions

Keep this simple. Most teams need three groups of people: the one or two people who manage the list, the owners who update their own vendors, and people who only look.

Microsoft's sharing page describes these steps:

Go to the list and select Share.
Type the names of the people or groups.
Select the pencil icon to set their access level.
Add a message if you want, then select Send.

The access levels for a list are:

Can edit list: change the whole list, including items, columns and views.
Can edit items: edit, add or remove items only.
Can view: look at the list only. No edits and no sharing.

One way to start is Can edit list for one or two list managers, Can edit items for vendor owners, and Can view for managers who only read. Microsoft also says sharing a list needs the "manage permissions" permission, so by default only site or list owners can share it. If you cannot see Share, ask the site owner.

Microsoft's introduction to lists also says you can choose whether people can read and edit only the items they created or all items. For a vendor list, most teams want everyone to see all rows, so leave that as it is unless you have a reason.

What to avoid

Do not type the same fact in two columns. Pick one place for each date.
Do not use plain text for dates. Use the Date and Time type, or the view cannot sort them in date order.
Do not use free text for Status or Category. Use Choice, so people cannot invent a new word each time.
Do not leave the Owner blank. A vendor with no owner has no one to act on the date.
Do not skip the Notice deadline column. The renewal date alone does not tell you when you must act.
Do not trust a formula you did not test. Check at least three rows against a calendar.
Do not share edit rights with everyone. Fewer editors means fewer accidental changes.
Do not store bank details or tax numbers in this list. Keep it to the facts above and a link to the contract.
Do not build everything at once. Start with a short list, use it for a month, then add columns.

Honest limits

This list stores dates. It does not send reminders by itself, and it does not read the contract for you. Someone must open the list on a regular day each week or month and look at the view. It also does not give legal advice. If a contract is large or unclear, ask a lawyer to read the renewal and notice terms.

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Which column type should I use for dates?

Date and Time. Microsoft lists it as a supported column type. Plain text will not sort in date order.

Can the list work out the notice deadline for me?

A Calculated column can work out values from other columns. Microsoft shows an example that adds days to a date. Test any formula on a few rows first, or type the date by hand.

How do I show the soonest date first?

Save a view that sorts by the date column in ascending order, then look at the first row to confirm it is the nearest date.

Who should be able to edit the list?

One way to start is one or two list managers with Can edit list, vendor owners with Can edit items, and everyone else with Can view.

Can I use Excel instead?

Yes, for a small list with one editor. A shared list is easier when several people need to update it. See "SharePoint list vs Excel".