# Default a SharePoint column to today or the current user

> For the full documentation index, see https://250highstreet.com/llms.txt

> Stop staff from retyping their name and the date in a SharePoint list. Set a default date, use Created and Created By, or fill a Person column for them.

Short answer: Microsoft's pages do not describe a column setting that fills a Person column with the current user. Use the built-in Created By column to record who added an item, or a customized form in Power Apps if a Person column must start filled in. A Microsoft Q&A answer describes the Power Apps route. A Date column can default to today: Microsoft's column types page says a default can be the date an item is added.

Exact names may differ on your screen.

## Why staff retype the same two things

Request lists have two fields that people fill in the same way every time: the date they are adding the item, and their own name. It sounds small. It adds up.

- Each retyped name is a chance for a typo, a nickname or a coworker's name by mistake.
- Each retyped date is a chance for a wrong day, so reports sort in the wrong order.
- People skip the fields when they are in a hurry, so the data has holes.
- Staff learn that the list is extra work, and they go back to email.

The fix is to let SharePoint fill in what it already knows. It knows who is signed in and when the item was created.

## Three tools, and when to use each

1.  A default value. SharePoint puts a starting value in a column on a new item. Staff can change it. Use it for a request date or a starting Status.
2.  The Created and Created By columns. SharePoint records these itself when an item is created. Nobody types them and staff cannot edit them on the form. Use them when you need a reliable record of who and when.
3.  A custom form or a flow. Use these when a Person column must show the current user as a starting value that staff can still change.

If you are still building the list, see "[Replace a spreadsheet tracker with a SharePoint list](/guides/replace-spreadsheet-with-sharepoint-list/)" first.

## What Microsoft says about defaults

Microsoft's Graph reference describes a column's default value as something you can specify directly, or as a formula. You use one or the other at a time. SharePoint formulas use a syntax similar to Excel formulas.

On today's date, the Microsoft Support page for the TODAY function says you can use it only as a default value, and you cannot use it in a calculated column. This is the same limit covered in "[SharePoint calculated column formulas for due dates and status](/guides/sharepoint-calculated-column-formulas/)". In short: a calculated column cannot use today's date, but a default value can.

A default is a starting value for a new item, not a live formula. Microsoft's column types page says a default value can be "the date an item is added to a list or library". That is the behavior you want for a "date requested" field.

## Worked example, a Requests list

Here is a small list that shows all three tools. The list is called Requests. It has these columns:

- Title: the one-line summary of the request.
- Date requested: a Date and Time column, date only.
- Requested by: a Person column.
- Status: a Choice column with numbered choices: 1 New, 2 In progress, 3 Done.

## Step 1. Default the date to today

1.  Open the Requests list and add a Date and Time column named Date requested. Choose "Date only" for the format.
2.  In the column settings, open Default value and choose today's date. Microsoft's column types page says a default can be a value you specify, the date an item is added, or a calculated value, such as =\[TODAY\]+30 for 30 days after the current date. Exact names may differ.
3.  Save, then add a test item without touching the date field.
4.  Check that the field shows today's date. Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: if items added late in the day show the wrong date, check the time zone in the site's regional settings.

## Step 2. Default the Status to 1 New

1.  Open the Status column settings.
2.  Set the default value to 1 New. It must match the choice text exactly, number included.
3.  Save and add a test item. Status should show 1 New without anyone choosing it.

Because the default matches the choice, the value you set can never be one that is not on the list. If you later rename a choice, update the default too.

## Step 3. Use Created and Created By instead of typing

For lists that track who and when, the best "Requested by" and "Date requested" are the ones SharePoint records on its own. Microsoft Q&A answers describe Created and Created By as columns that are part of every list. They can be shown or hidden in a view, and they can be found under the show or hide columns setting.

1.  Open the Requests list.
2.  Open the column menu on any column header and look for the show or hide columns setting. The exact names may differ.
3.  Check Created and Created By.
4.  Save the view.

These columns need no default and no typing. Staff cannot change them from the form, which is useful for audit. The same idea is why "[See who changed a row: SharePoint version history](/guides/who-changed-this-row/)" works for edits.

If the columns do not appear, the Q&A answer suggests checking the classic view editor: Edit current view, then pick the columns. Each view keeps its own list of columns, so check the view you actually use.

A limit to know: Created By records who created the item. If an assistant adds items for a manager, Created By shows the assistant. Use a Person column for the real requester in that case.

## Step 4. Fill the Requested by Person column

The goal here is a Person column that already shows the current user, with no clicks.

Microsoft's pages on default values describe a direct value or a formula. They do not describe a column setting that sets a Person column to the signed-in user. If your screen offers one, test it. If not, use one of these.

Option A. Show Created By, and skip the Person column. Simplest. See Step 3.

Option B. Customize the form in Power Apps. A Microsoft Q&A answer from a Microsoft account describes it for the modern experience:

1.  In the list, open Integrate, then Power Apps, then Customize forms.
2.  In Power Apps, select FormScreen1 in the tree view, open the Advanced tab, choose OnVisible, and enter the formula from that answer: UpdateContext({CurrentUser: {'@odata.type': "#Microsoft.Azure.Connectors.SharePoint.SPListExpandedUser", Claims: "i:0#.f\|membership\|" & Lower(User().Email), Department: "", DisplayName: User().FullName, Email: User().Email, JobTitle: ".", Picture: "."}})
3.  Select the Person data card, unlock its properties, and set its Default property to CurrentUser.
4.  Save, then choose Publish to SharePoint. Microsoft's tutorial says the version staff see is the most recently published one.
5.  Choose New in the list and check that the field fills in.

A comment on that answer suggests a Default formula that keeps the saved value when the item is edited: If(IsBlank(ThisItem.'Submitted by'),CurrentUser,ThisItem.'Submitted by'). Use your own column name, and test both new and edit.

Microsoft's page on SharePoint form integration says any user with at least Read or Restricted View access to the list gets access to a customized form. Users who only have access to specific items do not. Test with a normal staff account, not your admin account.

Option C. A flow that copies Created By. A different reply in the same Q&A thread suggests a Power Automate flow that copies Created By into the Person column when a new item is added. In Power Automate, the SharePoint trigger for that is "When an item is created", followed by Update item. Use this if you do not want a custom form.

## Step 5. Use \[Me\] to show each person their own items

Once Requested by is filled in, a view that shows only my items is easy. Filters with \[Today\] or \[Me\] need the classic view editor (Edit current view, then Filters). Our advice, not a Microsoft rule: use the classic view editor for blank and "is not equal to" filters too. The full steps are in "[Show each person only their own items in a SharePoint list view](/guides/sharepoint-list-view-filter-current-user/)". A view is not security. People with access to the list can still open every item unless you set permissions.

## Step 6. Test as a regular staff member

1.  Sign in as a normal staff account, or ask a coworker to try it.
2.  Add an item and fill in only the fields you require.
3.  Confirm Date requested shows today, Status shows 1 New, and Created By shows the right name.
4.  Edit the item and confirm nothing was overwritten.
5.  Fix anything that fails before you share the list.

## What to avoid

- Do not put today's date in a calculated column. SharePoint blocks it in formulas. Use a default value instead.
- Do not treat a default as a locked value. Staff can change it. If the value must never change, use Created or Created By.
- Do not mix up choice text. If the choice is 1 New, the default must be 1 New, not New.
- Do not set a Person default in a custom form without testing the Edit screen. It can overwrite the real requester.
- Do not use Created By when someone adds items for another person.
- Do not skip a test with a non-admin account.
- Do not change a choice name without updating its default.

## Honest limits

A default saves typing. It does not make the data right. If staff pick the wrong date on purpose, the list shows the wrong date. A customized Power Apps form is another thing to keep running. Check with your admin about what your plan includes before you build anything that needs Power Apps or Power Automate. Start with Created and Created By. Add the rest only if you need it.

## 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 to build](/guides/what-a-sharepoint-tracker-costs/)". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

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](/portfolio/)

## FAQ

### Can a SharePoint list date column default to today's date?

Yes. Microsoft's column types page says a default value can be the date an item is added, and shows =\[TODAY\]+30 as a calculated default. Microsoft's TODAY page says TODAY can be used only as a default value, not in a calculated column.

### Can a Person column default to the current user?

Microsoft's pages do not describe a column setting for it. A Microsoft Q&A answer describes a customized Power Apps form that sets the Default property of the Person card to the signed-in user.

### How do I fill in the current user with Power Automate?

A reply in a Microsoft Q&A thread suggests a flow that copies Created By into the Person column when an item is added. The SharePoint trigger is "When an item is created".

### What is the difference between Created By and a Person column?

Created By is recorded by SharePoint and staff cannot edit it. A Person column is filled in on the form and can hold anyone. Use Created By for who entered it and a Person column for the real requester.

### Can staff change a default value?

Yes. A default only fills the field on a new item. If a value must stay fixed, use Created or Created By.

## Sources

- [Microsoft Graph reference, defaultColumnValue resource type](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/api/resources/defaultcolumnvalue)
- [Microsoft Support, TODAY function](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/functions-data/today-function)
- [Microsoft Q&A, Use current user as default value in a Person or Group field in SharePoint list](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/a/127515)
- [Microsoft Q&A, Unable to see and add modified and created columns in my list views](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/a/525131)
- [Microsoft Learn, Customize a form for a SharePoint list](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/business-apps/power-apps/get-started/create-your-first-custom-form)
- [Microsoft Learn, Understand SharePoint forms integration](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-apps/maker/canvas-apps/sharepoint-form-integration)
- [Microsoft Support, List and library column types and options](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/lists/data-and-lists/list-and-library-column-types-and-options)

## Related guides

- [Show each person only their own items in a SharePoint list view](/guides/sharepoint-list-view-filter-current-user/)
- [Use today's date in a SharePoint calculated column](/guides/sharepoint-calculated-column-today/)
- [Change the default view of a SharePoint list](/guides/sharepoint-list-change-default-view/)
- [Nobody knows which drawing revision is current](/guides/drawing-revision-register-sharepoint/)
- [Replace the deprecated "When a file is created in a folder" trigger](/guides/power-automate-when-a-file-is-created-in-a-folder-deprecated/)

Source: https://250highstreet.com/guides/sharepoint-list-default-value-current-user/