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1. Create content organizer rules to route documents
Applies to: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010
Creating rules to route documents to specific locations in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 helps
expedite the process of filing records in their respective SharePoint libraries and folders. As a major
component of records management, creating rules to route records is also part of your file plan. Any
SharePoint site can be enabled for document routing. This article shows you how to create rules for
organizing and routing records within SharePoint Server.
NOTE You must first enable the content organizer feature and configure the organizer to route
records. The content organizer feature can only be activated at the site level.
Overview
Business documents originate from many different sources and often need to be stored in a way that
decreases vulnerability to regulatory compliance and litigation risks. After configuring the content
organizer to route records, you can establish and program specific content organizer rules that enable
you to automatically store records based on unique business rules and requirements.
In conjunction with using content types, creating rules to automatically route documents within a
centralized enterprise repository replaces the need to manually upload documents or other items to a
library or folder. Users fill out predetermined criteria for any given document and, based on the
predefined routing rules, the document is then routed to the correct library or folder. Content organizer
rules are stored as a SharePoint list.
The content organizer also helps you monitor and control the maximum number of documents that can
be stored in any given library. For example, if a document is added to a library folder that has a maximum
limit of 5000 items, the content organizer automatically creates a new folder and routes the document to
that folder.
WHERE CAN DOCUMENTS COME FROM?
Documents that are routed to specific libraries or folders can come from various sources. As part of a
records management process, documents can come from:
Client applications, such as Microsoft Word, when you use the Save As function.

2. Direct upload to the Drop Off library, which is a special library that is created when you activate the
content organizer for a site.
The Send To command when coming from another SharePoint site.
A third-party application through a Web Service.
Exchange managed folder - emails can be treated as records and routed just like any other document.
TIP E-mail integration with the content organizer should be used only in a highly managed
store, like the Records Center.
To learn more about routing emails see the links in the See Also section.
WHAT DETERMINES THE ROUTING LOCATION?
Documents can be routed to a Records Center site or any other kind of SharePoint site. The Drop Off
library, which is automatically created when activating the content organizer feature, serves as the default
©2009 Microsoft Corporation.

3. location where documents are routed if they do not meet predetermined criteria. There are several main
elements that comprise the document routing process:
Web service or e-mail submission Other SharePoint sites or third-party applications can submit
documents to the content organizer. Exchange can email documents to the content organizer. Documents
or e-mail records with the correct content type, metadata, and matching rules are automatically sent to
the proper library or folder.
Target libraries and folders Content stewards or records managers manually create libraries and
folders where documents should be routed.
Site content types These are required and users manually add appropriate site content types to target
libraries.
IMPORTANT Because the content organizer will only work on content types that are, or derived from,
the Document content type, you cannot use it for organizing large lists.
Drop Off library Documents that don’t have enough metadata to match a rule, or that are missing
required metadata are sent to the Drop Off library so users can enter required metadata. All content types
used for routing are automatically associated with the Drop Off library. You can configure the content
organizer so that all uploaded documents are temporarily routed to the Drop Off library.
Document routing list This list helps you create a plan for how content should be organized in this site.
You use this list to create rules that ensure that documents submitted to a site are routed to the correct
location and have the correct properties. Content stewards or records managers visit this list to create,
manage, and view routing rules.
The diagram below shows how documents and emails are routed based on meeting specific criteria.
©2009 Microsoft Corporation.

4. ©2009 Microsoft Corporation.

5. FIRST STEPS
There are several important steps you need to follow before creating rules for routing documents.
1. Create libraries and folders that you want documents to be routed to. You might want to create folders
for each type of document you are routing. For example, create a library just for e-mail records or Excel
spreadsheets.
2. Content types must be associated with documents that are to be routed. In this way, the content type can
be part of the criteria that determines the final location where a document is stored.
Create rules to route documents
For each record type that you add to the Record Routing list, you specify a record title and description.
You also specify the location in the site where the record is stored. To ensure that all relevant records are
routed to the appropriate location, you can specify alternate names for the record type.
NOTE You must have at least Site Owner permissions to create rules to route documents.
1. Navigate to the site for which you want to create content organizer rules.
2. From the Site Actions menu click Site Settings.
3. On the Site Settings page, under the Site Administration section, clickContent Organizer Rules.
4. Type a name that describes the rule’s conditions and actions.
5. In the Rule Status and Priority section, choose whether the rule should be applied to incoming content.
If Active is selected, select a priority that will determine how content is routed should it match more than
one content organizer rule.
6. Next, associate the rule with a content type. By doing this, submissions to the organizer are labeled with
the selected content type and properties used in the conditions of the rule are identified.
Select the appropriate content group. The group you select determines the content types you can
choose from in the next step.
Select the appropriate content type.
If the content type you selected has an alternative name on another SharePoint site, select the
check box under Alternate name, type the alternate name in the field provided, and then
click Add. The alternate content type names appear in the list box below.
7. In the Conditions section, select the conditions that a submission’s properties must meet for the rule. You
might, for example, want the rule to apply to all documents that have the word “budget” in the title. You
can add more conditions by clicking the Add another condition link.
NOTE The properties available from the Property drop-down list differ according to the content type
you selected in step 6
©2009 Microsoft Corporation.

6. 8. Type or browse for a location to place content that matches the rule. Select the Automatically create a
folder check box to group similar documents together in folders. For example, if you have a property that
lists all documents for projects in your organization, you can force the organizer to create a separate
folder for each project.
©2009 Microsoft Corporation.