SharePoint List Formatting: Complete JSON Guide with 15 Templates (2026)

Why JSON Formatting Changes Everything

SharePoint lists are the backbone of most Microsoft 365 solutions — project trackers, asset inventories, helpdesk tickets, HR onboarding checklists. But out of the box, they look like spreadsheets.

JSON formatting lets you transform any column, row, or entire view into a visual dashboard — without writing a single line of C#, deploying an SPFx web part, or touching the app catalog. You write JSON, paste it into SharePoint, and it works instantly for everyone who views that list.

What You Can Format

Formatting Type	What It Does	Where to Apply
Column formatting	Customize how a single column renders	Column settings → Format this column
View formatting	Customize the entire list view layout	View dropdown → Format current view
Row formatting	Apply styles to entire rows conditionally	View formatting with rowFormatter
Form customization	Customize the new/edit form layout	List settings → Configure layout → Form

New in 2026: SharePoint now supports the v2 schema with Excel-style expressions, making formatting significantly easier to write and read.

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Getting Started: How to Apply JSON Formatting

Column Formatting

• Go to your SharePoint list

• Click the column header → Column settings → Format this column

• Switch to Advanced mode

• Paste your JSON

• Click Preview to verify, then Save

View Formatting

• Click the view dropdown (top right of the list)

• Select Format current view

• Switch to Advanced mode

• Paste your JSON and save

Pro tip: Always include the $schema line at the top of your JSON. It enables IntelliSense in VS Code and validates your formatting before you paste it into SharePoint.

---

The JSON Formatting Structure

Every formatting JSON follows this pattern:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"padding": "8px",
"font-weight": "600"
},
"attributes": {
"class": "sp-css-color-GreenDark"
},
"txtContent": "@currentField",
"children": []
}
\\\

Property	Purpose	Example
elmType	HTML element type	div, span, a, img, button
txtContent	Text to display	@currentField, [$Title]
style	CSS styles	background-color, padding, border-radius
attributes	HTML attributes and CSS classes	class, href, title, iconName
children	Nested elements	Array of child elements

Key Variables

Variable	Returns	Example Use
@currentField	Current column value	Status text, number, date
[$ColumnName]	Any other column\’s value	[$Priority], [$DueDate]
@me	Current user\’s email	Personalize per user
@now	Current date/time	Compare with due dates
[$Editor.title]	Person field\’s display name	Show who last edited

---

Template 1: Status Badges with Icons

Turn a Choice column into colored pills with Fluent UI icons:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "flex",
"align-items": "center",
"gap": "6px",
"padding": "4px 12px",
"border-radius": "16px",
"font-size": "13px",
"font-weight": "600",
"background-color": "=if(@currentField == 'Active', '#dff6dd', if(@currentField == 'Pending', '#fff4ce', '#fde7e9'))",
"color": "=if(@currentField == 'Active', '#107c10', if(@currentField == 'Pending', '#797600', '#a80000'))"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "span",
"attributes": {
"iconName": "=if(@currentField == 'Active', 'CompletedSolid', if(@currentField == 'Pending', 'Clock', 'ErrorBadge'))"
}
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"txtContent": "@currentField"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Template 2: Progress Bar

Show a Number column (0–100) as a visual bar that changes color based on progress:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "100%",
"height": "20px",
"background-color": "#f0f0f0",
"border-radius": "10px",
"overflow": "hidden",
"position": "relative"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "=toString(@currentField) + '%'",
"height": "100%",
"background-color": "=if(@currentField >= 80, '#0078d4', if(@currentField >= 50, '#ffaa44', '#d13438'))",
"border-radius": "10px",
"transition": "width 0.3s"
}
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"style": {
"position": "absolute",
"left": "50%",
"top": "50%",
"transform": "translate(-50%,-50%)",
"font-size": "11px",
"font-weight": "600",
"color": "#333"
},
"txtContent": "=toString(@currentField) + '%'"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Template 3: Due Date with Overdue Highlight

Highlight a Date column red if overdue, yellow if due within 7 days, and green if future:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "flex",
"align-items": "center",
"gap": "6px",
"padding": "4px 10px",
"border-radius": "4px",
"background-color": "=if(@currentField <= @now, '#fde7e9', if(@currentField <= @now + 604800000, '#fff4ce', '#dff6dd'))",
"color": "=if(@currentField <= @now, '#a80000', if(@currentField <= @now + 604800000, '#797600', '#107c10'))"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "span",
"attributes": {
"iconName": "=if(@currentField <= @now, 'Warning', 'Calendar')"
}
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"txtContent": "@currentField"
}
]
}
\\\

Note: 604800000 is 7 days in milliseconds. Use this for date arithmetic with @now.

---

Template 4: Person Column with Profile Image

Display a Person column as an avatar with name instead of plain text:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "flex",
"align-items": "center",
"gap": "8px"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "img",
"style": {
"width": "32px",
"height": "32px",
"border-radius": "50%",
"object-fit": "cover"
},
"attributes": {
"src": "='/_layouts/15/userphoto.aspx?size=S&accountname=' + @currentField.email"
}
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"style": { "font-weight": "600" },
"txtContent": "@currentField.title"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Template 5: Priority Column with Color Dots

Show a priority level as a colored dot + text:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": { "display": "flex", "align-items": "center", "gap": "8px" },
"children": [
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"width": "10px",
"height": "10px",
"border-radius": "50%",
"background-color": "=if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#d13438', if(@currentField == 'High', '#ffaa44', if(@currentField == 'Medium', '#0078d4', '#76b900')))"
}
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"txtContent": "@currentField"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Template 6: Clickable URL Button

Convert a hyperlink column into a styled action button:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "a",
"style": {
"display": "inline-flex",
"align-items": "center",
"gap": "6px",
"padding": "6px 14px",
"border-radius": "4px",
"background-color": "#0078d4",
"color": "#ffffff",
"text-decoration": "none",
"font-size": "13px"
},
"attributes": {
"href": "@currentField",
"target": "_blank"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "span",
"attributes": { "iconName": "OpenInNewWindow" }
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"txtContent": "Open Link"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Template 7: Yes/No Toggle with Icons

Replace the default checkbox with a visual indicator:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/column-formatting.schema.json",
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "flex",
"align-items": "center",
"gap": "6px",
"color": "=if(@currentField == true, '#107c10', '#a80000')"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "span",
"attributes": {
"iconName": "=if(@currentField == true, 'CheckboxComposite', 'Checkbox')"
},
"style": { "font-size": "18px" }
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"txtContent": "=if(@currentField == true, 'Complete', 'Incomplete')"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Template 8: Row Formatting — Highlight Overdue Items

Apply background color to entire rows using view formatting:

\\\json
{
"$schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/view-formatting.schema.json",
"schema": "https://developer.microsoft.com/json-schemas/sp/v2/row-formatting.schema.json",
"additionalRowClass": "=if([$DueDate] <= @now && [$Status] != 'Completed', 'sp-css-backgroundColor-errorBackground', if([$DueDate] <= @now + 604800000 && [$Status] != 'Completed', 'sp-css-backgroundColor-warningBackground', ''))"
}
\\\

This highlights overdue rows in red and approaching-due rows in yellow, but leaves completed items unstyled.

---

Excel-Style Expressions vs AST Syntax

SharePoint supports two expression syntaxes. The v2 schema (2024+) supports Excel-style expressions, which are much easier to read:

Syntax	Example	Readability
Excel-style (recommended)	=if(@currentField == 'Active', 'green', 'red')	✅ Easy
AST (legacy)	{"operator": "?", "operands": [{"operator": "==", "operands": ["@currentField", "Active"]}, "green", "red"]}	❌ Verbose

Always use Excel-style expressions unless you need to support SharePoint Server 2019, which only understands AST syntax.

Nesting If Statements

\\\
=if(@currentField == 'Critical', '#d13438',
if(@currentField == 'High', '#ffaa44',
if(@currentField == 'Medium', '#0078d4', '#76b900')))
\\\

---

Fluent UI Classes and Icons

SharePoint provides predefined CSS classes and icons from Fluent UI. Using these classes ensures your formatting looks consistent with the rest of SharePoint.

Useful Predefined Classes

Class	Effect
sp-css-backgroundColor-successBackground	Green background
sp-css-backgroundColor-warningBackground	Yellow background
sp-css-backgroundColor-errorBackground	Red background
sp-css-color-GreenDark	Dark green text
sp-field-severity--warning	Warning severity style
sp-field-severity--good	Good severity style

Popular Icon Names

Icon	iconName Value	Use Case
✅ Checkmark	CompletedSolid	Task done
⚠️ Warning	Warning	Overdue item
⭐ Star	FavoriteStar	Featured/important
📅 Calendar	Calendar	Date fields
👤 Person	Contact	People columns
📄 Document	Document	File references

Browse all icons at Fluent UI Icons.

---

Form Customization with JSON

Customize the new/edit form layout by grouping fields into sections:

• Open list settings → Forms → Configure layout

• Select Header, Body, or Footer

• Paste your JSON

Example: Form Header

\\\json
{
"elmType": "div",
"style": {
"display": "flex",
"align-items": "center",
"gap": "12px",
"padding": "12px",
"background-color": "#f3f2f1",
"border-bottom": "2px solid #0078d4"
},
"children": [
{
"elmType": "span",
"attributes": { "iconName": "TaskManager" },
"style": { "font-size": "24px", "color": "#0078d4" }
},
{
"elmType": "span",
"style": { "font-size": "18px", "font-weight": "600" },
"txtContent": "=if([$ID], 'Edit Task: ' + [$Title], 'New Task')"
}
]
}
\\\

---

Debugging Tips

Problem	Cause	Fix
Formatting doesn\’t appear	Invalid JSON syntax	Validate at jsonlint.com before pasting
Column shows raw JSON text	Missing $schema or wrong schema URL	Use the v2 column-formatting schema
Icons don\’t render	Wrong iconName value	Check the Fluent UI icon catalog
Colors look wrong	Using hex instead of theme classes	Use sp-css- classes for theme-aware colors
Person field shows [object]	Not accessing .title or .email	Use @currentField.title for display name

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I format any column type?
Almost. JSON formatting works with Text, Choice, Number, Date, Yes/No, Person, Hyperlink, Lookup, and Managed Metadata columns. It does NOT work with Calculated columns.

Does formatting change the actual data?
No. JSON formatting only changes how data displays. The underlying values remain unchanged. Other systems consuming the list data via REST or Graph API see the raw values.

Can different users see different formatting?
The formatting is applied to the view, so everyone who uses that view sees the same formatting. However, you can use @me in expressions to personalize the display per user (e.g., highlight items assigned to the current user).

Is there a character limit for the JSON?
Yes — the column formatting JSON limit is approximately 100 KB. For complex formatting, keep your JSON concise by using Excel-style expressions instead of AST.

Where can I find more templates?
Check Microsoft\’s official community repository: SharePoint List Formatting Samples — it contains 300+ community-contributed templates.

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Your Next Steps

• Start with Template 1 (Status Badges) — it works on any Choice column in 30 seconds

• Combine templates — apply different formatting to each column for a dashboard effect

• Use row formatting (Template 8) to highlight overdue or high-priority items across all columns

• Explore form customization to give your new/edit forms a branded, professional look

For related guides:

• SharePoint CAML Query Guide — query the data behind your formatted views

• SPFx Web Part: CRUD Operations — when formatting isn\’t enough, build a custom web part

• PnP PowerShell: 25 Admin Scripts — deploy formatting at scale with PowerShell

• SharePoint Permissions Explained — understand who can edit list formatting