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List saved as template does not appear under Add an app or what lists can you save as template and use for creating other lists based on them.

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You are trying to achieve the following :

save a list as template, export the saved stp file and import it into a different environment to be able to create a new list based on this template.

however, after importing it successfully, you discover that the list template is not displayed among the available templates when you click "add an app"  ( by the way, did I mention this applies to Sharepoint 2013?)

The explanation for the template not being displayed can be one of the following ( except invalid templates of course, but then you would get a full-blown error ) :

1. the language of the template is different than the language of the site where you want the template to be used.

2. the version of the template does not match the minimum version difference accepted by the site where you are attempting to use it ( ex. you are saving a Sharepoint 2007 list and are trying to use it in a Sharepoint 2013 environment)

3. the template is hidden by design

For point 3 you may ask yourself, why ?

Well, it makes perfect sense if you think about what list templates are hidden by design:

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Tasks(2010)

Project Tasks

Data Sources

Converted Forms

No Code Workflows

Status List

Workflow History

No Code Public Workflows

Persistent Storage List for MySite Published Feed

Custom Workflow Process

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These lists once created in a source site have a strict dependency to the site and environment where they were created. So, even though you might be able to save them as template ( with content, even)  using UI or OM,  importing these lists templates in a separate environment would not make any sense and is bound to cause more issues that it would solve due as said to the strict dependencies to the original site.

Cheers

Victor

P.S.

BTW., the most common example would be saving a Tasks library in your Sharepoint 2010 and trying to use it in Office 365 or on Sharepoint 2013.That won't work.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2003
    for 1, you can use the workaround described here http://developers.de/blogs/nadine_storandt/archive/2009/03/18/moss-how-to-change-list-site-template-language.aspx
    for 2, use an intermediate system , like in the upgrade scenario ( 2007->2010->2013)
    for the topic of creating a list based on a hidden list, it means that hidden list was un-hidden by someone on purpose.
    the same list was hidden by design on purpose for specific reasons.
    so unhiding it, creating lists based on it and exporting, importing this stp in a different site and trying to create lists based on it is not something I would call the proper way of doing things :)
  • Anonymous
    September 08, 2014
    Interesting, but how do you then make the list visible if you encounter 1 or 2? Also, if you based a list off of a hidden list is there anyway to save it as a template?
  • Anonymous
    January 23, 2015
    I encountered the scenario of migrating to SP2013, while users still were reliant on a SP2010 Task list template. I found that you are still able to create lists using old templates through PowerShell, so I did that for users while I manually re-created their template on the 2013 Task template.