To create a glossary page in SharePoint Online: (1) Create a new Blank page on your SharePoint site; (2) Add a Text web part and type letters A through Z as your navigation index; (3) Add a second Text web part and enter all terms alphabetically under Heading 1 letter headers with bolded terms and definitions; (4) Publish the page; (5) Copy the anchor link for each letter heading; (6) Edit the page and hyperlink each letter in the index to its corresponding anchor link; (7) Republish. The result is a fully navigable A–Z glossary page that lets users jump directly to any letter section. No coding or SharePoint development experience is required - the process uses only built-in Text web parts available in SharePoint Online through Microsoft 365.

Search engines like Google have largely replaced the need to use physical dictionaries to find the definition of words. Why spend time digging through a book when you can Google a word and learn its meaning within a second?

Search engines support businesses and organizations in processing daily work. However, a glossary with designations per business process or department is key to efficiency. Businesses, communities, and organizations create glossary web pages to help their teams, community members, and other users understand the context or meaning of specific terms. In this blog, we will teach you how to create a glossary page in SharePoint.

Why Do You Need a Glossary Page in SharePoint?

A glossary is a resource used to learn the definition of words, and in the context of business and contracts, several terms hardly used in daily conversations will be presented. With a glossary, your users can instantly gain understanding of exact terms. For example, we offer a Glossary for users to explore the meaning of different contract management-related terms. 

A glossary is a resource used to learn the definition of words. In business contexts -particularly in contract management, legal operations, compliance, and procurement -numerous specialized terms appear that are not used in daily conversations. With a SharePoint glossary page, users can instantly access precise definitions without leaving the organization's intranet.

Organizations benefit from a SharePoint glossary because:

• It provides a single source of truth for terminology across departments
• It reduces miscommunication caused by different interpretations of the same term
• It is accessible within the tools employees already use daily (Microsoft 365)

It can be maintained and updated without IT involvement 

Now, let's go ahead and learn how to create a glossary in SharePoint with the step-by-step tutorial provided below.

How Do You Create a Glossary Page in SharePoint? (Step-by-Step)

Creating a SharePoint glossary page requires no coding. The entire process uses the built-in Text web part and SharePoint's built-in heading anchor link functionality. Here are all 15 steps:

• Step 1: Select your SharePoint site. Navigate to the SharePoint site where you want to create the glossary page.

  
• Step 2:  Create a specific page for the glossary by clicking the +New option and selecting Page.
  

• Step 3: Choose a Blank template. On the template selection screen, choose the Blank template and click Create page. A blank template gives you the most control over layout.

   

  

• Step 4: Name and add a cover image. Provide a descriptive name (e.g., "Glossary") and add a cover image to make the page visually clear. You can publish at this stage if desired.

  

• Step 5: Add a Text web part for the alphabet index. Click the + icon to add a web part, search for Text, and add a Text web part to the top of the page. This will hold your A–Z navigation index.

  

• Step 6: Enter A through Z. Type all 26 letters (A through Z) into the first Text web part. This is the clickable navigation index.

  

• Step 7: Add a second Text web part for definitions. Add another Text web part below the alphabet index. Enter all glossary terms in alphabetical order, adding a letter heading (A, B, C...) for each section. Include each term and its definition below the appropriate letter.

  

• Step 8: Format letter headings as Heading 1. Select each letter section header and change its formatting to Heading 1. This makes the headings anchor-linkable - a critical step for the navigation to work.

  

• Step 9: Bold all glossary terms. Apply bold formatting to each term so users can quickly identify terms while scanning. Leave definitions in regular text.

• Step 10: Publish the page. Click the Publish button to make the page live on your SharePoint site.

• Step 11: Open the published page in a second tab. Open the same glossary page in a second browser tab. You will use this tab to copy anchor links from the published page.

• Step 12: Copy each letter's title link. In the published page view, hover over each letter heading (H1). Right-click the link icon that appears next to the heading and copy the title link (anchor URL). This is a unique URL that points directly to that letter's section.

  

• Step 13: Edit the page and hyperlink the alphabet index. Return to the page in Edit mode. In the alphabet index (Step 6), select each letter and use the hyperlink function to link it to the corresponding anchor URL you copied in Step 12.

  

• Step 14: Repeat for all 26 letters. Repeat the hyperlinking process for every letter in the A–Z index until each letter in the navigation bar links to its corresponding section.

  

• Step 15: Republish the page. Click Republish at the top right to save and publish the updated page. Users can now click any letter in the index and jump directly to that section of the glossary.

  
  

What Are the Tips for Making a Better SharePoint Glossary Page?

We recommend color-coding your alphabetical index and its terms. In addition, customizing the font size and alignment will make your glossary and its associated content more aesthetically pleasing and visually appealing to user.

Formatting recommendations:

• Color-code the alphabet index - use a consistent highlight color for each letter to make navigation faster
• Customize font size - use larger font for letter headings, standard size for terms and definitions
• Alignment - center-align the A–Z index for visual clarity; left-align definitions for readability
• Update regularly - assign a content owner responsible for keeping terms current
• Link to related pages - hyperlink terms to more detailed SharePoint pages or documents where applicable

What Additional Web Parts Can Enrich a SharePoint Glossary Page?

The following web parts can be a great addition to your page:

• Hero Web Part
• Image Web Part
• YouTube Web Part
• File Viewer Web Part
• Embed Web Part

These web parts are excellent for providing additional details for each term. If you create a glossary page in your SharePoint, let us know all about your experience in the comments section below.

Formatting recommendations:

• Color-code the alphabet index - use a consistent highlight color for each letter to make navigation faster
• Customize font size - use larger font for letter headings, standard size for terms and definitions
• Alignment - center-align the A–Z index for visual clarity; left-align definitions for readability
• Update regularly - assign a content owner responsible for keeping terms current
• Link to related pages - hyperlink terms to more detailed SharePoint pages or documents where applicable

Have a good day.