Site columns vs List-centric columns: What’s the Difference?

List-centric columns :

Some types of columns are relevant for a specific list only. Such columns clutter site column gallery severely for all other users.

Consider for example, the issue list of a software development team. The list may have a column tracking if a client had called about a specific application bug or may be a feature request. Such a column is hence not appropriate for another list or site existing in your SharePoint environment.

Another example can be of a column containing significant data that needs to be shared with few people in the organization.

 

The data may include any of the following –

• Manually entered items
• Data from external business system

In any of such cases exist; you can create a column attached to a single SharePoint list.

 

Site columns :

These are highly suited when you have a data column that should be related to multiple lists & libraries. You should use the site column majorly to ensure that consistency exists in the way a column is configured. By creating the column once and then placing it in central gallery, you get to save time and effort better.