How to Activate the Publishing Feature in SharePoint 2010

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How to Activate the Publishing Feature in SharePoint 2010

Added by Spike Xavier June 12, 2013

The publishing feature adds a bunch of things to a SharePoint site. It is one of the features that has a site (spweb) scope but a site collection (spsite) dependency. In other words, it has to be activated at the site collection level first and then site by site must be activated at the individual site (spweb) level. This can create a site collection in which some of the sites have the publishing feature activated and some without. In this blog I will create an environment where the publishing feature will be activated at the site collection level and then for sites; 1 and 2 but not for sites: TLS, and 3.
In order to do this I will:

1. Activate the Publishing Feature at the Site Collection Level
2. Go to each of the sites (1 and 2) and activate the site (spweb) level publishing feature.
3. Validate the results.

Starting Environment

I have a site collection with 4 sites. Each one is based on the team site template. The publishing feature is not activated.

When the Blog Is Done

When the blog is done, I will have a site collection where some of the sites have the Publishing Feature Activated and some without it.

Site Actions Site Settings to Review

From the top level site I go to Site Actions > Site Settings.

Look at Out-Of-Box Site Collection Features

On the Site Settings Page I click the link to observe the Site Collection Features.

Validate Non-Activated Site Collection Publishing Feature

When I scroll down I notice that the site collection feature for SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure is not activated. I don't activate it yet, I'll come back to that.

Back to Site Actions Site Settings

Now I'll check the Site Features (spweb).

Check Site Features

On the site settings page I click on the Manage Site Features Link.

Not Activated

I notice that the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure is not activated at the site (spweb) level either.

Activate Site Collection Feature

In order to activate the publishing feature at site's 1 and 2 I will first have to activate the Site Collection Publishing Feature.

Site Actions Site Settings again for Site Collection stuff

From the top level site, I go Site Actions > Site Settings

Click Site Collection Features

I click the Site Collection Features Link.

Activate Site Collection Publishing Feature

This time I click the Activate button to activate the SharePoint Server Publishing Infrastructure Site Collection Feature.

Validate Visually Activation

If it worked I'll see the blue Active Icon.

Now Publishing Feature Is Available

Now that the site collection publishing feature is activated I can go to each site that I want to activate the site feature for and activate at will.

From SubSite1 Site Actions Site Settings to get to Manage Site Features

I need to get to the Site Settings Page on the actual site (spweb) I want to activate the publishing feature for.

Manage Site Features

I click the Manage Site Features Link in the Site Actions section of the Site Settings Page.

Activate Publishing for Sites Wanted

I click the Activate button for the SharePoint Server Publishing site (spweb) feature to activate it.

Validate Publishing Feature for Site

I validate that it is now active and then repeat and rinse for any site (spweb) in the site collection you want to activate the publishing feature for.

Final Solution

In this site collection I activated the site collection publishing feature. I then went to site 1 and site 2 and activated the site publishing feature. When I was done I had a site collection with 4 sites; the top level site non publishing, site 1 – Publishing, site 2 – Publishing, site 3 – Non-publishing.