Find your SharePoint internal field name

If your column formatting JSON saves but nothing changes, the field name is almost always the culprit. Here's why — and how to find the right one.

SharePoint stores two names for every column: the display name you see, and an internal name used everywhere in code and JSON. When you create a column called Due Date, SharePoint usually stores it internally as Due_x0020_Date — the space becomes _x0020_. Your SharePoint column formatting JSON must reference the internal name, or it silently does nothing.

Find it (two methods)

Method B is only an estimate. SharePoint internal names can differ from the display name — especially if the column was renamed after creation, in which case the internal name keeps the original. The sorting method is the most reliable.

How SharePoint encodes names

When a column is first created, SharePoint replaces spaces and special characters with _xHHHH_, where HHHH is the character's hex code. Common examples:

• Due Date → Due_x0020_Date
• Biweekly Meeting Notes → Biweekly_x0020_Meeting_x0020_Notes
• Status → Status (no special characters, so it stays the same)

A practical tip: create columns with no spaces (like DueDate), then rename the display label afterward. The internal name stays clean and your JSON is easier to write.

Once you have the name

Type it into the Column name box in step 2 of the generator, and your JSON will reference the right column.