Table of Contents
Integrating SharePoint with Alteryx enables data connectivity, allowing users to automate workflows, streamline data processing, and enhance collaboration. By connecting directly to SharePoint, teams can access and manipulate real-time data without manual downloads, ensuring more efficient reporting and analysis. Additionally, this integration maintains SharePoint’s security and compliance controls, ensuring data integrity while reducing manual effort. This guide will walk you through the steps to connect SharePoint to Alteryx and optimize your data processes.
Prerequisites
Visit the Alteryx Marketplace to download and install a tool version compatible with your version of Designer/Server.
Review the Release Notes for the connector version.
The user must have required access to the specific Sites and Folders within SharePoint. Please see the Administration section for details and resources to provide your organization’s Microsoft/SharePoint admin.
How Designer Users Connect to SharePoint
Designer users rely on a series of connection and tool–specific steps to integrate SharePoint data into their workflows. These resources cover the connection process from initial setup to integration within workflows, ensuring Designer users can reliably work with SharePoint data.
Establishing the Connection
Use the SharePoint Input tool to read data from your CSV, XLSX, and YXDB files as well as lists from your SharePoint site:
Outputting to Sharepoint
Use the SharePoint Output tool to write data to your CSV, XLSX, and YXDB files as well as lists in your SharePoint site:
Official Documentation for SharePoint Tool
The Alteryx Help pages provide detailed reference material for each tool:
Additional Learning Resources
The Interactive Lesson SharePoint Connector Tools for Designer Desktop is a great place to understand the tool better, as it walks users through examples and tool usage.
How Server Admins Configure SharePoint on Server
For environments managed on Alteryx Server, configuration involves ensuring that server‐side processes can interact correctly with SharePoint. These articles help Server admins configure their environments to support secure, reliable connections and data flows between Alteryx Server and SharePoint.
Server Integration Guideline
- Installing the SharePoint Connectors: You have to install a matching version of a connector on Alteryx Server to publish a workflow that uses the connector. Connectors are released independently from Server and require manual updates for new version releases.
- Alternative Method with OneDrive (without using the SharePoint Connector tools):
- Have the SharePoint files replicate to a UNC location that both local Designer and Server can access. "Run As" in both cases needs permissions to the UNC path.
- Have the SharePoint files replicate to the user's folder on the Server. Publish the workflow to use the user's credentials. The Server will then be able to access the files via its C: drive.
Running Sharepoint Workflows in Gallery
As of SharePoint Tools v2.2.0, DCM must be used for workflows containing this tool to run successfully in Gallery.
How to Run SharePoint Workflows in Gallery with DCM explains how to share SharePoint workflows on the Alteryx Gallery using DCM, outlining the necessary setup and configuration steps. It also provides guidance on prerequisites and troubleshooting tips to ensure workflows are correctly published and easily accessible.
Resources for SharePoint Admin in Your Organization
SharePoint administrators can leverage various resources to set up, maintain, and optimize SharePoint integrations. These resources help SharePoint admins stay current with configuration requirements, adopt best practices, and resolve common challenges through community knowledge and official documentation.
Site Setup and Management
The SharePoint connector allows you to use Service Principal for downloading and uploading files, but it requires the "Sites.All" permission, which gives the user access to all the Sites in the tenant. To avoid this, SharePoint can work with "Sites.Selected" permission, i.e., the Azure admin can limit the scope of Sites the app has access to.
Community Resources
These Community discussions provide additional insights and best practices shared by users:
Common Troubleshooting and Workarounds
Many articles and community posts address frequent issues encountered when integrating SharePoint with Alteryx, along with workarounds to resolve them. By consulting these resources, users can diagnose and resolve the common pitfalls encountered during SharePoint integration.
Service Principal and Authentication Issues
Address challenges with using service principals on Designer setups, including troubleshooting tips when expected site data isn’t loading:
Data Output and Truncation Issues
Display and Data Import Challenges
Authentication and Connectivity Errors
List and Metadata Specific Issues
Community discussions that offer workarounds for errors and advice related to list updates and metadata handling, such as:
Additional Tips
Need Help?
Post your SharePoint connector question in the Designer Desktop discussion forum to get a response from our active community of Alteryx users. You can also search the Knowledge Base for error resolutions.
If your question seems to be an opportunity for Alteryx to make improvements, please submit your idea to Alteryx Ideas. Some of our best features are based on feedback from users.
A final option for Sharepoint issue resolution is to submit a case in MyAlteryx to engage the Alteryx Customer Support team. Check out this how-to guide on case creation to get started.
