Download Files from Sharepoint 2013

Hi All,

I need to download PDF files from a SP site and store it locally using Alteryx. In Sharepoint, I tried to get the UNC path by going to Libraries tab and then click on 'Open in Explorer'. But this gave me a relative path "https://share.xx.net/sites/xxx_xxxxx/Lists/Shared Documents/9.xxxxx/xxxxx" . How do I use this link to download the files using alteryx? Or is there any other better way to do this ?

I am pretty new to Alteryx, so any guidance would be really appreciated.

Thanks

Antony.

Download

Sharepoint

Accepted answers

dataMack

To open files directly in Alteryx that are in a SP 2013 document library (not items in a list), use a UNC path not a url path. You also need to change it a bit if you have SSL on you SP2013 site. It would look something like this:

\\share.xx.net@SSL\DavWWWRoot\sites\xxx_xxxxx\Lists\Shared Documents\9.xxxxx\xxxxx

All comments

dataMack

\\share.xx.net@SSL\DavWWWRoot\sites\xxx_xxxxx\Lists\Shared Documents\9.xxxxx\xxxxx

ardsilva

Thanks Jason. This is what I have been trying to do. I will try to get the UNC path from SP administrator and see how it goes.

Thanks

Antony.

keith_ainsworth

Hi Jason,

How do you get around the authentication requirements? We are trying to run workflows from the Alteryx server on a schedule so as such the service account is not logged into the domain so there are no credentials to pass.

Keith

AndrewCrayford

@dataMack Was wondering if you can help me, as i trying to download a file from Sharepoint so i can read it in Alteryx but I am having problems trying to do this, any advise would be gerat

cam_w

Hi Jason,

This method only works for our SP 365 online environment if I first make a connection by openning a site/folder from IE into Explorer. I still need to test it in Server, but it seems that Alteryx is waiting for my credentials to be established (SSL?) before it will allow the connection from Alteryx. We use Windows Authentication to SP.

Not sure this is going to work if I deploy the workflow to Server.

Reesetrain2

All,

The easiest way that I have found to download a file from Sharepoint is as follows:

1.Open Sharepoint in Internet Explorer and browse your way to the file

2. Once you are to the file, copy the address

3. Truncate the address to just the sharepoint, i.e https://XXXX.sharepoint.com/sites/

4. Go to My Computer, right click and create Add a Network Location

5. Follow the wizard as you should just use the truncated address when setting up the new Network Location

6. Go to Alteryx and use the Input Data Tool.

7. You will now be able to click on the network location and then subsequently select the correct folders in order to get to the file.

8. Once selected, you are all set!

The other option is to use the Directory Tool

Follow steps 1-5

6. Go to Alteryx and use the Directory Tool

7.You can now click on teh network location and then subsequently select the correct folders, expect now, use the folder that your file is in vice selecting on the file itself.

8. You will now be able to manipulate all files in this directory, if you say, need to download all files (If so, you can use the download tool and a select tool).

Cheers!

Matt

AndrewCrayford

@Reesetrain2 wrote:
All,
The easiest way that I have found to download a file from Sharepoint is as follows:
1.Open Sharepoint in Internet Explorer and browse your way to the file
2. Once you are to the file, copy the address
3. Truncate the address to just the sharepoint, i.e https://XXXX.sharepoint.com/sites/
4. Go to My Computer, right click and create Add a Network Location
5. Follow the wizard as you should just use the truncated address when setting up the new Network Location
6. Go to Alteryx and use the Input Data Tool.
7. You will now be able to click on the network location and then subsequently select the correct folders in order to get to the file.
8. Once selected, you are all set!
The other option is to use the Directory Tool
Follow steps 1-5
6. Go to Alteryx and use the Directory Tool
7.You can now click on teh network location and then subsequently select the correct folders, expect now, use the folder that your file is in vice selecting on the file itself.
8. You will now be able to manipulate all files in this directory, if you say, need to download all files (If so, you can use the download tool and a select tool).
Cheers!

Matt
@Reesetrain2 I follow the steps and got an error message when i was following step 5 and this is the error message

JustinLine

To add on to @Reesetrain2, instead of truncating the address and having to select the location manually through the input or directory tool, you can use the Sharepoint option Open with Explorer. This will open the true directory location in Sharepoint and you can copy that address and follow the rest of his steps.

JennyShen

Dear Matt,

thank you very much for your solution.

I am a new learner for Alteryx, I can use your solution to locate the file, but when I try to download it to a NAS path using the download tool in Alteryx designer, an error pops up saying "the file can not be accessed by the system". how can I go through with it please? I have a permission greanted service account for the sharepoint url, but I don't know how to use it to solve this problem.

many thanks and looking forward to your feedback!

thanks and Regards,

Jenny

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