Sharepoint List Input error-- Cannot contact site at the specified URL

[Chandler_Bing]

Hello All,

I'm trying to read excel file from the sharepoint location.

When i try to use the sharepoint list input tool , after I enter my credentials it is showing me an error " Cannot contact the site at the specified URL"

I have the access to the site, I can access it using the URL in the browser.

Can anyone help me out here please

Thanks

[jrgo · Accepted solution]

Hi @Chandler_Bing,

You may have a misunderstanding on what the SharePoint List Input tool is designed for. It's used to return records on lists pages, such as one pictured below. While you can probably read in a list that contains the Excel file you're looking for, it won't actually read in the Excel file (or any other file) itself.

Depending on your SharePoint environment (i.e. version, cloud vs on-premise, authentication mechanism) you may be able to use the Download tool to read in your file. You may see if you can open that location in an Explorer window . If you can, you can then just point a normal input tool to that location. Note however... while it looks/behaves like a network share, the location path it opened with may not always be the same so you can't rely that your Workflow will always be able to access that file as you have it configured in the Input tool.

In regards to the URL you should be entering in the tool, it should only be to the page that contains your list libraries. Looking at the fragments of the error you censored out, you entered a URL that is to a specific object, your Excel file presumably, which, as mentioned, is not something that this tool can return.

Example:

https://mycompany.sharepoint.com (would show lists contained at the top level of your SharePoint site)

https://mycompany.sharepoint.com/sales (would show lists contained in the sub site "sales")

Hope this helps!

Jimmy
Teknion Data Solutions

[JORGE4900]

Hello @Chandler_Bing 

Here is the way that I read and write to Excel files in SharePoint.

1. The first thing is to open the folder that contains the Excel files in SharePoint
2. The second thing would be to Sync that folder in your computer--(This will map that folder to your local computer).
3. Navigate this mapped folder using File Explorer and make a note of the folder address or location
4. Use the Alteryx Input tool and navigate to this folder and select the Excel file you would like to read or write.