Skip to main content

SharepointFiles SharePoint Output Tool

Use the SharePoint Output tool to write data to your CSV, XLSX, and YXDB files as well as lists in your SharePoint site.

Important

This tool is not automatically installed with Designer. To use this tool, download it from the Alteryx Marketplace.

In SharePoint tools version 2.2.0, we renamed SharePoint Files Output to SharePoint Output.

In SharePoint tools version 2.2.0, we also temporarily removed support for SharePoint On-Premise (version 2013 and 2016). In SharePoint version 2.3.0, we re-enabled the support for SharePoint On-Premise.

SharePoint Files Output version 2.1.0 also contains lists writing functionality which was a standalone data connector. See Designer Compatibility with Data Connectors to maintain full functionality of the SharePoint connector.

Sign In to SharePoint

The OAuth method is used for authentication, so you can either use the default Alteryx application via Sign in via Internet Browser or you can provide your own API application via Connect to URL with Client ID and Secret, Tenant ID. See the Custom API Application Setup for the information on how to create your own API application.

You can use the default Alteryx application (Sign in via Internet Browser) to schedule workflows for up to 6 months. However, if you select Use as service principal (app-only authentication) after you select Connect to URL with Client ID and Secret, Tenant ID, you can set the expiration of the token according to your company policy and the scheduled workflows won’t be associated to a single user. This is convenient, for example, if a user leaves the company and their account is disabled, causing workflows to not run.

The available authentication methods are the same for both Files and Lists but they differ for SharePoint versions. Additionally, you need to enter a SharePoint URL at the site level to write to the lists:

  • SharePoint 365 (Cloud)

    • Browser Sign In as a User (OAuth)

    • App Sign In (Use Service Principal)

  • SharePoint 2013, 2016 (On-Premise)

    • Windows Account

If you’d like to authenticate using GCC High tenant or Custom tenant, use DCM and select the appropriate technology. To find the correct URL, go to Sign in to Power BI for US government.DCM - Designer

SharePoint Files

Select a File

  1. Optionally, if you have access to multiple Geo tenants, select which to access.

  2. Select a Site and a Document Library.

  3. Select the file in the file tree or search for it by its name. You can enter the file path in the File Path field.

  4. Use Existing File Action in the Options tab to select the handling of an existing file.

    • Rename: The Rename option will rename the file (appending a unique number to the end of the filename).

    • Overwrite File: Overwrite option deletes the existing file and writes the new file contents.

    • Overwrite Sheet: The Overwrite Sheet option rewrites the selected sheets and makes no changes to other sheets.

    • Append: Append option adds the new data to the existing file.

    • Abort: When Abort is selected, the file will not upload if there is another file with the same name.

Important

If you select the Overwrite File, Overwrite Sheet or Append options in Existing File Action, the updated sheet becomes the first sheet in the file. This can impact tools using the order numbers of sheets.

Add a Folder

  1. Select the Site and the Document Library where you want to add a folder.

  2. Select Add Folder.

  3. Select By Name and enter the name of the new folder. Designer adds the folder without the need to run the workflow.

  4. Select By Field to add multiple folders based on a specified field from the data.

  5. Enter the name of the new files in the File Name field.

    The File Name field requires the file name including the file type extension.

  6. Run the workflow to add the folders.

Add a File

  1. Select the Site and the Document Library where you want to add a file.

  2. Select Add File.

  3. Select By Name and enter the name of the new file.

    The File Name field requires the file name including the file type extension.

  4. Select By Field to add multiple files based on a specified field from the data.

    • SharePoint Output excludes the field from the written data. You can keep it by selecting Keep Field in Output.

  5. Run the workflow to add the file.

Select a File Format

XLSX

  • Data Range options specify the names of the sheets to create. Options are By Sheet Name and By Field.

    • SharePoint Output excludes the field from the written data. You can keep it by selecting Keep Field in Output.

Warning

If you select the By Field option, multiple sheets will be created and named based on the value selected in Select Field.

  • Enter the cell in Start in cell to specify the start of data output.

  • Select Write headers to include headers in the output data.

  • Select Code Page to determine the encoding of the data.

CSV

  • Use Max Field Length to set the maximum length of each field, allowing control over string cut off.

  • Use Field Delimiter to select a field delimiter between fields. Options are Comma, Semicolon, Tab, Pipe, Space or Custom delimiter.

  • Select Write headers to include headers in the output data.

  • Use Quote Character to select a format of the quote. Options are None, Single Quote, Double Quote, or Custom.

  • Select Code Page to determine the encoding of the data.

YXDB

No options.

SharePoint Lists

Warning

SharePoint Output can't write into columns of which the name starts with a special character. This applies to the actual name of the column, not the display name. We recommend not using special characters in the beginning of the column names.

Creation or modification of a List will fail if you enter a column name that starts with lowercase or uppercase letters c or r and contains a number or no other character.

Configure the Tool

  1. Select a List. The contents are specific to the URL you specify. If your URL contains a directory, only lists for that directory are shown.

  2. In Output Options, select an option for writing the list:

    • Create New List: Creates a new list.

    • Append: Appends all the data to an existing list.

    • Overwrite (Update Fields): Removes the existing rows and fields and creates new fields and data based on the incoming data.

    • Overwrite (Keep Existing Columns): Removes the existing rows and adds new rows based on the incoming fields. The fields have to match.

    • Update: Updates data based on the Primary Key.

    • Upsert: Updates existing data and inserts new data based on the Primary Key.

In this section: