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Issue Uploading Excel File from SharePoint to Copilot Studio Knowledge

David Wong 66 Reputation points
2025-12-10T09:15:28.71+00:00

I’m using Copilot Studio and encountered an issue when uploading an Excel file as knowledge.

  • When I upload the file from my local system, it works fine.
  • However, when I upload the same file from SharePoint, it fails with an error.

The file in SharePoint is readable and accessible to all internal users within our organisation, so permissions shouldn’t be the problem.

Has anyone experienced this? What steps can I take to diagnose the issue? Are there specific requirements or limitations for SharePoint files?

Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft 365 Copilot | Development

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  1. Sayali-MSFT 5,771 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2025-12-11T10:40:23.0933333+00:00

    Hello David Wong,
    Adding SharePoint files as knowledge sources in Copilot Studio often fails due to indexing and ingestion delays rather than file size or permissions. SharePoint files rely on Microsoft Graph and SharePoint Search, and newly uploaded or updated files may not be fully indexed for hours. Additional background processing—like permissions checks, content extraction, and semantic indexing—can also slow ingestion, while Copilot Studio’s generic error messages make issues harder to diagnose. Supported formats include Word, Excel, and PDF under 50 MB, with proper permissions, placement in a document library, and visibility in Microsoft Search required.
    indexed in SharePoint Search, verifying permissions, and retrying after 1–2 hours if indexing is still incomplete.
    As a temporary workaround, files can be uploaded locally. It’s also helpful to review Microsoft 365 Service Health for any related delays.
    Reference Document-
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-copilot-studio/knowledge-add-sharepoint

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