How to connect to SharePoint Online from Azure Logic App or Azure Data Factory?

Question

How to connect to SharePoint Online from Azure Logic App or Azure Data Factory?

King Java 790

I am trying to connect to SharePoint online (from Azure Logic App or Azure Data Factory), and I am stuck.

What is most common way of doing this?

Thank you.

J N S S Kasyap 3,625 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-03-19T00:07:45.22+00:00

Hi @King Java

Azure Data Factory (ADF) can connect to SharePoint Online using a Service Principal for authentication. This requires setting up an Azure AD App Registration, obtaining a Service Principal ID, and using either a certificate or client secret.

Where do I get the Service principal ID?

The Service Principal ID is the Application (Client) ID from Azure Active Directory (Azure AD).

Please refer the below Microsoft Doc
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/quickstart-register-app?tabs=certificate%2Cexpose-a-web-api

What about other certificate parts?

To authenticate Azure Data Factory (ADF) with SharePoint Online using a certificate, first, create a self-signed certificate and store it securely. Then, export the certificate as a PFX file with a password.

Next, upload the PFX file to Azure Active Directory under App registrations in the Certificates & secrets section.

Finally, configure a linked service in ADF for SharePoint Online by entering the Tenant ID, Service Principal ID (Client ID), and uploading the PFX certificate along with its password.
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/howto-create-self-signed-certificate

What is most common way of doing this?
The below Microsoft Docs will help to achieve the task
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/connector-sharepoint-online-list?tabs=data-factory
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFfNu3cI-uw
Disclaimer: This response contains a reference to a third-party World Wide Web site. Microsoft is providing this information as a convenience to you. Microsoft does not control these sites and has not tested any software or information found on these sites; therefore, Microsoft cannot make any representations regarding the quality, safety, or suitability of any software or information found there. There are inherent dangers in the use of any software found on the Internet, and Microsoft cautions you to make sure that you completely understand the risk before retrieving any software from the Internet.

I hope this information helps. Please do let us know if you have any further queries.

Kindly consider upvoting the comment if the information provided is helpful. This can assist other community members in resolving similar issues.

Thank you.
King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-19T18:23:54.6166667+00:00

@J N S S Kasyap Thanks for your help. This one appears to be complicated process. Would Azure Logic App work better/easier by chance?
J N S S Kasyap 3,625 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-03-19T21:44:24.7033333+00:00

@King Java
Azure Logic Apps Good for individual tasks but not ideal for complex retry logic
if your goal is to read/write SharePoint Lists and Files, Azure Logic Apps is the better choice. However, for bulk data movement and transformations ,data flows, notebooks, and SQL-based transformations then ADF would be necessary.
King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-19T22:15:24.85+00:00

@J N S S Kasyap Thank you for your feedback. I am trying to move one file daily from Blob Storage to a SharePoint online folder. I guess, since it is a small data movement, Azure Logic App might be a better option.

What does ideal architecture look alike?

Do I use "Copy blob" for getting a file from Blob storage?

What is object for SharePoint folder (destination)?

Thanks.

Accepted answer

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King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-19T18:23:54.6166667+00:00

@J N S S Kasyap Thanks for your help. This one appears to be complicated process. Would Azure Logic App work better/easier by chance?
J N S S Kasyap 3,625 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2025-03-19T21:44:24.7033333+00:00

@King Java
Azure Logic Apps Good for individual tasks but not ideal for complex retry logic
if your goal is to read/write SharePoint Lists and Files, Azure Logic Apps is the better choice. However, for bulk data movement and transformations ,data flows, notebooks, and SQL-based transformations then ADF would be necessary.
King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-19T22:15:24.85+00:00

@J N S S Kasyap Thank you for your feedback. I am trying to move one file daily from Blob Storage to a SharePoint online folder. I guess, since it is a small data movement, Azure Logic App might be a better option.

What does ideal architecture look alike?

Do I use "Copy blob" for getting a file from Blob storage?

What is object for SharePoint folder (destination)?

Thanks.

Answer 1

Anonymous

Hello @King Java,

since it is a small data movement, Azure Logic App might be a better option.

Yes, as your requirement is only a small data movement, logic app is the better approach here.

Do I use "Copy blob" for getting a file from Blob storage?

What is object for SharePoint folder (destination)?

If you need to copy a newly uploaded file daily, you can use the below approach.

First create a Blob storage connection using your desired authentication. Now, take a trigger When a blob is added or modified (properties only) (V2) and as only you need to copy one file, set the Number of blobs to return as 1.

enter image description here

You can set the trigger time as well here. This will check for newly uploaded/modified files for every given time and will trigger the logic app

Then, use Get blob content (V2) to extract the blob content. Here, open the expression at the file path and select List of Files Path from the previous step as shown below.

enter image description here

Now, search for SharePoint connector and take Create file action. After giving the connection, give your site URL and your folder path. In the file name, select the List of Files Name option from the first step.

enter image description here

In the File content, select the File Content from the previous step.

enter image description here

Whenever a file uploaded/modified in the Blob storage location, it will be copied to the SharePoint location.

enter image description here

If don't need the dynamic copy of newly loaded files or if you can hardcode the filepath with manual run, you can follow the same process from the second step with a HTTP request.

For more information, you can go through these references:

Connect to Azure Blob Storage from workflows in Azure Logic Apps

Logic app with Sharepoint

Hope this helps.

If the answer is helpful, please click Accept Answer and kindly upvote it. If you have any further questions about this answer, please click Comment.

King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-20T22:03:37.3666667+00:00

@Anonymous Thank you for your help.

I need to confirm each step by step here.

So, I have a question about "Container" inside "When a blob is added or modified.." step.

Currently, inside my Containers, there is another folder called "sftp" before it hits the file itself.

Below is screenshots of my case:

1st hierarchy:

2nd Hierarchy:

3rd Hierarchy:

Do I have to include folder name like "sftp/" after "/xchive-repository" (inside Container)?

And, I have bunch of questions about SharePoint connections.

Where should get a clue for all these information?

Thanks.
Anonymous

2025-03-21T03:40:35.8266667+00:00

@King Java Apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Do I have to include folder name like "sftp/" after "/xchive-repository" (inside Container)?

Yes, you can hardcode till the folder path, or you can navigate to it through the container as shown below.

Where should get a clue for all these information?

If you are using SharePoint Online, you can uncheck that checkbox and go with the Sign in option then give your Site URL.

If your SharePoint is an on-premises 2016 or 2019, then you need to install the on-premises Gateway and use it with the credentials.

For more information about this, kindly go through this MS Documentation. And also, please check the General limits of this approach as well.

Hope this information helps.
King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-21T17:21:56.8666667+00:00

@Anonymous Thank you so much for your help.

Regards to SharePoint, how do we know the whether it is "on-premises" or not? I am not too familiar with SharePoint, but I thought, SharePoint is all online, no?

I am referring to SharePoint Online folder.

Just give up an update, I ended up following procedure by watching this content on YouTube.

But I am stuck on where I grant SharePoint online site permission to Azure so I created a new post .
Anonymous

2025-03-23T21:21:44.1+00:00

@King Java, to determine if your SharePoint environment is online or on-premises, check the URL: SharePoint Online URLs typically end in ".sharepoint.com", while on-premises installations use custom domain names or IP addresses.

We will check your new query in your other post.

If the solution worked for you, please click on accept answer and YES button, this can be beneficial to other community members.h

Answer 2

Nandan Hegde 36,146 MVP Volunteer Moderator

Assuming it is Sharepoint online list that you need to access, then Sharepoint online list linked service supports only Service principal authentication.

And Certificate authentication is more secure way than key because they are harder to compromise and manage, and they offer better security features like non-exposability and the ability to use conditional access policies.

Link : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/883982/why-are-certificates-more-secure-than-secrets

How to create service principal :
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/architecture/service-accounts-principal
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity-platform/howto-create-service-principal-portal

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/cli/azure/azure-cli-sp-tutorial-3

In case if you want to access data from sharepoint library, then you need to use REST API end point :

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/connector-sharepoint-online-list?tabs=data-factory#copy-file-from-sharepoint-online

King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-19T18:24:27.3966667+00:00

@Nandan Hegde Thanks for your help. This one appears to be complicated process. Would Azure Logic App work better/easier by chance?
Nandan Hegde 36,146 Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator

2025-03-20T02:59:45.9933333+00:00

@King Java as your ask is to move data from SP library to blob, please follow the below blog :

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/data-factory/connector-sharepoint-online-list?tabs=data-factory#copy-file-from-sharepoint-online

No need to create a linked service , you can directly use the REST API.

You can even use Managed identity security of the ADF for the best security overcoming the Service principal route. In case if it is just movement of file from SP to blob and no other actions, then yes, logic app can be an easier aspect as it has direct sharepoint connector and there is no need to go the route of REST API
King Java 790 Reputation points

2025-03-20T23:23:45.1166667+00:00

@Nandan Hegde Thank you for your feedback. I decided to use Logic App, and I am trying to go with the steps that Rakesh Govindula posted on the bottom. I am trying to come up with a solution to connect to SharePoint online right now. If you can give me some focused path (since there were so many URL links that I received), I would appreciate it.

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How to connect to SharePoint Online from Azure Logic App or Azure Data Factory?

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