Graph API - Create ListItem with User Column

Question

Graph API - Create ListItem with User Column

Shadi Rashed 71

Hello,
I am trying to create a new ListItem through the Graph REST API. The list has a user column. I want to create a new item in the list and fill it with a user automatically. I have the email of the user.
Is that possible or do I first need to get the user id?

I should mention that I already know how to create the list item through the API and that I know in general how to fill fields and also more complex fields like multi selects. I just wonder what the correct structure is for setting the user field

Thanks for your help!
Shadi

2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

RaytheonXie_MSFT 40,471 Microsoft External Staff

Hi anonymous userRashed-1057 ,
You can update single value 'personOrGroup' fields, by combining the field name with LookupId and passing the LookupId as the value:

{  
   "AssignedToLookupId":"123"  
}

If you want to update a multi value 'personOrGroup' fields, you need to specify the data type first and pass the ids as an array:

{  
   "******@odata.type":"Collection(Edm.String)",  
   "AssignedToLookupId":["123", "124"]   
}

Here is a similar issue with yours for reference
https://stackoverflow.com/questions/47010078/how-to-update-a-lookup-field-and-a-user-field-in-sharepoint-with-microsoft-graph

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Shadi Rashed 71 Reputation points

2022-06-17T07:34:20.86+00:00
Thanks a lot and that makes sense. However I tested it by sending the user id to this field and it does not work (details below)

{ "fields": { "UserLookupId": "my user id" } }

the error:

One of the provided arguments is not acceptable

There is no way to set the user field based on email address? I would need to first make an extra request to get the userid based on the email address. Is that correct?

EDIT:
OK I found out that you cant simply use the user id. Instead you have to use a special type of ID that is stored in a User List in the Sharepoint site. I found that list and I know how to query the users. The result is a list of objects like below. But you can I search this list by the createdBy user email address to then receive the ID?

{ "@odata.etag": "\"dc85265c-7c6d-47a8-ad22-54f295cd1ca4,20\"", "createdDateTime": "2018-07-19T12:09:38Z", "eTag": "\"dc85265c-7c6d-47a8-ad22-54f295cd1ca4,20\"", "id": "12", "lastModifiedDateTime": "2021-07-30T20:57:14Z", "webUrl": "redacted", "createdBy": { "user": { "email": "redacted", "id": "the user id", "displayName": "redacted" } },

....
}
Shadi Rashed 71 Reputation points

2022-06-17T08:58:41.907+00:00
OK I found out how to do this. Its much more complicated than should be necessary. For assigning the User you cant simply use the user id or the email address. Instead Sharepoint maintains a separate hidden user list with lookup ids. Follow these steps

execute the below request. It will give you some Sharepoint lists. Find the list with name “Users” or something similar
GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/{site-id}/lists?$select=system,name,id

Query the list items of that list. If you want to filter by email address, the request would look like
https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/<siteid>/lists/<listid>/items?$filter=fields/EMail](https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/stilltbd.sharepoint.com,fbe171b8-915f-4f72-97e6-f14f07beb561,32dda037-df39-4270-8ae7-223cfdb8777e/lists/18ea8421-dd42-4591-9cf8-df3d0216e01f/items?$filter=fields/EMail) eq '<email address>'&$select=id

this will give you the lookup id which you can then use as described above

Answer 2

Shadi Rashed 71

OK I found out how to do this. Its much more complicated than should be necessary. For assigning the User you cant simply use the user id or the email address. Instead Sharepoint maintains a separate hidden user list with lookup ids. Follow these steps

execute the below request. It will give you some Sharepoint lists. Find the list with name “Users” or something similar
GET https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/{site-id}/lists?$select=system,name,id
Query the list items of that list. If you want to filter by email address, the request would look like
https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/<siteid>/lists/<listid>/items?$filter=fields/EMail?$filter=fields/EMail eq '<email address>'&$select=id

this will give you the lookup id which you can then use as described above

RaytheonXie_MSFT 40,471 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-06-20T08:36:50.65+00:00

Hi anonymous userRashed-1057 ,
Thanks for your sharing. Have you solved your issue?
RaytheonXie_MSFT 40,471 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff

2022-07-04T09:51:35.457+00:00

Hi anonymous userRashed-1057 ,
Would you tell me whether your issue has been resolved or have any update?
I am looking forward to your reply.

Have a nice day!

Thanks,
Raytheon Xie
FvdM 5 Reputation points

2023-08-23T06:18:08.1166667+00:00

Nice, but how can I get a new user in that list? As all users in AD are not already cached in that site user list. My understanding is that sharepoint only add a new user in that list once it is used somewhere in that site. How do I do this via msgraph?
Sonya Blanchard 26 Reputation points

2023-11-03T20:31:33.33+00:00

@FvdM Agreed, it would be great to do this via Graph. As a workaround, you could try skipping Graph and trying PowerShell or CSOM commands to add the user to the people field. Maybe Pnp.Framework, Microsoft.PowerShell.SDK, and PnP.Core.Auth packages with one or more of these namespaces:

using System.Management.Automation;

using PnP.Core.Auth.Services.Builder.Configuration;

using PnP.Core.Services.Builder.Configuration;

using PnP.Core.Services;

using PnP.Core.QueryModel;
FvdM 5 Reputation points

2023-11-06T06:56:07.44+00:00

We decided to use the sharepoint api to solve this by calling the ensureUser endpoint.

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Graph API - Create ListItem with User Column

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