Scripts to install, update or uninstall a SharePoint 2013 App with PowerShell

In SharePoint 2013 Preview, you can now use a new development model, called "App". The App model provides new way to develop (100% client side) and new process to deploy custom code on a SharePoint site.

If you want to have more information about the App Model, you can consult the following links:

As all SharePoint development models, you can deploy app with PowerShell. You can find a complete index of app PowerShell commands here.

In this article, I propose 3 simple scripts to install, update or uninstall an APP for SharePoint OnPremise. Please note that in this scripts, I assumed that :

The app is a 100% SharePoint hosted app
The app is distributed as a app package (*.app file), contained in the same folder
The app package or app name are not scripts parameters, but include as scripts var

Note that you can download it as a zip archive at the bottom of the page.

PowerShell script to install an APP

param
(
[string]$Web = $(throw '- Need a SharePoint web site URL (e.g. "https://mysp15site/")'),
[string]$Source = "ObjectModel"
)

Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "-------------------"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "| App Installer |"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "-------------------"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- "

#Global vars
$AppPackageName = "MyCustomAppPackage.app";

#Loads powershell settings
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Load Powershell context.."
$0 = $myInvocation.MyCommand.Definition
$dp0 = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($0)

#Loads the SharePoint snapin
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Load SharePoint context.."
$ver = $host | select version
if ($ver.Version.Major -gt 1) {$host.Runspace.ThreadOptions = "ReuseThread"}
if ((Get-PSSnapin "Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -eq $null) {
Add-PSSnapin "Microsoft.SharePoint.PowerShell";
}
[void][System.Reflection.Assembly]::Load("Microsoft.SharePoint, Version=15.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=71e9bce111e9429c")

#Imports the App package
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Import app package '$AppPackageName'..."
$appPath = $dp0 + "\" + $AppPackageName;
if ($Source.Equals("ObjectModel", [System.StringComparison]::InvariantCultureIgnoreCase)) {
$sourceApp = ([microsoft.sharepoint.administration.spappsource]::ObjectModel);
}
elseif ($Source.Equals("Marketplace", [System.StringComparison]::InvariantCultureIgnoreCase)) {
$sourceApp = ([microsoft.sharepoint.administration.spappsource]::Marketplace);
}
elseif ($Source.Equals("CorporateCatalog", [System.StringComparison]::InvariantCultureIgnoreCase)) {
$sourceApp = ([microsoft.sharepoint.administration.spappsource]::CorporateCatalog);
}
elseif ($Source.Equals("DeveloperSite", [System.StringComparison]::InvariantCultureIgnoreCase)) {
$sourceApp = ([microsoft.sharepoint.administration.spappsource]::DeveloperSite);
}
elseif ($Source.Equals("RemoteObjectModel", [System.StringComparison]::InvariantCultureIgnoreCase)) {
$sourceApp = ([microsoft.sharepoint.administration.spappsource]::RemoteObjectModel);
}

$spapp = Import-SPAppPackage -Path "$appPath" -Site $Web -Source $sourceApp -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -ErrorVariable err;
if ($err -or ($spapp -eq $null))
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- An error occured during app import !"
throw $err;
}
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Package imported with success."

#Installs the App
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Install the APP in web site..."
$app = Install-SPApp -Web $Web -Identity $spapp -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -ErrorVariable err;
if ($err -or ($app -eq $null)) {
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- An error occured during app installation !"
throw $err;
}
$AppName = $app.Title;
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- App '$AppName' registered, please wait during installation..."
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName};
$counter = 1;
$maximum = 150;
$sleeptime = 2;
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Please wait..." -NoNewline;
while (($appInstance.Status -eq ([Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPAppInstanceStatus]::Installing)) -and ($counter -lt $maximum))
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "." -NoNewline;
sleep $sleeptime;
$counter++;
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName}
}
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White ".";

if ($appInstance.Status -eq [Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPAppInstanceStatus]::Installed) {
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- The App was successfully installed.";
$appUrl = $appInstance.AppWebFullUrl;
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- The App is now available at '$appUrl'.";
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- (Don't forget to add app host name in your host file if necessary...).";
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- "
}
else {
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- An unknown error has occured during app installation. Read SharePoint log for more information.";
}

PowerShell script to uninstall an APP

param
(
[string]$Web = $(throw '- Need a SharePoint web site URL (e.g. "https://mysp15site/")')
)

Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "---------------------"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "| App UnInstaller |"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "---------------------"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- "

#Global vars
$AppName = "My Custom App";

#Checks if the app instance exists
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName};

if ($appInstance -ne $null)
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- App instance detected on target web, uninstalling it...";
Uninstall-SPAppInstance –Identity $appInstance -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -ErrorVariable err;
if ($err)
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- An error occured during app uninstallation !";
throw $err;
}

Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Please wait..." -NoNewline;
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName};
$counter = 1;
$maximum = 50;
$sleeptime = 2;
while (($appInstance -ne $null) -and ($appInstance.Status -eq ([Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPAppInstanceStatus]::Uninstalling)) -and ($counter -lt $maximum))
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "." -NoNewline;
sleep $sleeptime;
$counter++;
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName}
}
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White ".";

$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName}
if ($appInstance -eq $null)
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- App '$AppName' was successfully uninstalled.";
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- "
}
else
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- App '$AppName' was not successfully uninstalled.";
}
}
else
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- App '$AppName' not found in web site '$Web'.";
}

PowerShell script to update an APP

param
(
[string]$Web = $(throw '- Need a SharePoint web site URL (e.g. "https://mysp15site/")'),
[string]$Source = "ObjectModel"
)

Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "------------------"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "| App Upgrader |"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "------------------"
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- "

#Global vars
$AppPackageName = "MyCustomAppPackage.app";
$AppName = "My Custom App";

#Loads powershell settings
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Load Powershell context.."
$0 = $myInvocation.MyCommand.Definition
$dp0 = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($0)

#Installs the App
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Updating the APP in web site..."
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName};
$app = Update-SPAppInstance -Identity $appInstance -App $spapp -Confirm:$false -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue -ErrorVariable err;
if ($err) {
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- An error occured during app update !"
throw $err;
}
$AppName = $app.Title;
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- App registered, please wait during update..."
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName};
$counter = 1;
$maximum = 150;
$sleeptime = 2;
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- Please wait..." -NoNewline;
while (($appInstance.Status -eq ([Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPAppInstanceStatus]::Upgrading)) -and ($counter -lt $maximum))
{
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "." -NoNewline;
sleep $sleeptime;
$counter++;
$appInstance = Get-SPAppInstance -Web $Web | where-object {$_.Title -eq $AppName}
}
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White ".";

if ($appInstance.Status -eq [Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPAppInstanceStatus]::Installed) {
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- The App was successfully upgrade.";
$appUrl = $appInstance.AppWebFullUrl;
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- The App is available at '$appUrl'.";
Write-Host -ForegroundColor White "- "
}
else {
Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "- An unknown error has occured during app update. Read SharePoint log for more information.";
}

AppScripts.zip

Comments

Anonymous
June 11, 2013
Really Nice post! Please let me know if we can add an app part to a webpart page using powershell. Thanks in advance!
Anonymous
December 11, 2013
Really Nice. I am trying to install Corporate News App using PowerShell but i am getting error. I downloaded Corporatenewsapp.app from Codeplex and copied that to Server hosting SP2013 i tried to run the .ps1 file after making changes to package name. Please help Thanks hary
Anonymous
January 25, 2014
Thank you so much. These scripts are really helpful ! Saved us lot of time
Anonymous
March 31, 2014
Thank you so much Oliver ! Any idea on app installs/upgrades/un-install's using power shell for Online version ? Not sure if Microsoft has started supporting the "App" operations for Office 365 - Sharepoint online. Please let me know. Thanks, Yatheen
Anonymous
March 31, 2014
Find this interesting blog on Online version: blogs.realdolmen.com/.../managing-sharepoint-online-with-powershell
Anonymous
March 29, 2015
Can we use above powershell script for provider-hosted apps?
Anonymous
March 04, 2016
seems the link is not there anymoe? blogs.realdolmen.com/.../managing-sharepoint-online-with-powershell
Anonymous
March 04, 2016
link is broken? blogs.realdolmen.com/.../managing-sharepoint-online-with-powershell

Last updated on 2012-08-14

Share via

Scripts to install, update or uninstall a SharePoint 2013 App with PowerShell

PowerShell script to install an APP

PowerShell script to uninstall an APP

PowerShell script to update an APP

Comments

Additional resources