How to integrate SharePoint Online using Alteryx

Learn how to quickly and efficiently connect SharePoint Online with Alteryx for smooth data access.

Read and write SharePoint Online data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate sites, lists, document libraries, and files — almost no coding required. You can do it all using the high-performance SharePoint Online ODBC Driver for Alteryx (often referred to as the SharePoint Online Connector). We'll walk you through the entire setup.

Ready to dive in? Download the product to jump right in, or follow the step-by-step guide below to see how it works.

Create data source using SharePoint Online ODBC Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from SharePoint Online using Alteryx, we first need to create an ODBC data source. We will later read this data in Alteryx. Perform these steps:

1. Download and install ODBC PowerPack (if you haven't already).

2. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

   

3. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ZappySys API Driver driver:

   ZappySys API Driver

   
   • Create and use a User DSN if the client application runs under a User Account. This is the ideal option at design time (e.g., when developing in Visual Studio). Use it for both types of applications (64-bit and 32-bit).
   • Create and use a System DSN if the client application runs under a System Account (e.g., as a Windows Service). This is usually the required option in a production environment. If your Windows Service is a 32-bit application, you must use the 32-bit ODBC Data Source Administrator to configure this

4. When the Configuration window appears give your data source a name if you haven't done that already, then select "SharePoint Online" from the list of Popular Connectors. If "SharePoint Online" is not present in the list, then click "Search Online" and download it. Then set the path to the location where you downloaded it. Finally, click Continue >> to proceed with configuring the DSN:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   

5. Now it's time to configure the Connection Manager. Select Authentication Type, e.g. Token Authentication. Then select API Base URL (in most cases, the default one is the right one). More info is available in the Authentication section.

   User Credentials

   SharePoint Online authentication

   Use delegated access (User Credentials) whenever you want to let a signed-in user work with their own resources or resources they can access. Whether it's an admin setting up policies for their entire organization or a user deleting an email in their inbox, all scenarios involving user actions should use delegated access. [API reference]

   Follow these simple steps below to create Microsoft Entra ID application with delegated access:

   WARNING: If you are planning to automate processes, we recommend that you use a Application Credentials authentication method. In case, you still need to use User Credentials, then make sure you use a system/generic account (e.g. automation@my-company.com). When you use a personal account which is tied to a specific employee profile and that employee leaves the company, the token may become invalid and any automated processes using that token will start to fail.

   1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in using your credentials.
   2. Access Microsoft Entra ID.

   3. Register a new application by going to App registrations and clicking on New registration button:

      
      INFO: Find more information on how to register an application in Graph API reference.

   4. When configuration window opens, configure these fields:

      • Supported account type
        • Use Accounts in this organizational directory only, if you need access to data in your organization only.
      • Redirect URI:
        • Set the type to Public client/native (mobile & desktop).
        • Use https://zappysys.com/oauth as the URL.
      

   5. After registering the app, copy the Application (client) ID for later:

      

   6. Copy OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) & OAuth token endpoint (v2) URLs to use later in the configuration:

      

   7. Now go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and use the copied values in User Credentials authentication configuration:

      • In the Authorization URL field paste the OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Token URL field paste the OAuth token endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Client ID field paste the Application (client) ID value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Scope field use the default value or select individual scopes, e.g.:
        • email
        • offline_access
        • openid
        • profile
        • User.Read
        • Sites.Read.All
        • Sites.ReadWrite.All
        • Files.Read.All
        • Files.ReadWrite.All
   8. Press Generate Token button to generate Access and Refresh Tokens.
   9. Optional step. Choose Default Site Id from the drop down menu.
   10. Click Test Connection to confirm the connection is working.
   11. Done! Now you are ready to use the API Connector!

   API Connection Manager configuration

   Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

   1. Set Authentication Type to User Credentials [OAuth]
   2. Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
   3. Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
   4. Press Generate Token button to generate the tokens.
   5. Finally, hit OK button:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   User Credentials [OAuth]

   https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0

   Required Parameters
   Authorization URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Token URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client ID	Fill-in the parameter...
   Scope	Fill-in the parameter...
   Return URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Default Site Id (select after pressing 'Generate Token')	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   Client Secret
   Default Drive Id (select after pressing 'Generate Token')
   Login Prompt Option
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429|503|423
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
   Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed)
   Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB)
   IsAppCred	0

   

   Application Credentials

   SharePoint Online authentication

   Application-only access is broader and more powerful than delegated access (User Credentials), so you should only use app-only access where needed. Use it when: 1. The application needs to run in an automated way, without user input (for example, a daily script that checks emails from certain contacts and sends automated responses). 2. The application needs to access resources belonging to multiple different users (for example, a backup or data loss prevention app might need to retrieve messages from many different chat channels, each with different participants). 3. You find yourself tempted to store credentials locally and allow the app to sign in 'as' the user or admin. [API reference]

   Follow these simple steps to create Microsoft Entra ID application with application access permissions:

   • Create an OAuth app
   • Configure App Permissions

   • Grant granular permissions to the OAuth application (optional)

     This step allows to grant OAuth application granular permissions, i.e. access configured specific Sites, Lists, and List Items.

   Step-1: Create OAuth app

   1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in using your credentials.
   2. Access Microsoft Entra ID.
   3. Register a new application by going to App registrations and clicking on New registration button:
      INFO: Find more information on how to register an application in Graph API reference.

   4. When configuration window opens, configure these fields:

      • Supported account type
        • e.g. select Accounts in this organizational directory only if you need access to data in your organization only.
      • Redirect URI:
        • Set the type to Public client/native (mobile & desktop).
        • Leave the URL field empty.
      

   5. After registering the app, copy the Application (client) ID for later:

      

   6. Then copy OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) & OAuth token endpoint (v2) URLs:

      

   7. Continue and create Client secret:

      

   8. Then copy the Client secret for later steps:

      

   Step-2: Configure App Permissions

   1. Continue by adding permissions for the app by going to the API permissions section, and clicking on Add a permission:

      

   2. Select Microsoft Graph:

      

   3. Then choose Application permissions option:

      

   4. Continue by adding these Sites permissions (search for site):

      
      INFO: If you want to access specific lists or list items (table-level vs row-level security) rather than the full site, then add Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected permissions , just like in the previous step (search for list).
      WARNING: If you add any of these permissions - Sites.Selected, Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected, or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected - you must grant the app the SharePoint permissions for the specific resource (e.g. a Site, a List, or a ListItem). Follow instructions in Grant SharePoint permissions to the OAuth app (optional) section on how to accomplish that.

   5. Finish by clicking Add permissions button:

      

   6. Now it's time to Grant admin consent for your application:

      

   7. Confirm all the permissions are granted:

      

   8. Now go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and use the copied values in Application Credentials authentication configuration:

      • In the Token URL field paste the OAuth token endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Client ID field paste the Application (client) ID value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Client Secret field paste the Client secret value you copied in the previous step.
      • Optional step. Choose Default Site Id from the drop down menu.
   9. Click Test Connection to confirm the connection is working.
   10. Done!

   Step-3 (optional): Grant SharePoint permissions to the OAuth app

   If you used Sites.Selected, Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected permission in the previous section, you must grant the app the SharePoint permissions for the specific resource (e.g. a Site, a List, or a ListItem). You can do it using PowerShell or SharePoint admin center (obsolete method).

   Granting SharePoint permissions using PowerShell

   Unfortunately, there is no user interface available to control these permissions yet. For now, granting permissions has to be accomplished via Microsoft Graph API [Microsoft reference]:

   You must be the owner of the resource to grant permissions (i.e. belong to SharePoint owners group or be the owner of the Site or List).

   1. Open PowerShell (run as admin).

   2. Call the following PowerShell code to grant read and write permission for the app we created earlier (assuming Application (client) ID is 89ea5c94-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-3fa95f62b66e):

      ##### CONFIGURATION ############################################################################################
      
      # More info at:
      # - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/permissions-selected-overview?tabs=powershell
      # - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.graph.sites/?view=graph-powershell-1.0
      
      # Find SharePoint Site Id by following these steps:
      # - Login into SharePoint Online
      # - Open this URL https://{your-company}.sharepoint.com/_api/site in the browser
      #   NOTE: For a subsite use https://{your-company}.sharepoint.com/sites/{your-subsite}/_api/site
      # - Find 'Id' element in the response (e.g. <d:Id m:type="Edm.Guid">efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3</d:Id>)
      # - Copy the Site Id, i.e.: efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3 
      # Set $siteId variable to the retrieved Site Id:
      
      $siteId="efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3"
      
      
      # Find your Application Id (i.e. Client Id) in the Azure Portal, in App Registrations page:
      # https://portal.azure.com/#view/Microsoft_AAD_RegisteredApps/ApplicationsListBlade
      
      $applicationId="89ea5c94-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-3fa95f62b66e"
      
      
      # Set one of app permissions: read, write, fullcontrol, owner ('write' includes 'read' permission)
      
      $appPermission="write"
      
      
      
      ##### SCRIPT ###################################################################################################
      
      # Step-1: Install 'Microsoft.Graph.Sites' module if it's not installed
      if (-not (Get-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites -ListAvailable))
      {
          Install-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites
      }
      
      # Step-2: Load module
      Import-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites
      
      # Step-3: Login (use Azure admin or SharePoint owner account)
      DisConnect-MgGraph
      Connect-MgGraph
      
      # Step-4: Set parameters for API call (set permissions, Site ID and Application ID)
      
      $params = @{
      	roles = @($appPermission)
      	grantedTo = @{
      		application = @{id = $applicationId}
      	}
      }
      
      # Step-5: Grant permissions
      New-MgSitePermission -SiteId $siteId -BodyParameter $params
      
      # Done!
      Write-Host "Granted SharePoint permissions to application '$applicationId' for site '$siteId'."
      
      

   3. That's it! Now you can use the connector.

   Granting SharePoint permissions using SharePoint admin center (obsolete method)

   If you used Site.Selected permission you can link it SharePoint site in SharePoint admin center [SharePoint reference]. Follow these simple steps to accomplish that:

   1. Log in to SharePoint admin center using this URL: (replace YOURCOMPANY with your company name):

      https://YOURCOMPANY-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/appinv.aspx

      INFO: To view all the registered apps in SharePoint, visit this page: https://YOURCOMPANY-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/appprincipals.aspx?Scope=Web.
   2. In the App Id field enter Application (client) ID you copied in the previous step.

   3. In the Permission Request XML field enter XML snippet which describes which SharePoint permissions you want to grant to the OAuth app, e.g.:

      <AppPermissionRequests AllowAppOnlyPolicy="true">
        <AppPermissionRequest Scope="http://sharepoint/content/tenant" Right="FullControl" />
      </AppPermissionRequests>

      INFO: This example gives app FullControl, but you can also grant it Read or Write permissions.
   4. Click Create to grant the permission to your OAuth app.
   5. That's it! Now you can use the connector.

   API Connection Manager configuration

   Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

   1. Set Authentication Type to Application Credentials [OAuth]
   2. Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
   3. Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
   4. Finally, hit OK button:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   Application Credentials [OAuth]

   https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0

   Required Parameters
   Token URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client ID	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client Secret	Fill-in the parameter...
   Default Site Id	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   Scope	https://graph.microsoft.com/.default
   Default Drive Id
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429|503|423
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
   Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed)
   Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB)
   IsAppCred	1

   

   Application Credentials with Certificate (Sign JWT with Private Key)

   SharePoint Online authentication

   Follow these simple steps to create Microsoft Entra ID application with application access permissions:

   • Create an OAuth app
   • Configure App Permissions
   • Create Public/Private Key Pair
   • Upload Public Key
   • Configure ZappySys Connection for Private Key use

   • Grant granular permissions (optional)

     This step allows to grant OAuth application granular permissions, i.e. access configured specific Sites, Lists, and List Items.

   Step-1: Create OAuth app

   1. Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in using your credentials.
   2. Access Microsoft Entra ID.
   3. Register a new application by going to App registrations and clicking on New registration button:
      INFO: Find more information on how to register an application in Graph API reference.
   4. When configuration window opens, configure these fields:
      • Supported account type
        • e.g. select Accounts in this organizational directory only if you need access to data in your organization only.
      
   5. After registering the app, copy the Application (client) ID for later:
   6. Then copy OAuth authorization endpoint (v2) & OAuth token endpoint (v2) URLs:

   Step-2: Configure App Permissions

   1. Continue by adding permissions for the app by going to the API permissions section, and clicking on Add a permission:
   2. Select Microsoft Graph:
   3. Then choose Application permissions option:

   4. Continue by adding these Sites permissions (search for site):

      
      INFO: If you want to access specific lists or list items (table-level vs row-level security) rather than the full site, then add Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected permissions , just like in the previous step (search for list).
      WARNING: If you add any of these permissions - Sites.Selected, Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected, or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected - you must grant the app the SharePoint permissions for the specific resource (e.g. a Site, a List, or a ListItem). Follow instructions in Grant SharePoint permissions to the OAuth app (optional) section on how to accomplish that.
   5. Finish by clicking Add permissions button:
   6. Now it's time to Grant admin consent for your application:
   7. Confirm all the permissions are granted:

   Step-3: Generate a Self-Signed Certificate

   Now let's go through setting up a certificate-based authentication flow for Microsoft Graph or other Azure AD protected APIs using client credentials and a JWT.

   You can use OpenSSL or any other way to generate Certificate file but to make it simple we will use below example PowerShell script.

   Open PowerShell and execute code listed in below steps.

   
   # Run this in PowerShell
   #Change .AddYears(1) to desired number. By default it expires certificate in one year as per below code.
   
   $cert = New-SelfSignedCertificate `
     -Subject "CN=MyClientAppCert" `
     -KeySpec Signature `
     -KeyExportPolicy Exportable `
     -KeyLength 2048 `
     -CertStoreLocation "Cert:\CurrentUser\My" `
     -KeyAlgorithm RSA `
     -HashAlgorithm SHA256 `
     -NotAfter (Get-Date).AddYears(1) `
     -Provider "Microsoft Enhanced RSA and AES Cryptographic Provider"
   
   # Export private key (.pfx)  - Keep this with you to make API calls (SECRET KEY - DONOT SHARE)
   $pfxPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\private_key.pfx"
   $pwd = ConvertTo-SecureString -String "yourStrongPassword123" -Force -AsPlainText
   Export-PfxCertificate -Cert $cert -FilePath $pfxPath -Password $pwd
   
   # Export public certificate (.cer) - UPLOAD this to Azure Portal
   $cerPath = "$env:USERPROFILE\Desktop\public_key.cer"
   Export-Certificate -Cert $cert -FilePath $cerPath
   

   Step-4: Upload the Certificate (i.e. Public Key *.cer)

   Once we have certificate file generated.

   1. In your App Registration, go to Certificates & secrets
   2. Under Certificates, click Upload certificate
   3. Select the .cer file (public certificate)
   4. Click Select a file (Browse button)
   5. Select public key file (*.cer) from local machine and click OK to upload

   Step-5: Configure ZappySys Connection - Use private key (i.e. *.pfx or *.pem)

   Now its time to use certificate pfx file (private key) generated in the previous step (NOTE: PFX file contains both private key and public key).

   1. Go to SSIS package or ODBC data source and use the copied values in Application Credentials authentication configuration:
      • In the Token URL field paste the OAuth token endpoint (v2) URL value you copied in the previous step.
      • In the Client ID field paste the Application (client) ID value you copied in the previous step.
   2. Configure private key
      • go to Certificate Tab
      • Change Storage Mode to Disk File: *.pfx format (PKCS#12).
        NOTE: You can also use Stored In LocalMachine mode if PFX file already imported in the Local Certificate Storage Area - User Store OR Machine Store.

        If you used OpenSSL to generate key pair then use Disk File: *.pem format (PKCS#8 or PKCS#1) Mode for Cert Store Location.

      • Supply the key file path
      • Supply the certificate password (same password used in earlier PowerShell script)
   3. Now go back to General Tab, choose Default Site Id and Default Drive Id from the drop down menu.
   4. Click Test connection see everything is good

   Step-6 (optional): Grant granular permissions to the OAuth app

   If you used Sites.Selected, Lists.SelectedOperations.Selected or ListItems.SelectedOperations.Selected permission in the previous section, you must grant the app the SharePoint permissions for the specific resource (e.g. a Site, a List, or a ListItem). You can do it using PowerShell or SharePoint admin center (obsolete method).

   Granting SharePoint permissions using PowerShell

   Unfortunately, there is no user interface available to control these permissions yet. For now, granting permissions has to be accomplished via Microsoft Graph API [Microsoft reference]:

   You must be the owner of the resource to grant permissions (i.e. belong to SharePoint owners group or be the owner of the Site or List).

   1. Open PowerShell (run as admin).

   2. Call the following PowerShell code to grant read and write permission for the app we created earlier (assuming Application (client) ID is 89ea5c94-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-3fa95f62b66e):

      ##### CONFIGURATION ############################################################################################
      
      # More info at:
      # - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/permissions-selected-overview?tabs=powershell
      # - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.graph.sites/?view=graph-powershell-1.0
      
      # Find SharePoint Site Id by following these steps:
      # - Login into SharePoint Online
      # - Open this URL https://{your-company}.sharepoint.com/_api/site in the browser
      #   NOTE: For a subsite use https://{your-company}.sharepoint.com/sites/{your-subsite}/_api/site
      # - Find 'Id' element in the response (e.g. <d:Id m:type="Edm.Guid">efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3</d:Id>)
      # - Copy the Site Id, i.e.: efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3 
      # Set $siteId variable to the retrieved Site Id:
      
      $siteId="efcdd21a-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-5d8104d8b5e3"
      
      
      # Find your Application Id (i.e. Client Id) in the Azure Portal, in App Registrations page:
      # https://portal.azure.com/#view/Microsoft_AAD_RegisteredApps/ApplicationsListBlade
      
      $applicationId="89ea5c94-aaaa-bbbb-cccc-3fa95f62b66e"
      
      
      # Set one of app permissions: read, write, fullcontrol, owner ('write' includes 'read' permission)
      
      $appPermission="write"
      
      
      
      ##### SCRIPT ###################################################################################################
      
      # Step-1: Install 'Microsoft.Graph.Sites' module if it's not installed
      if (-not (Get-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites -ListAvailable))
      {
          Install-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites
      }
      
      # Step-2: Load module
      Import-Module Microsoft.Graph.Sites
      
      # Step-3: Login (use Azure admin or SharePoint owner account)
      DisConnect-MgGraph
      Connect-MgGraph
      
      # Step-4: Set parameters for API call (set permissions, Site ID and Application ID)
      
      $params = @{
      	roles = @($appPermission)
      	grantedTo = @{
      		application = @{id = $applicationId}
      	}
      }
      
      # Step-5: Grant permissions
      New-MgSitePermission -SiteId $siteId -BodyParameter $params
      
      # Done!
      Write-Host "Granted SharePoint permissions to application '$applicationId' for site '$siteId'."
      
      

   3. That's it! Now you can use the connector.

   API Connection Manager configuration

   Just perform these simple steps to finish authentication configuration:

   1. Set Authentication Type to Application Credentials with Certificate (Sign JWT with Private Key) [OAuth]
   2. Optional step. Modify API Base URL if needed (in most cases default will work).
   3. Fill in all the required parameters and set optional parameters if needed.
   4. Finally, hit OK button:

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharePoint Online

   Application Credentials with Certificate (Sign JWT with Private Key) [OAuth]

   https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0

   Required Parameters
   Token URL	Fill-in the parameter...
   Client ID	Fill-in the parameter...
   Certificate: *** Configure [Client Certificate] Tab ***	Fill-in the parameter...
   Default Site Id	Fill-in the parameter...
   Optional Parameters
   Default Drive Id
   RetryMode	RetryWhenStatusCodeMatch
   RetryStatusCodeList	429|503|423
   RetryCountMax	5
   RetryMultiplyWaitTime	True
   Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed)
   Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB)
   IsAppCred	1

   

6. Once the data source connection has been configured, it's time to configure the SQL query. Select the Preview tab and then click Query Builder button to configure the SQL query:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - SharePoint Online

   Read and write SharePoint Online data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate sites, lists, document libraries, and files — almost no coding required.

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   

7. Start by selecting the Table or Endpoint you are interested in and then configure the parameters. This will generate a query that we will use in Alteryx to retrieve data from SharePoint Online. Hit OK button to use this query in the next step.

   SELECT * FROM Lists

   
   Some parameters configured in this window will be passed to the SharePoint Online API, e.g. filtering parameters. It means that filtering will be done on the server side (instead of the client side), enabling you to get only the meaningful data much faster.

8. Now hit Preview Data button to preview the data using the generated SQL query. If you are satisfied with the result, use this query in Alteryx:

   

   ZappySys API Driver - SharePoint Online

   Read and write SharePoint Online data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate sites, lists, document libraries, and files — almost no coding required.

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SELECT * FROM Lists

   
   You can also access data quickly from the tables dropdown by selecting <Select table>.
   A WHERE clause, LIMIT keyword will be performed on the client side, meaning that the whole result set will be retrieved from the SharePoint Online API first, and only then the filtering will be applied to the data. If possible, it is recommended to use parameters in Query Builder to filter the data on the server side (in SharePoint Online servers).

9. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video Tutorial

Read SharePoint Online data in Alteryx Designer (workstation)

Here we will be reading SharePoint Online data on your workstation using Alteryx Designer. Follow the steps below to connect via ODBC and run your workflow locally.

1. Open Alteryx Designer.

2. First, verify your DCM Settings to ensure you can access ODBC drivers. Go to Options > User Settings > Edit User Settings.

   If DCM Mode is set to DCM Only, change it to DCM Optional if you would like to access the legacy Generic ODBC Connection.

   
   After changing this setting, you may need to click Save and restart the connection window for the "Generic ODBC" icon to appear.

3. Drag an Input Data tool onto your Alteryx canvas.

   

4. In the Configuration pane, click Set Up a Connection.

   

5. Note for DCM Users: If your environment has DCM (Data Connection Manager) enabled, the classic "Generic ODBC" icon may be hidden. To find it, select Data sources on the left and type "ODBC" in the search bar.

6. Once the ODBC window opens, click Connect Asset and select your SharepointOnlineDSN DSN from the list.

   
   Ensure you have configured a 64-bit System DSN in the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator before this step.

7. After selecting your DSN, configure your SQL Query in the Input Data tool configuration:

   

8. To save your data, drag an Output Data tool and connect it to the Input Data tool.

9. Configure the Output Data tool to write to a CSV file:

   

10. Press Run (Ctrl+R) to execute the workflow. Verify the results in the Results Window at the bottom.

    

Using DSN-less Connection String

If you prefer to use a DSN-less connection string instead of creating an ODBC data source in Alteryx, you can enter the connection string directly in the Input Data tool's connection setup:

Deploy workflow and run on server (e.g. Alteryx Server)

To run your Alteryx workflow on a server (e.g. Alteryx Server or a machine used for scheduled runs), install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack and configure the same DSN on that server so the workflow can connect to SharePoint Online data.

1. On the server where the workflow will run, download and install ODBC PowerPack (v2.2.1 or higher for Alteryx support).
2. Open ODBC Data Sources (64-bit) on the server and create a System DSN with the same name and settings as on your workstation (use the same driver and connection configuration). An easy way to copy your workstation DSN settings to the server is described in How to copy ODBC DSN or Data Gateway settings to another server (use Copy Settings on the workstation, then Load settings on the server).
3. Deploy or publish your workflow to the server (e.g. upload to Alteryx Server or copy the workflow to the server).
4. Run the workflow on the server; it will use the DSN you created in step 2 to connect to SharePoint Online.

Optional: Centralized data access via ZappySys Data Gateway

In some situations, you may need to provide SharePoint Online data access to multiple users or services. Configuring the data source on a Data Gateway creates a single, centralized connection point for this purpose.

This configuration provides two primary advantages:

• Centralized data access
  The data source is configured once on the gateway, eliminating the need to set it up individually on each user's machine or application. This significantly simplifies the management process.
• Centralized access control
  Since all connections route through the gateway, access can be governed or revoked from a single location for all users.

To achieve this, you must first create a data source in the Data Gateway (server-side) and then create an ODBC data source in Alteryx (client-side) to connect to it.

Let's not wait and get going!

Create SharePoint Online data source in the gateway

In this section we will create a data source for SharePoint Online in the Data Gateway. Let's follow these steps to accomplish that:

1. Search for gateway in the Windows Start Menu and open ZappySys Data Gateway Configuration:

   

2. Go to the Users tab and follow these steps to add a Data Gateway user:

   • Click the Add button
   • In the Login field enter a username, e.g., john
   • Then enter a Password
   • Check the Is Administrator checkbox
   • Click OK to save
   

3. Now we are ready to add a data source:

   • Click the Add button
   • Give the Data source a name (have it handy for later)
   • Then select Native - ZappySys API Driver
   • Finally, click OK
   SharepointOnlineDSN

   ZappySys API Driver

   

4. When the ZappySys API Driver configuration window opens, go back to ODBC Data Source Administrator where you already have the SharePoint Online ODBC data source created and configured, and follow these steps on how to Import data source configuration into the Gateway:

   • Open ODBC data source configuration and click Copy settings:
     

     ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]

     ZappySys API Driver - SharePoint Online

     Read and write SharePoint Online data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate sites, lists, document libraries, and files — almost no coding required.

     SharepointOnlineDSN

     
   • The window opens, telling us the connection string was successfully copied to the clipboard:

   • Then go to Data Gateway configuration and in data source configuration window click Load settings:

     SharepointOnlineDSN

     

     ZappySys API Driver - Configuration [Version: 2.0.1.10418]

     ZappySys API Driver - SharePoint Online

     Read and write SharePoint Online data effortlessly. Integrate, manage, and automate sites, lists, document libraries, and files — almost no coding required.

     SharepointOnlineDSN

     
   • Once a window opens, just paste the settings by pressing CTRL+V or by clicking right mouse button and then Paste option.

5. Once done, go to the Network Settings tab and Add a firewall rule for inbound traffic:

   
   • This will initially allow all inbound traffic.
   • Click Edit IP filters to restrict access to specific IP addresses or ranges.

6. Crucial Step: After creating or modifying the data source, you must:

   • Click the Save button to persist your changes.
   • Hit Yes when prompted to restart the Data Gateway service.

   This ensures all changes are properly applied:

   
   Skipping this step may cause the new settings to fail, preventing you from connecting to the data source.

Create ODBC data source to connect to the gateway

In this part we will create an ODBC data source to connect to the ZappySys Data Gateway from Alteryx. To achieve that, let's perform these steps:

1. Search for odbc and open the ODBC Data Sources (64-bit):

   

2. Create a User data source (User DSN) based on the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver:

   ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server

   
   If you don't see the ODBC Driver 17 for SQL Server driver in the list, choose a similar version.

3. Then set a Name for the data source (e.g. Gateway) and the address of the Data Gateway:

   ZappySysGatewayDSN

   localhost,5000

   
   Make sure you separate the hostname and port with a comma, e.g. localhost,5000.

4. Proceed with the authentication part:

   • Select SQL Server authentication
   • In the Login ID field enter the user name you created in the Data Gateway, e.g., john
   • Set Password to the one you configured in the Data Gateway
   

5. Then set the default database property to SharepointOnlineDSN (the one we used in the Data Gateway):

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   SharepointOnlineDSN

   
   Make sure to type the data source name manually or copy/paste it directly into the field. Using the dropdown might fail because the Trust server certificate option is not enabled yet (next step).

6. Continue by checking the Trust server certificate option:

   

7. Once you do that, test the connection:

   

8. If the connection is successful, everything is good:

   

9. Done!

We are ready to move to the final step. Let's do it!

Access data in Alteryx via the gateway

Finally, we are ready to read data from SharePoint Online in Alteryx via the Data Gateway. Follow these final steps:

1. Go back to Alteryx.

2. Drag an Input Data tool onto your Alteryx canvas.

   

3. In the Configuration pane, click Set Up a Connection.

   

4. Note for DCM Users: If your environment has DCM (Data Connection Manager) enabled, the classic "Generic ODBC" icon may be hidden. To find it, select Data sources on the left and type "ODBC" in the search bar.

5. Once the ODBC window opens, click Connect Asset and select your ZappySysGatewayDSN DSN from the list.

   
   Ensure you have configured a 64-bit System DSN in the Windows ODBC Data Source Administrator before this step.

6. Read the data the same way we discussed at the beginning of this article.

7. That's it!

Now you can connect to SharePoint Online data in Alteryx via the Data Gateway.

Supported SharePoint Online Connector actions

Got a specific use case in mind? We've mapped out exactly how to perform a variety of essential SharePoint Online operations directly in Alteryx, so you don't have to figure out the setup from scratch. Check out the step-by-step guides below:

• Copy item (File or Folder)
• Create List Item
• Create or Update CSV File (Generic)
• Create or Update JSON File (Generic)
• Delete Item (File or Folder)
• Delete List Item
• Download File
• Get Item (File or Folder)
• List Drives
• List Excel Files
• List Excel Worksheets of a File (i.e. List Tabs)
• List Files
• List Folders
• List SharePoint Lists
• List SharePoint System Lists
• List Sites
• Move or rename item (File or Folder)
• Read CSV File (Generic)
• Read Drive
• Read Excel Worksheet (Auto Detect Range)
• Read Excel Worksheet (From Exact Range)
• Read File Data (As Byte Array)
• Read JSON File (Generic)
• Read List
• Read List Fields
• Read List Item (By ID)
• Read List Items
• Read List Items (Dynamic Columns)
• Read Main Site
• Update List Item
• Upload File
• Make Generic REST API Request
• Make Generic REST API Request (Bulk Write)

Conclusion

In this article we showed you how to connect to SharePoint Online in Alteryx and integrate data without writing complex code — all of this was powered by SharePoint Online ODBC Driver.

Download ODBC PowerPack now or ping us via chat if you have any questions or are looking for a specific feature (you can also reach out to us by submitting a ticket):

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