SharePoint Online Connector for Power BI

In this article you will learn how to integrate SharePoint Online data in Power BI without coding in just a few clicks (live / bi-directional connection to SharePoint Online). SharePoint Connector can be used to integrate SharePoint and your defined data source, e.g. Microsoft SQL, Oracle, Excel, Power BI, etc. Get, write, delete SharePoint data in a few clicks!.

Using SharePoint Online Connector you will be able to connect, read, and write data from within Power BI. Follow the steps below to see how we would accomplish that.

Download Documentation

Video Tutorial - Integrate SharePoint Online data in Power BI

This video covers following and more so watch carefully. After watching this video follow the steps described in this article.

  • How to download / install required driver for SharePoint Online integration in Power BI
  • How to configure connection for SharePoint Online
  • Features about API Driver (Authentication / Query Language / Examples / Driver UI)
  • Using SharePoint Online Connection in Power BI

Create ODBC Data Source (DSN) based on ZappySys API Driver

Step-by-step instructions

To get data from SharePoint Online using Power BI we first need to create a DSN (Data Source) which will access data from SharePoint Online. We will later be able to read data using Power BI. Perform these steps:

  1. Install ZappySys ODBC PowerPack.

  2. Open ODBC Data Sources (x64):
    Open ODBC Data Source

  3. Create a User Data Source (User DSN) based on ZappySys API Driver

    ZappySys API Driver
    Create new User DSN for ZappySys API Driver
    You should create a System DSN (instead of a User DSN) if the client application is launched under a Windows System Account, e.g. as a Windows Service. If the client application is 32-bit (x86) running with a System DSN, use ODBC Data Sources (32-bit) instead of the 64-bit version.
  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
    ODBC DSN Template Selection

  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.

    OAuth App must be created in Microsoft Azure AD. These settings typically found here https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/auth-register-app-v2. [API Help..]

    Steps to get SharePoint Online Credentials

    Firstly, login into Azure Portal and there create an OAuth application:

    1. Login to Azure Portal:
      • Navigate to the Azure Portal and log in using your credentials.
    2. Access Azure Active Directory:
    3. Register a New Application:
      • Go to App registrations and click on New registration.
      • Application Name: Enter a name for your application.
      • Supported Account Types: Choose the account types your app will support. For example, select Accounts in this organizational directory only if you need access to data in your organization only.
      • Redirect URI:
        • Set the type to Web.
        • In the textbox enter https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/nativeclient as the Redirect URI or any other valid redirect URL, e.g., https://zappysys.com/oauth.
        • Use this Redirect URI in the Redirect URL grid row.
    4. Save Client ID:
      • After registering the app, copy the Application (client) ID and paste it into the Client ID field in the API Connection Manager configuration.
    5. Set Authorization & Token URLs:
      • Click on the Endpoints link in the App registration overview.
      • Authorization URL: Copy the OAuth 2.0 authorization endpoint (v2) URL (e.g., https://login.microsoftonline.com/{your-tenant-id}/oauth2/v2.0/authorize) and paste it into the Authorization URL field in the configuration grid.
      • Token URL: Copy the OAuth 2.0 token endpoint (v2) URL (e.g., https://login.microsoftonline.com/{your-tenant-id}/oauth2/v2.0/token) and paste it into the Token URL field.
    6. Create a Client Secret:
      • In the Certificates & secrets tab, click New client secret.
      • Set an expiration period for the secret.
      • Copy the generated client secret and paste it into the Client Secret field in the API Connection Manager configuration.
    7. Configure API Permissions:
      • Go to the API Permissions section.
      • Click on Add a permission, select Microsoft Graph, and choose Delegated Permissions.
      • Add the required permissions:
        • offline_access
        • Files.Read
        • Files.Read.All
        • Files.ReadWrite
        • Files.ReadWrite.All
        • openid
        • profile
        • Sites.Read.All
        • Sites.ReadWrite.All
        • User.Read
        • email
      • Grant Admin Consent for the permissions that require it.
    8. Generate Tokens:
      • Use the Generate Token feature in the API Connection Manager to generate authentication tokens.
    9. Use a Generic Account for Automation:
      NOTE: If you are planning to use your current data connection/token for automated processes, we recommend that you use a generic account for token generation when the login box appears (e.g. sales_automation@mycompany.com instead of bob_smith@mycompany.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 fail. Another potentially unwanted effect of using a personal token is incorrect logging; the API calls (e.g. Read, Edit, Delete, Upload) made with that token will record the specific user as performing the calls instead of an automated process.
    10. That's it!
    For more information you can read this link https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/auth-register-app-v2 Also https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/auth-register-app-v2

    Fill in all required parameters and set optional parameters if needed:

    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...
    SiteId (select after pressing 'Generate Token') Fill in the parameter...
    Optional Parameters
    Client Secret Fill in the parameter...
    ReturnUrl Fill in the parameter...
    Login Prompt Option Fill in the parameter...
    RetryMode Fill in the parameter...
    RetryStatusCodeList Fill in the parameter...
    RetryCountMax Fill in the parameter...
    RetryMultiplyWaitTime Fill in the parameter...
    Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed) Fill in the parameter...
    Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB) Fill in the parameter...
    ODBC DSN Oauth Connection Configuration

    OAuth App must be created in Microsoft Azure AD. These settings typically found here https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/graph/auth-v2-service [API Help..]

    Steps to get SharePoint Online Credentials

    Firstly, login into Azure Portal and there create an OAuth application:

    Step-1: Create OAuth App

    1. Go to Azure Portal and login there.
    2. Then go to Azure Active Directory.
    3. On the left side click menu item App registrations
    4. Then proceed with clicking New registration.
    5. Enter a name for your application.
    6. Select one of Accounts in this organizational directory only as supported account type to access data in your company.
    7. In Redirect URI section leave option selected at Web.
    8. Copy Application (client) ID and paste it into API Connection Manager configuration grid in Client ID row.
    9. Then click on Endpoints link and copy second, Token, URL to Token URL field in configuration grid. Usually they look similar to these:
      https://login.microsoftonline.com/daed1250-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-ef0a982d3d1e/oauth2/v2.0/token
      https://login.microsoftonline.com/common/oauth2/v2.0/token
      
    10. Close "Endpoints" and create a Client Secret by clicking Certificates & secrets.
    11. Proceed by clicking New client secret and setting expiration period. Copy the client secret and paste it into configuration grid in Client Secret row.
    12. Go to API Permissions section and add Microsoft Graph permissions for SharePoint and Drive, e.g. Sites.Selected, Sites.Read.All, Sites.ReadWrite.All, Files.Read.All, Files.ReadWrite.All.
    13. Finally, Grant admin consent for your domain for your permissions.

    Step-2: Register OAuth App in SharePoint Admin Portal

    1. After we create OAuth App we need to add grant SharePoint access to that App using Admin Portal. Make sure you have admin permission to acces Portal. For detailed steps you may refer to this link. Here are basic steps you can follow.
    2. Log in to SharePoint Admin Portal and access below URL
      (Replace YOURCOMPANY)
      https://YOURCOMPANY-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/appprincipals.aspx?Scope=Web
    3. Enter App Id and other information
    4. Enter XML snippet which describes which permission you want to grant. Here is an example permission (App with FullControl / Read / Write)
      <AppPermissionRequests AllowAppOnlyPolicy="true">
        <AppPermissionRequest Scope="http://sharepoint/content/tenant" Right="FullControl" />
      </AppPermissionRequests>
        
    5. Click Add to grant the permission. That's it!
    NOTE: After adding App in SharePoint if you ever remove the permission then you can visit the following URL and delete the App.
    https://YOURCOMPANY-admin.sharepoint.com/_layouts/15/appprincipals.aspx?Scope=Web

    Fill in all required parameters and set optional parameters if needed:

    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...
    SiteId Fill in the parameter...
    Optional Parameters
    Scope Fill in the parameter...
    RetryMode Fill in the parameter...
    RetryStatusCodeList Fill in the parameter...
    RetryCountMax Fill in the parameter...
    RetryMultiplyWaitTime Fill in the parameter...
    Search Option For Non-Indexed Fields (Default=Blank - Search Only Indexed) Fill in the parameter...
    Extra Headers (e.g. Header1:AAA||Header2:BBB) Fill in the parameter...
    ODBC DSN Oauth Connection Configuration

  6. Once the data source has been configured, you can preview data. Select the Preview tab and use settings similar to the following to preview data:
    ODBC ZappySys Data Source Preview

  7. Click OK to finish creating the data source.

Video instructions

Read SharePoint Online data in Power BI using ODBC

  1. Once you open Power BI Desktop click Get Data to get data from ODBC:
    Power Bi Get Data

  2. A window opens, and then search for "odbc" to get data from ODBC data source:
    Power Bi ODBC Get Data

  3. Another window opens and asks to select a Data Source we already created. Choose SharePointOnlineDSN and continue:

    SharePointOnlineDSN
    Power Bi Select ZappySys Driver DSN

  4. Most likely, you will be asked to authenticate to a newly created DSN. Just select Windows authentication option together with Use my current credentials option:

    SharePointOnlineDSN
    Power Bi DSN Authenticaation

  5. Finally, you will be asked to select a table or view to get data from. Select one and load the data!
    Power Bi Load DSN Table Data

  6. Finally, finally, use extracted data from SharePoint Online in a Power BI report:
    Power Bi Extracted DSN Table Data

Import SharePoint Online data into Power BI from SQL Query

If you wish to import SharePoint Online data from SQL query rather than selecting table name then you can use advanced options during import steps (as below). After selecting DSN you can click on advanced options to see SQL Query editor.

Import SharePoint Online data into Power BI using SQL Query (ODBC Data source)

Import SharePoint Online data into Power BI using SQL Query (ODBC Data source)

If you type invalid SQL, Power BI may revert to table mode rather than import from Query. Make sure you do not use "$" it as a table name in SELECT...FROM $. You can use "_root_" instead (e.g., SELECT .. FROM _root_). Consider using Custom Object to wrap custom SQL in a Virtual Table. This way, you can see a virtual table in Table mode where you can import multiple objects using the same connection rather than creating a new connection for each custom SQL.

Edit Query / Using Parameters in Power BI (Dynamic Query)

In the real world, many values of your REST / SOAP API call may be coming from Parameters. If that's the case for you can try to edit script manually as below. In below example its calling SQL Query with POST method and passing some parameters. Notice below where paraAPIKey is Power BI Parameter (string type). You can use parameters anywhere in your script just like the normal variable.

Import SharePoint Online in Power BI - Using parameters in SQL Query (Edit code - Advanced Mode)

 

let
    vKey=paraAPIKey,
    Source = Odbc.Query(
    "dsn=ZS-OData Customers", 
    "SELECT * FROM value WITH (SRC='http://httpbin.org/post'," 
    & "METHOD='POST'," 
    & "HEADER='Content-Type:application/json'," 
    & "BODY=@'{""CallerId"":1111, ""ApiKey"":""" & vKey & """}')")
in
Source

Edit Query Settings after Import

There will be a time you need to change initial Query after dataset import in Power BI. Not to worry, just follow these steps to edit your SQL.

Edit Power BI Data Source SQL after SOAP Web Service Import

Edit Power BI Data Source SQL after REST / SOAP Web Service Import

Using DirectQuery Option rather than Import

So far we have seen how to Import SharePoint Online data into Power BI but what if you have too much data and you dont want to import but link it. Power BI Offers very useful feature for this scenario. Its called DirectQuery Option. In this section we will explore how to use DirectQuery along with ZappySys Drivers. Out of the box ZappySys Drivers wont work in ODBC Connection Mode so you have to use SQL Server Connection rather than ODBC if you wish to use Live data using DirectQuery option. See below step by step instructions to enable DirectQuery mode in Power BI for SharePoint Online data. Basically we will use ZappySys Data Gateway its part of ODBC PowerPack. We will then use Linked Server in SQL Server to Link API Service and then we will issue OPENROWSET queries from Power BI to SQL Server and it will then call SharePoint Online via ZappySys Data Gateway.

Step-By-Step - How to query SharePoint Online API in SQL Server

  1. First read this article carefully, How to query SharePoint Online API in SQL Server.
  2. Once linked server is configured we are ready to issue API query in Power BI.
  3. Click Get Data in Power BI, select SQL Server Database
  4. Enter your server name and any database name
  5. Select Mode as DirectQuery
  6. Click on Advanced and enter query like below (we are assuming you have created SharePoint Online Data Source in Data Gateway and defined linked server (Change name below).
    Select * from OPENQUERY([SHAREPOINT ONLINE_LINKED_SERVER],'SELECT * FROM Customers')
    Select * from OPENQUERY(
    [SHAREPOINT ONLINE_LINKED_SERVER],
    'SELECT * FROM Customers'
    )
    DirectQuery option for Power BI (Read SharePoint Online Data Example using SQL Server Linked Server and ZappySys Data Gateway)


    DirectQuery option for Power BI (Read SharePoint Online Data Example using SQL Server Linked Server and ZappySys Data Gateway)

  7. Click OK and Load data ... That's it. Now your SharePoint Online API data is linked rather than imported.

Working with Gateways in Power BI (Schedule Import)

If the data needs to be updated, it is necessary to create a gateway on-premises. In this new section, we will install a Power BI Gateway and in the next section schedule it to update the SharePoint Online information.
  1. In the last section, we Published the report. Power BI may ask you to SIGN IN.
    Sign in Power BI

    Sign in Power BI

  2. Select the Workspace and select Datasets
    Go do workspace and select dataset

    Go to workspace and dataset

  3. Right-click the report and select Settings.
    Define settings for Power BI report

    Specify settings for the report

  4. The system will ask for a Gateway. Stay here.
    add power bi gateway

    Add Power BI Gateway

  5. Use the following link to install a Data Gateway:
    https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-bi/service-gateway-onprem
  6. Run the installer and press Next
    Initial gateway window for installation

    Gateway installer

  7. Select the option On-premises data gateway (recommended). This option allows access to multiple users and can be used by more applications than Power BI.
    Choose Power BI gateway

    Choose Power BI option

  8. The installer will show a warning message.
    Warning message gateway installation

    Warning message during installation

  9. Select the path to install and check the I accept the terms.
    accept terms

    Accept terms

  10. Specify the email address to use the gateway.
    Register email in gateway installation

    Register email address

  11. After entering the email, write the gateway name and a recovery key. Make sure to confirm the recovery key.
    Specify name and recovery key

    Enter recovery key

Manage gateways and configure the schedule

Once that the gateway is installed we will configure it and add the connection strings.
  1. The next step is to go to manage gateway
    Power BI - Manage Gateway Setting

    Power BI - Manage Gateway Setting

  2. In order to get the connection string, we will need the connection string of the ZappySys API Driver. In the first section of this post, we explained how to configure it. Press Copy Connection String
    ZappySys connection properties

    Connection properties

  3. Once that the data is copied, add a New data Source. In Data Source Name, enter the Data Source Name of the ZappySys API Driver in step 13 and in Data Source Type, select ODBC. In connection string copy and paste from the clipboard of the step 13 and press Add.
    Zappy connection properties

    ZappySys connection properties in Power BI

  4. Once added the gateway. You can see the schedule refresh to On and Add another time to add the time where you want to refresh the data.
    Schedule gateway

    Schedule gateway

Advanced topics

Create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver

You can create procedures to encapsulate custom logic and then only pass handful parameters rather than long SQL to execute your API call.

Steps to create Custom Stored Procedure in ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

  1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Procedure:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Stored Procedure

  2. Enter the desired Procedure name and click on OK:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Stored Procedure Name

  3. Select the created Stored Procedure and write the your desired stored procedure and Save it and it will create the custom stored procedure in the ZappySys Driver:
    Here is an example stored procedure for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders anywhere inside Procedure Body. Read more about placeholders here

    CREATE PROCEDURE [usp_get_orders]
        @fromdate = '<<yyyy-MM-dd,FUN_TODAY>>'
     AS
        SELECT * FROM Orders where OrderDate >= '<@fromdate>';
    

    ZappySys Driver - Create Custom Stored Procedure

  4. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your Stored Procedure using Exec Command. In this example it will extract the orders from the date 1996-01-01:

    Exec usp_get_orders '1996-01-01';

    ZappySys Driver - Execute Custom Stored Procedure

  5. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
    As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.

    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([MY_API_SERVICE], 'EXEC usp_get_orders @fromdate=''1996-07-30''')

    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

  6. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

Create Custom Virtual Table in ZappySys Driver

ZappySys API Drivers support flexible Query language so you can override Default Properties you configured on Data Source such as URL, Body. This way you don't have to create multiple Data Sources if you like to read data from multiple EndPoints. However not every application support supplying custom SQL to driver so you can only select Table from list returned from driver.

If you're dealing with Microsoft Access and need to import data from an SQL query, it's important to note that Access doesn't allow direct import of SQL queries. Instead, you can create custom objects (Virtual Tables) to handle the import process.

Many applications like MS Access, Informatica Designer wont give you option to specify custom SQL when you import Objects. In such case Virtual Table is very useful. You can create many Virtual Tables on the same Data Source (e.g. If you have 50 URLs with slight variations you can create virtual tables with just URL as Parameter setting.

  1. Go to Custom Objects Tab and Click on Add button and Select Add Table:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Table

  2. Enter the desired Table name and click on OK:
    ZappySys Driver - Add Table Name

  3. And it will open the New Query Window Click on Cancel to close that window and go to Custom Objects Tab.

  4. Select the created table, Select Text Type AS SQL and write the your desired SQL Query and Save it and it will create the custom table in the ZappySys Driver:
    Here is an example SQL query for ZappySys Driver. You can insert Placeholders also. Read more about placeholders here

    SELECT
      "ShipCountry",
      "OrderID",
      "CustomerID",
      "EmployeeID",
      "OrderDate",
      "RequiredDate",
      "ShippedDate",
      "ShipVia",
      "Freight",
      "ShipName",
      "ShipAddress",
      "ShipCity",
      "ShipRegion",
      "ShipPostalCode"
    FROM "Orders"
    Where "ShipCountry"='USA'

    ZappySys Driver - Create Custom Table

  5. That's it now go to Preview Tab and Execute your custom virtual table query. In this example it will extract the orders for the USA Shipping Country only:

    SELECT * FROM "vt__usa_orders_only"

    ZappySys Driver - Execute Custom Virtual Table Query

  6. Let's generate the SQL Server Query Code to make the API call using stored procedure. Go to Code Generator Tab, select language as SQL Server and click on Generate button the generate the code.
    As we already created the linked server for this Data Source, in that you just need to copy the Select Query and need to use the linked server name which we have apply on the place of [MY_API_SERVICE] placeholder.

    SELECT * FROM OPENQUERY([MY_API_SERVICE], 'EXEC [usp_get_orders] ''1996-01-01''')

    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

  7. Now go to SQL served and execute that query and it will make the API call using stored procedure and provide you the response.
    ZappySys Driver - Generate SQL Server Query

Actions supported by SharePoint Online Connector

SharePoint Online Connector support following actions for REST API integration. If some actions are not listed below then you can easily edit Connector file and enhance out of the box functionality.
 Read Main Site
   [Read more...]
 List Sites
   [Read more...]
 List Drives
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
 Read Drive
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive
 List Folders
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
Record Filter (Client Side)
Option Value
All Folders $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null)]
All Folders Under a Specific Folder $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null && @parentReference.id=='SOME-FOLDER-ID-GOES-HERE')]
Folder Name Equals $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null && @name=='SOME-FOLDER-NAME-HERE')]
Folder Id Equals $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null && @id=='SOME-FOLDER-ID-GOES-HERE')]
Folder Name Contains $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null && @name=~/somename$/)]
Folder Name With Regex Pattern $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null && @name=~/^somefolder_\d\d\d.txt$/)]
Folder Name With Regex Pattern (Multiple) $.value[?(@.folder.childCount !=null && @name=~/somefolderAAA|somefolderBBB/)]
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive
Search Type (Default=Recursive) If you do not wish to see files from child folders then use Non-Recursive option. Recursive option has certain limitations (e.g. Only indexed files will appear so it takes time to show up in the list). If you do not see some files listed in the output then use Non-Recursive option (must specify Parent Folder Path in SearchPath property).
Option Value
Recursive search(q='')
NonRecursive children
Search Path (Default=Root Folder)
Option Value
/root: /root:
/root:/somefolder/subfolder: /root:/somefolder/subfolder:
Order By Field(s) - Only for Recursive SearchType Order by Field(s) for output. You can order by single or multiple fields and use filed suffix asc for ascending and desc for descending order. For example to order by lastModifiedDateTime in descending order use lastModifiedDateTime desc. To order by nested field you can supply lastModifiedBy/user/email asc
Option Value
id id
name name
name desc name desc
size size
size desc size desc
createdDateTime createdDateTime
createdDateTime desc createdDateTime desc
lastModifiedDateTime lastModifiedDateTime
lastModifiedDateTime desc lastModifiedDateTime desc
 List Files
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
Record Filter (Client Side)
Option Value
All Files $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null)]
All Files Under a Specific Folder $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @parentReference.id=='SOME-FOLDER-ID-GOES-HERE')]
All Folders $.value[?(@.folder.childCount != null)]
All Files and Folders $.value[*]
File Name Equals $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=='somefile.txt')]
File Id Equals $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @id=='SOME-FILE-ID-GOES-HERE')]
File Name Contains $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=~/somename$/)]
File Name With Regex Pattern $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=~/^somefile_\d\d\d.txt$/)]
File Name With Regex Pattern (Multiple) $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=~/somefile.txt|somefile.json/)]
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive
Search Type (Default=Recursive) If you do not wish to see files from child folders then use Non-Recursive option. Recursive option has certain limitations (e.g. Only indexed files will appear so it takes time to show up in the list). If you do not see some files listed in the output then use Non-Recursive option (must specify Parent Folder Path in SearchPath property).
Option Value
Recursive search(q='')
NonRecursive children
Search Path (Default=Root Folder)
Option Value
/root: /root:
/root:/somefolder/subfolder: /root:/somefolder/subfolder:
Order By Field(s) - Only for Recursive SearchType Order by Field(s) for output. You can order by single or multiple fields and use filed suffix asc for ascending and desc for descending order. For example to order by lastModifiedDateTime in descending order use lastModifiedDateTime desc. To order by nested field you can supply lastModifiedBy/user/email asc
Option Value
id id
name name
name desc name desc
size size
size desc size desc
createdDateTime createdDateTime
createdDateTime desc createdDateTime desc
lastModifiedDateTime lastModifiedDateTime
lastModifiedDateTime desc lastModifiedDateTime desc
 List Excel Files
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive
Record Filter (Client Side)
Option Value
All Files $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null)]
All Files Under a Specific Folder $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @parentReference.id=='SOME-FOLDER-ID-GOES-HERE')]
All Folders $.value[?(@.folder.childCount != null)]
File Name Equals $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=='somefile.txt')]
File Id Equals $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @id=='SOME-FILE-ID-GOES-HERE')]
File Name Contains $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=~/somename$/)]
File Name With Regex Pattern $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=~/^somefile_\d\d\d.txt$/)]
File Name With Regex Pattern (Multiple) $.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null && @name=~/somefile.txt|somefile.json/)]
Search Type (Default=Recursive) If you do not wish to see files from child folders then use Non-Recursive option. Recursive option has certain limitations (e.g. Only indexed files will appear so it takes time to show up in the list). If you do not see some files listed in the output then use Non-Recursive option (must specify Parent Folder Path in SearchPath property).
Option Value
Recursive search(q='.xlsx')
NonRecursive children
Search Path (Default=Root Folder)
Option Value
/root: /root:
/root:/somefolder/subfolder: /root:/somefolder/subfolder:
Order By Field(s) - Only for Recursive SearchType Order by Field(s) for output. You can order by single or multiple fields and use filed suffix asc for ascending and desc for descending order. For example to order by lastModifiedDateTime in descending order use lastModifiedDateTime desc. To order by nested field you can supply lastModifiedBy/user/email asc
Option Value
id id
name name
name desc name desc
size size
size desc size desc
createdDateTime createdDateTime
createdDateTime desc createdDateTime desc
lastModifiedDateTime lastModifiedDateTime
lastModifiedDateTime desc lastModifiedDateTime desc
 List SharePoint Lists
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
 List SharePoint System Lists
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
 Read List Fields
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
Expand
 Read List
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
 Read List Items
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
Filter To filter data on a field, you will first need to index it: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-an-index-to-a-list-or-library-column-f3f00554-b7dc-44d1-a2ed-d477eac463b0
Option Value
None
Equal Search fields/SomeColumn eq 'SomeValue'
Substring Search substringof(fields/SomeField,'abc')
Starts With startswith(fields/SomeField, 'abc')
 Read List Items (Dynamic Columns)
Use this endpoint if you face issue with NULl values in some columns. This endpoint scans metadata from few sample rows and decides datatypes. Use this if other endpoing showing null values for Complex datatypes (e.g. Lookup, Location, Person)    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
Filter To filter data on a field, you will first need to index it: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-an-index-to-a-list-or-library-column-f3f00554-b7dc-44d1-a2ed-d477eac463b0
Option Value
None
Equal Search fields/SomeColumn eq 'SomeValue'
Substring Search substringof(fields/SomeField,'abc')
Starts With startswith(fields/SomeField, 'abc')
 Read List Item (By ID)
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
ListItemId Specify a list item id (Record ID)
 Create List Item
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
 Update List Item
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
ListItemId Specify a list item id
 Delete List Item
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
ListId Specify a list id to search items for
ListItemId Specify a list item id
 List Excel Worksheets (Tabs)
   [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id to search items in
FileId Specify a drive Id to search items in
 Read Excel Worksheet (Auto Detect Range)
Use this endpoint to read data from a Sheet without supplying address range (e.g. A1:D100). This endpoint auto detects address range based on used cells in a sheet.    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id
FileId Specify a file id
SheetId Specify a sheet name
AutoDetectByValue Auto detect cell range based on values only and do not consider cell formatting (for empty values) to detect the range.
Option Value
true true
false false
 Read Excel Worksheet (Specific Range)
Use this endpoint to read data from excel worksheets with address range e.g. A1:D100. If you want dynamic range or unsure about end row then use the other endpoint with Auto Detect feature    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id
FileId Specify a file id
SheetId Specify a sheet name
Range
 Download File as a column field
Dowloads a File as a column field    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id
FileId Specify a file id
 Download File to disk
Dowloads a File to Local Disk    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id
FileId Specify a file id
 Delete File from Sharepoint Site
Delete a File    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id
FileId Specify a file id
 Upload File
Uploads a File    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
SiteId Specify a site
DriveId Specify a drive Id
DiskFilePath Specify a disk file path
SharePointFilePath Specify target file path
 Generic Request
This is generic endpoint. Use this endpoint when some actions are not implemented by connector. Just enter partial URL (Required), Body, Method, Header etc. Most parameters are optional except URL.    [Read more...]
Parameter Description
Url API URL goes here. You can enter full URL or Partial URL relative to Base URL. If it is full URL then domain name must be part of ServiceURL or part of TrustedDomains
Body Request Body content goes here
IsMultiPart Set this option if you want to upload file(s) (i.e. POST RAW file data) or send data using Multi-Part encoding method (i.e. Content-Type: multipart/form-data). Multi-Part request allows you to mix key/value and upload files in same request. On the other hand raw upload allows only single file upload (without any key/value) ==== Raw Upload (Content-Type: application/octet-stream) ===== To upload single file in raw mode check this option and specify full file path starting with @ sign in the Body (e.g. @c:\data\myfile.zip ) ==== Form-Data / Multipart Upload (Content-Type: multipart/form-data) ===== To treat your Request data as multi part fields you must specify key/value pairs separated by new lines into RequestData field (i.e. Body). Each key value pair is entered on new-line and key/value are separated using equal sign (=). Preceding and trailing spaces are ignored also blank lines are ignored. If field value has some any special character(s) then use escape sequence (e.g. For NewLine: \r\n, For Tab: \t, For at (@): \@). When value of any field starts with at sign (@) its automatically treated as File you want to upload. By default file content type is determined based on extension however you can supply content type manually for any field using this way [ YourFileFieldName.Content-Type=some-content-type ]. By default File Upload Field always includes Content-Type in the request (non file fields do not have content-type by default unless you supply manually). For some reason if you dont want to use Content-Type header in your request then supply blank Content-Type to exclude this header altogather [e.g. SomeFieldName.Content-Type= ]. In below example we have supplied Content-Type for file2 and SomeField1, all other fields are using default content-type. See below Example of uploading multiple files along with additional fields. If some API requires you to pass Content-Type: multipart/form-data rather than multipart/form-data then manually set Request Header => Content-Type: multipart/mixed (it must starts with multipart/ else will be ignored). file1=@c:\data\Myfile1.txt file2=@c:\data\Myfile2.json file2.Content-Type=application/json SomeField1=aaaaaaa SomeField1.Content-Type=text/plain SomeField2=12345 SomeFieldWithNewLineAndTab=This is line1\r\nThis is line2\r\nThis is \ttab \ttab \ttab SomeFieldStartingWithAtSign=\@MyTwitterHandle
Filter Enter filter to extract array from response. Example: $.rows[*] --OR-- $.customers[*].orders[*]. Check your response document and find out hierarchy you like to extract
Headers Headers for Request. To enter multiple headers use double pipe or new line after each {header-name}:{value} pair

SharePoint Online Connector Examples for Power BI Connection

This page offers a collection of SQL examples designed for seamless integration with the ZappySys API ODBC Driver under ODBC Data Source (36/64) or ZappySys Data Gateway, enhancing your ability to connect and interact with Prebuilt Connectors effectively.

Select lists from Lists table    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM Lists

Select data from a named list    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM MyList 
--WHERE Id = 1234

Insert data into a named list    [Read more...]

INSERT INTO MyList(Name, Surname)
VALUES ('John', 'Doe') WITH (Output=1)

Insert multiple person IDs into a named list    [Read more...]

INSERT INTO MyList(Title, ManyPersonsLookupId, "fields.ManyPersonsLookupId@odata\u002Etype")
VALUES ('John Doe', '[11,22,33]', 'Collection(Edm.Int32)')
WITH (Output=1)
--Considering "ManyPersons" is the name of the field in SharePoint List

Update data in a named list    [Read more...]

UPDATE MyList
SET Name = 'Elizabeth', Surname = 'Johnson'
WHERE Id = '123'

Update multiple person IDs in a named list    [Read more...]

UPDATE MyList
SET Title = 'Elizabeth Johnson',
    ManyPersonsLookupId = '[11,22,33]',
    "fields.ManyPersonsLookupId@odata\u002Etype" = 'Collection(Edm.Int32)'
WHERE Id = '123'

Delete item from a named list    [Read more...]

DELETE FROM MyList WHERE Id=888
--OR--        
DELETE FROM MyList WITH (ListItemId='123')

--ListItemId can be retrieved by selecting from named list table, e.g. 'MyList'.

Main site    [Read more...]

Gets main SharePoint site details

SELECT * FROM get_main_site

List sites    [Read more...]

Lists all available SharePoint sites

SELECT * FROM Sites

List drives    [Read more...]

Lists all drives

SELECT * FROM Drives

Get drive    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM get_drive
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLQTMU726LE0eY5F2BBNi14-XXXXXXXXXXX-GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get DriveId by selecting from 'Drives' table.

List folders    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM list_folders
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get DriveId by selecting from 'Drives' table.

List files    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM list_files
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get DriveId by selecting from 'Drives' table.

List Excel files    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM list_excel_files
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get DriveId by selecting from 'Drives' table.

Get list fields    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM get_list_fields
WITH (ListId='2e1d58e4-eced-4d1c-9279-XXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get ListId by selecting from 'list_lists' endpoint.

Get list items    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM get_list_items
WITH (ListId='14bdfd1d-1090-4cfe-adc1-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get ListId by selecting from 'list_lists' endpoint.

Get list items (dynamic metadata)    [Read more...]

Gets items of a specific list using dynamic metadata approach. Use this if other endpoint is showing null values for complex datatypes (e.g. Lookup, Location, Person)

SELECT * FROM get_list_items_dynamic
WITH (ListId='14bdfd1d-1090-4cfe-adc1-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--You can get ListId by selecting from 'list_lists' endpoint.

Create list item    [Read more...]

INSERT INTO create_list_item(Title, OrderId)
VALUES ('My super title', 12345)
WITH (ListId='14bdfd1d-1090-4cfe-adc1-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
     ,Output=1)
--You can get ListId by selecting from 'list_lists' endpoint.

Update list item    [Read more...]

UPDATE update_list_item
SET Title = 'My super title', OrderId = 12345
WITH (ListId='14bdfd1d-1090-4cfe-adc1-XXXXXXXXXXXXX'
     ,ListItemId='775'
     ,Output=1)
--You can get ListId by selecting from 'list_lists' endpoint.
--ListItemId can be retrieved by selecting from 'get_list_items' endpoint.

Delete list item    [Read more...]

DELETE FROM delete_list_item
WITH (ListId='14bdfd1d-1090-4cfe-adc1-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
     ,ListItemId='775')
--You can get ListId by selecting from 'list_lists' endpoint.
--ListItemId can be retrieved by selecting from 'get_list_items' endpoint.

List Excel file worksheets    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM list_excel_worksheets
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
     ,FileId='01SUOJPKECYDDVFZWXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--DriveId can be retrieved by selecting from 'Drives' table.
--FileId can be retrieved by selecting from 'list_files' endpoint.

Read Excel Worksheet data - Auto Detect Range    [Read more...]

Reads an Excel file without supplying Cell Address Range (It auto detects based on first and last cell)

SELECT * FROM get_excel_worksheet_autodetect
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXX'
  	    ,FileId='01SUOJPKECYDDVFXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
	    ,SheetId='Sheet1' --Id or Name
	    ,AutoDetectByValue='true'
		,ArrayTransEnableCustomColumns='True' --set this to False if No header in first row
		)
--DriveId can be retrieved by selecting from 'Drives' table.
--FileId can be retrieved by selecting from 'list_files' endpoint.
--SheetId can be retrieved by downloading Excel file and discovering what sheets exist or by selecting from 'list_excel_worksheets' endpoint.

Read Excel Worksheet data for a specified Cell Address Range    [Read more...]

Reads an Excel file from a specified Cell Range. To automatically read without cell range use other endpoint get_excel_worksheet_autodetect

SELECT * FROM get_excel_worksheet
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXX'
  	 ,FileId='01SUOJPKECYDDVFXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
	   ,SheetId='Sheet1' --Id or Name
	   ,Range='A1:K10000'
	   ,ArrayTransEnableCustomColumns='True' --set this to False if No header in first row
	   )
--DriveId can be retrieved by selecting from 'Drives' table.
--FileId can be retrieved by selecting from 'list_files' endpoint.
--SheetId can be retrieved by downloading Excel file and discovering what sheets exist or by selecting from 'list_excel_worksheets' endpoint.
--Range should be set to Excel-type of range where data is located.

Upload a file to a SharePoint site    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM upload_file
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXX'
	 ,DiskFilePath='C:\My files\Employees\List.xls'
	 ,SharePointFilePath='Uploads/Employees/List.xls')
--DriveId can be retrieved by selecting from 'Drives' table.

Download a file to a local disk from a SharePoint site    [Read more...]

SELECT * FROM download_file_to_disk
    WITH(
    DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
    , FileId='01SUOJPKDXTQL2XI2EIFDYZxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
    , TargetFilePath='C:\temp\List.xlsx'
    --, FileOverwriteMode='FailIfExists' //change default overwrite mode from AlwaysOverwrite to FailIfExists
    )
--DriveId can be retrieved by selecting from 'Drives' table.
--FileId can be retrieved by selecting from 'list_files' endpoint.

Read a file content as BASE64 (Binary to string)    [Read more...]

Read file content as base64 string (Binary to Base64) and also save Base64 to disk to recreate file.

SELECT Data as BYTES_AS_BASE64_STRING, BASE64_TO_FILE('C:\My files\Employees\List.xls', Data) FILE_SAVED_TO_DISK_FROM_BASE64 
FROM download_file
WITH (DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-XXXXXXXXXXXXX'
	 ,FileId='01SUOJPKHXMPKD2UXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX')
--DriveId can be retrieved by selecting from 'Drives' table.
--FileId can be retrieved by selecting from 'list_files' endpoint.

Get full image path from Image type field    [Read more...]

By default Image field in your List will show JSON document which contains many pieces of your Image field. To get full path of your Image file you can use JSON_VALUE function and extract multiple fields and concat together to get full path like below.

SELECT *,(JSON_VALUE(MyImageField,'$.serverUrl') || JSON_VALUE(MyImageField,'$.serverRelativeUrl')) as DevicePhotoUrl,
    FROM "My SharePoint List Name"

List files in a folder path (Recursive)    [Read more...]

Use list_files endpoint to list files recursively (list from child folder). However there are some limitations to list recursively, such as some new files may not appear right away or files not indexed wont show up.

SELECT * FROM list_files
WITH(
     Filter='$.value[*]' --list both files and folders
   --Filter='$.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null)]' --list only files
   --Filter='$.value[?(@.folder.childCount != null)]' --list only folders
	,DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-Sa5UzSpkaY9E'
  --,SearchPath='/root:'	--default
  --,SearchPath='/root:/myfolder:'	--folder path
	,SearchPath='/root:/myfolder/subfolder:' --folder path nested
    ,OrderBy='lastModifiedDateTime desc'
)		
--You can get DriveId by selecting from 'Drives' table.

List files in a folder Id (Non-Recursive)    [Read more...]

This examplel shles under a specific FolderId (Available in Non-recursive mode only).

SELECT * FROM list_files
WITH(
     Filter='$.value[*]' --list both files and folders
   --Filter='$.value[?(@.file.mimeType != null)]' --list only files
   --Filter='$.value[?(@.folder.childCount != null)]' --list only folders
	,DriveId='b!GtLN726LE0eY5F2BBNi14wMKmwdpCDFMn1d71ra11GuQ4DORpHy-Sa5UzSpkaY9E'
	,SearchType='children' --must use this type if you like to list items by FolderId
    ,SearchPath='/items/01SUOJPKBVT5ZC2KVSXJAYSTTMA4I3GMHX'
)		
--You can get DriveId by selecting from 'Drives' table.
.

Conclusion

In this article we discussed how to connect to SharePoint Online in Power BI and integrate data without any coding. Click here to Download SharePoint Online Connector for Power BI and try yourself see how easy it is. If you still have any question(s) then ask here or simply click on live chat icon below and ask our expert (see bottom-right corner of this page).

Download SharePoint Online Connector for Power BI Documentation 

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  • How to connect SharePoint Online in Power BI?

  • How to get SharePoint Online data in Power BI?

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  • How to load SharePoint Online data in Power BI?

  • How to import SharePoint Online data in Power BI?

  • How to pull SharePoint Online data in Power BI?

  • How to push data to SharePoint Online in Power BI?

  • How to write data to SharePoint Online in Power BI?

  • How to POST data to SharePoint Online in Power BI?

  • Call SharePoint Online API in Power BI

  • Consume SharePoint Online API in Power BI

  • SharePoint Online Power BI Automate

  • SharePoint Online Power BI Integration

  • Integration SharePoint Online in Power BI

  • Consume real-time SharePoint Online data in Power BI

  • Consume real-time SharePoint Online API data in Power BI

  • SharePoint Online ODBC Driver | ODBC Driver for SharePoint Online | ODBC SharePoint Online Driver | SSIS SharePoint Online Source | SSIS SharePoint Online Destination

  • Connect SharePoint Online in Power BI

  • Load SharePoint Online in Power BI

  • Load SharePoint Online data in Power BI

  • Read SharePoint Online data in Power BI

  • SharePoint Online API Call in Power BI