Nintex Automation for SharePoint app overview

Microsoft SharePoint continues to evolve with updated authentication and better methods of performing core functions. The app is built to use these new technologies and maintain integration.

SharePoint Framework (*.sppkg) app

The app uses the SharePoint Framework extension model that allows for full page, client side customization of SharePoint, including web parts, forms, command bars, and context menu items. The legacy Nintex K2 for SharePoint app uses the add-in model introduced with SharePoint 2013.

The new app integration is configured in Management using feature activation. With SharePoint feature activation you configure the server and then activate your site collections. You can also synchronize groups and uninstall artifacts from your site collections. For more information see SharePoint Online Feature and Add the app.

Workflow integration

The Nintex Automation for SharePoint app integrates SharePoint workflow events using Webhooks rather than the remote event receiver used by the legacy app. For more information see Nintex Automation for SharePoint Webhooks Events.

The following Designer action is currently not supported:

SharePoint > Document Library:

• Discard Document Check Out

Modern Forms

As the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app allows for full page customizations, SmartForms no longer use hosted *.aspx pages. Form sizing renders on the page width, providing an improved mobile experience.

Package and Deployment

SharePoint artifacts cannot be packaged from a legacy site and deployed to a site that uses the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app integration. Your package must be created and deployed in environments using the same SharePoint integration app.

SharePoint workflows using Webhook events are included in the package, and Package and Deployment is able to use existing subscriptions on the target environment, create new subscriptions as needed, and update or override existing subscriptions.

For steps on resolving issues see SharePoint Online considerations.

Considerations

• You cannot use both the legacy Nintex K2 for SharePoint app AND the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app in one environment.
• If you do a clean installation of Nintex Automation and integrate with the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app, activate the site collection, and create artifacts, then decide you want to use the legacy Nintex K2 for SharePoint app instead, you can revert the integration by following the steps in Adding the App.
• If you previously integrated with the legacy Nintex K2 for SharePoint app and now do a clean installation of Nintex Automation, feature flags are created in the K2 database for the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app and set to True.
  • If you want to use the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app, you can continue by Adding the App.
  • If you want to use the legacy Nintex K2 for SharePoint app, because you want to use any unsupported workflow events or full Package and Deployment functionality, follow the steps below:
    1. Set the following flags to False in the K2 database under HostServerFeature:
       
    2. Restart the K2 server.
    3. Run the Registration Wizard on the server.
    4. Open the app catalog site, click on the K2 app in the Site Contents page.
    5. Then in the App Catalog > K2 for SharePoint page, click the Manage App Activations link.
    6. On the Manage App Activations page, the Select K2 Server page opens. All registered K2 servers are listed here.
       
    7. Select the required K2 server.
       
    8. Double click on the K2 server to add it to the Manage App Activations page.
       
    9. Add the site collection and click the Activate button.
       
    10. The site collection is now activated with the selected K2 server.
• If you upgrade to Nintex Automation, the feature flags for the Nintex Automation for SharePoint app are not created in the K2 database and you cannot use the new app integration. To use the legacy Nintex K2 for SharePoint app, you must update the app and run through the registration wizard after upgrade. See the following steps:
  1. After running the Nintex K2 Setup Manager, browse and get the new Nintex K2 for SharePoint app from the SharePoint Online folder: "%ProgramFiles%\K2\Setup\SharePoint Online" or from the SharePoint On-prem folder: "%ProgramFiles%\K2\Setup\SharePoint Onprem".
  2. Manually add the new version of the Nintex K2 for SharePoint App on your App Catalog Site using the Apps for SharePoint list. If there is an existing Nintex K2 for SharePoint App in the app catalog, you must replace the existing version with the new version, do not delete the existing version of the app. You grant Nintex K2 for SharePoint permissions during this step, and it requires Global Admin (Tenant) permissions, so you must be a Global Admin.
  3. Add the Nintex K2 for SharePoint app to your app catalog. You grant Nintex K2 for SharePoint permissions during this step, and it requires Global Admin (Tenant) permissions, so you must be a Global Admin.
  4. On the Site Contents page of the app catalog, click the upgrade link for Nintex K2 for SharePoint App. (If you do not see the link, go into the Details page for the app to upgrade it.)
  5. Click the Nintex K2 for SharePoint app from the Site Contents page or Quick Launch menu of the app catalog site and run through the Registration Wizard by clicking the Registration Wizard link in the Administration section to register the app with your environment's URL. (If you do not see the Registration wizard, make sure you are on the app catalog).
  6. (This step is only required if there were changes to the Nintex K2 for SharePoint app. See the Nintex K2 for SharePoint release notes for information about previous releases and the latest version.)
     Deploy the app to one or more site collections using the Manage App Deployments page in SharePoint. A link to this page is provided on the Nintex K2 for SharePoint settings page. It is recommended you do this by paths rather than individual URLs, but individual URLs give you more control regarding which site collections have Nintex K2 integration. You should deploy as a SharePoint Administrator if you are deploying to multiple site collections.

• An item was checked in workflow event - Only the Check in Document Webhook event executes. Sometimes due to a latency or sync with Microsoft, the Update Document Webhook event will also execute.
• An attachment was added to the item workflow event – This event may not execute in some instances. This is due to a latency or sync with Microsoft and Nintex K2 has no control over it.
• If you activate the setting in the SharePoint library to automatically check out documents and a new document is added or uploaded to a Document Library, the Document is checked-out by default. In this instance, the Check out Document Webhook event does not execute and an "...odata.error..." error shows in the Event Viewer. This is expected due to the server processing the event using the Service Account. When the Document is checked in, the Check in Document Webhook event will execute.