SharePoint Online - Store a file

Use the SharePoint Online - Store a file action A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows. to store a file in a specified SharePoint Online document library.

You can use this action with the SharePoint Online - Get a file action.

Before you start 

SharePoint Online is a cloud-based service hosted by Microsoft that helps organizations share and manage content, knowledge, and applications. You can create sites to share documents and information with colleagues, partners, and customers. For more information about SharePoint Online, see Introduction to SharePoint Online.

A SharePoint site is a website that contains different SharePoint components such as Lists, Document Libraries, Calendars, and Task Lists. SharePoint sites can have one or more pages to display content to the user.

A SharePoint site collection is a collection of SharePoint sites. Each site collection contains a single top-level site and subsites below it.

A SharePoint list used to store a collection of data and organize information.

Add columns for different types of data, such as text, currency, or multiple choice. You can sort, group, format, and filter lists which can include people, links, pictures, dates, and more.

A document library is used to store files that teams can work on together. The default SharePoint Online site and any new sites you create include a document library, and you can create additional document libraries.

For example, you can use a document library on a site in SharePoint Online to store all files related to a specific project.

A document set organizes multiple related documents into a single view where they can be worked on and managed as a single entity. You can create a document set involving different file formats (for example, Word documents, OneNote notebooks, PowerPoint presentations, Visio diagrams, excel workbooks, and so on).

When a document set content type is added to a library, users can create new instances of the document set in the same way that they create a single document. For more information, see Introduction to Document Sets article.

Variables allow you to store and manipulate data and files in your workflows. They can be created by start events, forms, tasks, workflow actions, or automatically created when a workflow is run. See Variables.

You can start a workflow whenever a new or updated file is detected (example: Box - New file), upload files on start or at any point in the workflow, generate documents from tagged templates, send and receive files via email, and manipulate files. File handling can be set up in your workflow start event The connector and event for triggering the workflow to run, including required configuration. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder. and actions A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows..

Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow. This location is used for uploaded files and for files stored as output from actions.

  • Generate documents from tagged templates using Generate document
  • Send and receive files via email; for example, see Assign a task
  • Manipulate files in services (see Connectors): 

  • For example, store any email attachments received by the task assignee.

    In the Designer page: 

    1. On the design canvas, click the action you want to configure.

    2. Find the output field for storing the file or set of files.

      For example, to store attachments received in task assignee email replies when they may attach multiple files, use the Assign a task Multiple file attachments option for the Store output field.

    3. In the output field, do one of the following: 

      • Select a variable.

        For output storing multiple files, select a collection variable. For output storing a single file, select a file variable.

        Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow.

      • Specify a file path.

        You can use any combination of text and variables, beginning with the root folder. If available, use the folder browse icon on the right of the path field to navigate to the folder and any subfolders that you want, and then edit the path as desired to include variables and different text.

      Availability of variable or path options for storing files varies by action. See Connectors and Workflow actions.

  • For example, reference the new Box file that started the workflow to attach it to a task email notification or reference an image received by the task assignee to generate an invoice document.

    Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow. This location is used for uploaded files and for files stored as output from actions.

    In the Designer page: 

    1. On the design canvas, click the action you want to configure.
    2. Find the field where you want to reference the stored file.
    3. In this field, do one of the following:

      • Select the file variable associated with the stored file.

        For example, select the variable for the new Box file that started the workflow or select the variable storing Multiple file attachments output from a task action.

      • Specify the file path where the file is stored.

        You can use any combination of text and variables, beginning with the root folder. If available, use the folder browse icon on the right of the path field to navigate to the folder and any subfolders that you want, and then edit the path as desired to include variables and different text.

        Both a file variable and a file path are used in the example image below for the Dropbox Business - Copy a file action. A file variable is selected for Source and a file path is specified for Destination.

        The variables "CountryVariable" and "Program" insert the values into the file path as determined by earlier workflow logic (in this case, fields in a submitted form). For example, if the person submitting the form selects Australia for country and specifies Inspire2017 for program, then the resulting file path is "/SpecialProgramNDAs/Australia/Inspire2017NDA.docx."

      Availability of variable or path options for referencing files varies by action and field. See Connectors and Workflow actions.

Configure the SharePoint Online - Store a file action

The steps required to configure the action are given below. The SharePoint Online - Store a file action fields and settings table describes all the required and optional configuration fields.

Important: Before inserting variables in the action configuration, you must manually type or select the values and populate other dependent fields in order to retrieve the output data. Once configured, you can insert variables to the required fields.

    1. Find the action in the SharePoint Online action group in the action toolbox.

      2. or

      Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbox.

    1. Drag the Store a file action to the designer canvas.
    2. Click the action to open the configuration panel.
  1. Select a Connection to connect to the SharePoint Online site.
    2. Note: 

    Only the connections created with the List and libraries authentication method will be available in the drop-down list.

    For more information about authentication methods for SharePoint Online connections, see Connectors.

    1. In the drop-down list for Connection, select Add connection.

      A new window is displayed to enter connection details.

    2. Type a Connection name.
    3. Type the SharePoint Online tenant URL.
    4. Click Connect.

      5. The entered URL is validated for uniqueness. If credentials are not stored in the browser for the selected connector service, then you are prompted for credentials. If credentials are stored you are prompted to select an account to use.

    5. Select an account.

      6. The Connection permissions window is displayed to assign owner and user permissions to the connection.

    1. In the Connection permissions window, do one of the following:
      • Add Owners and Users and click Save permissions.
      • Click Cancel if you don't want to assign other owners or users.
  1. In the File field, insert a variable to specify the file you want to store.
  2. Type the SharePoint site URL that has the document library you want to store the file in and click Retrieve libraries.

    3. Example: https://domain.sharepoint.com/sites/hr

    All the document libraries in the specified site are displayed in the Document library field drop-down list.

  1. Select the Document library in which you want to store the file.
  2. Select Yes or No in Overwrite file to specify if you want to overwrite if a file with the same name exists in the destination document library.

SharePoint Online - Store a file action fields and settings

Important: Before inserting variables in the action configuration, you must manually type or select the values and populate other dependent fields in order to retrieve the output data. Once configured, you can insert variables to the required fields.

Section Field Description Variable types
(unlabeled)

Connection Credentials and other settings required to pass data between the workflow and the indicated service, which could be a cloud service, business application, or content store.

SharePoint Online connection to access the SharePoint Online site to use for the action.

To refresh the available connections, click Refresh.

 (n/a)
Source file File

The file to store in a SharePoint Online document library.

Click + Insert or click on the field to Open the Insert variables window and select the file variable.

 File
Destination location

SharePoint site URL

The URL of the SharePoint Online site containing the document library you want to use.

To retrieve the libraries for the SharePoint site URL, type the SharePoint site URL and click Retrieve libraries.

Example: https://domain.sharepoint.com/sites/hr

Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
  Document library

The document library you want to store the file in.

When you specify the SharePoint Online site URL, the document libraries in the selected site will be available to select from in the Document library drop-down list.

Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
  Folder path

The path for the location of the file.

Example: /documents/drafts

Note: 
  • If a folder path is not specified, the file is saved to the root level of the document library.
  • If the folder does not exist in the specified path, a new folder is created.
 Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
  Overwrite file

Select Yes or No to specify whether you want to overwrite any existing file that has the same name in the destination.

  • Yes: If a file with the same file name exists in the destination library, it will be replaced with the new document.
  • No: If No is selected and a file with the same file name exists in the destination, the workflow will fail.
Boolean
Output Result

Stores the result of the action in an object with the following variables:

  • Document library name: Text variable to store the name of the document library the file is stored.
  • File name: Text variable to store the name of the stored file.
  • File path: Text variable to store the new path of the stored file.
  • File URL: Text variable to store the URL of the file in the new destination.
  • Folder path: Text variable to store the new folder path.
  • Item ID: Integer variable to store the ID of the file.
  • Site URL: Text variable to store the URL of the site the file is stored in.
 Object A variable that groups several related variables of any type into a hierarchical structure. Objects can contain other Objects.