Forum Discussion
Power Query cannot read Binary content from SharePoint Online files without file extension
Hi danielbighelini based on the repro you shared, I would classify this as either a SharePoint Power Query connector limitation or a connector defect, not a permissions or file-content issue.
The strongest evidence is this:- The same user can download the extensionless file from SharePoint Online.
- The same file works through Folder.Files().
- The same content works when the file has .xml.
- The failure happens only when Power Query tries to evaluate the SharePoint connector’s [Content] binary.
- Power Query metadata is incomplete for the extensionless file: Content Type = null, Kind = null, Size = null.
The SharePoint Folder / SharePoint.Files connector normally returns a table of files with a [Content] column that contains binary values, so accessing [Content] should be the correct pattern. Similar “input URL is invalid” errors are known around SharePoint connector URL/path handling, especially when the connector builds or interprets file URLs incorrectly.
My suggestion is to consider this a connector-side issue with extensionless SharePoint files.
Power Query seems to rely on SharePoint file metadata and/or URL construction when resolving the [Content] binary. When the file has an extension, SharePoint/Power Query can infer metadata such as Content Type, Kind, and Size. When the file has no extension, those values are returned as null, and the connector then fails when resolving the binary stream.
This is also consistent with your Folder.Files() test. Folder.Files() reads directly from the file system, so it does not depend on the SharePoint connector’s interpretation of the file extension, content type, or SharePoint download URL.If you control the files, the most reliable and supported workaround is to rename them with a real extension, for example: TEST_FILE_NO_EXTENSION.xmlEven if the upstream system does not require extensions, adding the extension makes the file easier for Power Query to classify and process. This is the safest option for scheduled refresh and long-term maintainability.
Hi danielbighelini based on the repro you shared, I would classify this as either a SharePoint Power Query connector limitation or a connector defect, not a permissions or file-content issue.
The strongest evidence is this:
- The same user can download the extensionless file from SharePoint Online.
- The same file works through Folder.Files().
- The same content works when the file has .xml.
- The failure happens only when Power Query tries to evaluate the SharePoint connector’s [Content] binary.
- Power Query metadata is incomplete for the extensionless file: Content Type = null, Kind = null, Size = null.
The SharePoint Folder / SharePoint.Files connector normally returns a table of files with a [Content] column that contains binary values, so accessing [Content] should be the correct pattern. Similar “input URL is invalid” errors are known around SharePoint connector URL/path handling, especially when the connector builds or interprets file URLs incorrectly.
My suggestion is to consider this a connector-side issue with extensionless SharePoint files.
Power Query seems to rely on SharePoint file metadata and/or URL construction when resolving the [Content] binary. When the file has an extension, SharePoint/Power Query can infer metadata such as Content Type, Kind, and Size. When the file has no extension, those values are returned as null, and the connector then fails when resolving the binary stream.
This is also consistent with your Folder.Files() test. Folder.Files() reads directly from the file system, so it does not depend on the SharePoint connector’s interpretation of the file extension, content type, or SharePoint download URL.