Forum Discussion
SharePoint.Contents - Expression Error - Policy & Templates Folder Missing
When you explain the issue, it’s important to clarify that Power BI does not use the SharePoint UI or navigation menu to find files. The SharePoint.Contents connector only accesses locations that exist as actual document libraries or folders in SharePoint's metadata.Although the “Policies & Templates” link is visible in the SharePoint UI, it is not currently set up as a physical library or folder in the site's metadata. This is why Power BI cannot access it.
It may help to ask your SharePoint Administrator to check where these files are stored and confirm if “Policies & Templates” is a real document library or simply a navigation link, custom view, or shortcut. If needed, they can update SharePoint so that this location is a standard document library or folder. Once it is set up this way, SharePoint.Contents will be able to access it properly.
Regards,
Microsoft Fabric Community Support Team.
Since you have already reviewed all the containers at the Source step and “Policies & Templates” does not show up as a document library or a physical folder, this confirms that the location is not available via SharePoint.Contents metadata.
In this case, the suggested solution from Power BI is to use SharePoint.Files, which accesses files by their actual file paths and does not rely on container metadata or UI navigation.
If you need to keep using SharePoint.Contents, please reach out to your SharePoint administrator to verify the physical storage of the files and check if the SharePoint setup can be changed to make them accessible as a document library or folder.
Regards,
Microsoft Fabric Community Support Team.
Hi v-karpurapud ,
Thank you for your explanation!
Since I don't want to use Sharepoint.Files due to the slow refresh time, I will keep using Sharepoint.Contents.
Hence, based on your suggestion, I need to reach out to SharePoint Administrator and check if "Policies and Templates" folder can be changed to be accessible as a document library or folder.
However, do you know how to explain it clearly to SharePoint Administrator? Because I think he/she will refer to the UI version not the metadata.
Thank you!
When you explain the issue, it’s important to clarify that Power BI does not use the SharePoint UI or navigation menu to find files. The SharePoint.Contents connector only accesses locations that exist as actual document libraries or folders in SharePoint's metadata.Although the “Policies & Templates” link is visible in the SharePoint UI, it is not currently set up as a physical library or folder in the site's metadata. This is why Power BI cannot access it.
It may help to ask your SharePoint Administrator to check where these files are stored and confirm if “Policies & Templates” is a real document library or simply a navigation link, custom view, or shortcut. If needed, they can update SharePoint so that this location is a standard document library or folder. Once it is set up this way, SharePoint.Contents will be able to access it properly.
Regards,
Microsoft Fabric Community Support Team.