Sharepoint Folder Connection – Access Required

[Miguel_Rojo]

Hi community,

I’d like to rise a general question regarding the access required to successfully connect to a SharePoint folder. Here the details:

Scenario:

1. I have edition access to specific excel files on a SharePoint folder of other team.
   • I can connect via “Web” method to those single files, using the URL.
2. But when I try to stablish a connection in Power Bi to the SharePoint folder that contains those files using the CONTENT() formula to drive through the fodlers path, I’ve got a permission error (see screenshots at the end of email).

The questions that I have are:

1. What kind of access I need to have (to the other team's sharepoint), in order to make a successful connection to that specific SharePint folder? (remember that I want to import in one single table, the content of all .xlsx files on it)

1. Is there some kind of access that allows me to connect and import all the files within that SharePoint folder, without needing access to the entire SharePoint site for that department? (Ideally, I'd have access to only a specific folder, for confidentiality reasons.)

hope you can orient me,

Thanks,

[v-kpoloju-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Miguel_Rojo,

Thank you for reaching out to the Microsoft fabric community forum.

After reviewing the details you provided, I have identified few workarounds that may help resolve the issue. Please follow these steps:

The issue occurs because accessing a SharePoint folder needs at least "Read" permission for the folder itself, not just the files. The SharePoint Web.Contents() method works for direct file connections but doesn't support folder level queries like SharePoint.Contents() without folder access.

To connect to the SharePoint folder in Power BI, you need at least "Read" access at the folder level. Your current permissions, which allow you to edit individual files, are not sufficient because Power BI requires browsing permissions at the folder level to execute queries.

For more information please go through the below link :
Understanding permission levels in SharePoint - SharePoint in Microsoft 365 | Microsoft Learn

Please request at least "Read" permission on the folder from the SharePoint admin of the other team. If possible, ask for Can View or Can Edit permissions on the specific folder. To check and request folder access in SharePoint:

• Go to the SharePoint folder. Click on "..." More options > Manage access.
• Check if your account has "Read" or higher permissions. If not, request the SharePoint admin to grant at least "Read" access.

If the other team is concerned about confidentiality, they can grant access to only the specific folder with the required files.

Steps for SharePoint Admin to Grant Folder-Level Access:

• Go to the SharePoint Document Library, right-click the folder > Click Manage Access. Under Direct Access, click "Grant Access".
• Enter your email address and set the permission level to either Can View or Can Edit. Click Send. This way, you only get access to the specific folder, not the entire site.

Once you have at least "Read" access to the folder, you can connect Power BI to the SharePoint folder and import all Excel files at once.

Steps to Connect Power BI to SharePoint Folder:

• Open Power BI Desktop. Click Get Data > Select SharePoint Folder. Enter the SharePoint site URL (not the folder URL).
• Choose Microsoft Account authentication and sign in with your credentials. Click Connect and filter the data to include only .xlsx files. Use Power Query Editor to combine and transform files as needed.

For more information kindly refer to the below link:
Access Denied error when accessing a shared folder - SharePoint | Microsoft Learn
Power Query SharePoint folder connector - Power Query | Microsoft Learn

I hope this could resolve your issue, if you need any further assistance, feel free to reach out.
If this post helps, then please give us ‘Kudos’ and consider Accept it as a solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Thank you for using Microsoft Community Forum.

[v-kpoloju-msft]

Hi @Miguel_Rojo,

May I ask if you have resolved this issue? If so, please mark the helpful reply and accept it as the solution. This will be helpful for other community members who have similar problems to solve it faster.

Thank you.