How to export files to a custom SharePoint document library with Qlik Automate

[ArpadWeitz]

It is possible to save files generated by Qlik Automate (such as reports from the Generate Report and Copy File block) directly to a custom SharePoint document library instead of the default Shared Documents or Documents library. 

By default, the Drive ID dropdown in the Copy File block will only show the default library; this article explains how to correctly target any custom library using the List Drives From Site block.

Background Information

The Microsoft SharePoint connector in Qlik Automate uses the concept of Drives, where each SharePoint document library is a separate Drive with its own unique Drive ID (GUID).

By default, when you use the Copy File on Microsoft SharePoint (or any similar write blocks) and perform a Do Lookup on the Drive Id field, Qlik Automate only displays and allows selection of the site's default document library, which is typically called Documents or Shared Documents.

Even if you have created additional custom document libraries and they appear correctly in the SharePoint Site Contents view as separate Folders, these custom libraries do not appear in the simple Drive ID dropdown of the Copy File block.

As a result, any file copy operation defaults to the default library. If you enter a path such as New Folder/QLIK/filename.pdf, the automation interprets New Folder as a subfolder inside the default library, causing the file to be saved under /Shared documents/New Folder/QLIK/... instead of directly at the root of the custom library.

How to target a custom document library

To target a custom document library, we retrieve its unique Drive ID and then use that ID in the Copy File block. But before we can do this, we need to first discover all available document libraries (drives) on the SharePoint site so we can select the correct Drive ID for the custom library instead of defaulting to Documents.

1. Create or open an automation that needs to write to SharePoint
   
   
2. Add the List Drives From Site from the Microsoft SharePoint connector.
   
   
   
   
3. Configure the List Drives From Site block as follows:
   
   
   • Site Id:
     1. Click the field
     2. Select Do Lookup
     3. Select the correct site
        
        
        
        
   • Leave other fields at their default or with empty values
     
     
4. Right-click the List Drives From Site block and select Test Run 
   
   
   
   
5. After the block executes successfully, go to the History tab and expand the output of the List Drives From Site block
   
   
6. In the output, locate the entry for your custom library; look for the name, title, or WebUrl field to identify it
   
   Copy the entire id value 
   
   
   
   
7. Go to your original Copy File block (or whichever write block you are using) and configure it as follows:
   • Drive Id: paste the Drive Id you retrieved from the History; this can either be hard-coded or stored in a variable for reusability
   • Destination Path: enter the relative path starting from the root of that library
     Example: QLIK/<filename>.pdf or QLIK/[Date]_Report.pdf

     Do not include the library name in the path.

     
     
     
8. Save and test the automation

Environment

• Qlik Automate