SharePoint Business Node

Overview

The SharePoint Business Node is a document synchronization component that automates document syncing and processing from Microsoft SharePoint sites. This node supports various file types including PDFs, Word documents, Excel files, and other compatible formats, providing secure integration with Lamatic Flow for automated document intelligence and RAG workflows.

This node is a Batch Trigger node that automates document collection from SharePoint repositories and enables RAG workflows with organizational knowledge.

Features

Prerequisites

Before using SharePoint Business Node, ensure the following:

• Microsoft 365 Account: A Microsoft 365 account with SharePoint access.
• SharePoint Permissions: Appropriate permissions to access SharePoint sites and folders.
• Tenant ID: Your organization's Tenant ID from Microsoft Entra Admin Center.
• Site Structure Knowledge: Understanding of SharePoint site structure and file organization.
• API Permissions: Proper SharePoint API permissions for accessing selected sites and folders.

Installation

Step 1: Set Up Microsoft 365 Credentials

Please refer to the SharePoint Integration documentation to complete the setup and obtain the necessary credentials.

Step 2: Set Up Lamatic Flow

1. Add SharePoint Node: Drag the SharePoint node to your flow
2. Enter Credentials: Provide your Microsoft 365 Tenant ID
3. Configure Site URL: Enter the SharePoint site URL you want to sync from
4. Set Folder Path: Specify the folder path within the site (use "." for all folders)

Configuration Reference

Batch Trigger Configuration

Sync Configuration Options

Sync Modes

# Incremental Sync (recommended)
sync_mode: "incremental"  # Only sync new/modified files
 
# Full Refresh
sync_mode: "full_refresh"  # Re-index all files

Schedule Examples

# Daily at midnight
sync_schedule: "0 0 * * *"
 
# Every 6 hours
sync_schedule: "0 */6 * * *"
 
# Weekdays only at 9 AM
sync_schedule: "0 9 * * 1-5"

File Filtering Patterns

Common Glob Patterns

# All PDF files
globs: "**/*.pdf"
 
# All Word and Excel files
globs: "**/*.docx", "**/*.xlsx"
 
# Files in specific folders
globs: "HR/**/*", "Legal/**/*"
 
# Exclude draft folders
globs: "**/*", "!**/draft/**"

Search Scope Options

• ACCESSIBLE_DRIVES: Only files in drives you have direct access to
• SHARED_ITEMS: Files shared with you by others
• ALL: All accessible files (recommended)

Low-Code Example

triggerNode:
  nodeId: triggerNode_1
  nodeType: sharepointBusinessNode
  nodeName: SharePoint Business
  values:
    credentials: Microsoft 365
    site_url: https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/documents
    folder_path: .
    globs: ["**/*.pdf", "**/*.docx"]
    sync_mode: incremental
    sync_schedule: "0 2 * * *"
    search_scope: ALL
    parsing_strategy: fast
    days_to_sync_if_history_full: 30
    start_date: "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z"

Event Trigger Output

The SharePoint Business node outputs document data in the following format:

Example Output

{
    "document_key": "document_name.pdf",
    "content": "Extracted text content from the SharePoint document",
    "metadata": {
        "file_type": "pdf",
        "file_size": 1024000,
        "last_modified": "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000Z",
        "site_url": "https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/documents",
        "folder_path": "./TeamDocs",
        "parsing_strategy": "fast"
    }
}

Output Schema

• document_key: String identifier for the document (filename)
• content: String containing the extracted text content from the document
• metadata: Additional information about the document
  • file_type: Type of the processed file
  • file_size: Size of the file in bytes
  • last_modified: Timestamp of last modification
  • site_url: URL of the SharePoint site
  • folder_path: Path within the site
  • parsing_strategy: Strategy used for content extraction

Output Schema

Batch Trigger Output

• document_key: String identifier for the document (filename)
• content: String containing the extracted text content
• metadata: Additional document information
  • file_type: String indicating file type (pdf, docx, xlsx, etc.)
  • file_size: Integer size in bytes
  • last_modified: ISO timestamp of last modification
  • site_url: String URL of the SharePoint site
  • folder_path: String path within the site
  • parsing_strategy: String indicating parsing method used
  • sync_mode: String indicating sync mode used
  • search_scope: String indicating search scope used

Usage Examples

Basic SharePoint Sync

# Basic configuration for syncing all documents
site_url: "https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/documents"
folder_path: "."
globs: "**/*.pdf", "**/*.docx"
sync_mode: "incremental"
search_scope: "ALL"
parsing_strategy: "fast"

Advanced Configuration

# Advanced setup with scheduling and filtering
site_url: "https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/knowledge"
folder_path: "./TeamDocs"
globs: "**/*.pdf", "**/*.docx", "!**/draft/**"
sync_mode: "incremental"
sync_schedule: "0 2 * * *"  # Daily at 2 AM
search_scope: "ALL"
parsing_strategy: "hi_res"
days_to_sync_if_history_full: 30
start_date: "2024-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z"

Selective Document Sync

# Sync only specific document types from HR folder
site_url: "https://company.sharepoint.com/sites/hr"
folder_path: "./Policies"
globs: "**/*.pdf", "**/*.docx"
sync_mode: "incremental"
search_scope: "ACCESSIBLE_DRIVES"
parsing_strategy: "ocr_only"  # Better for scanned documents

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Debugging

• Check Lamatic Flow logs for detailed error messages
• Verify Microsoft 365 credentials and Tenant ID
• Test SharePoint site access in your browser
• Validate folder path exists and is accessible
• Test glob patterns to ensure they match your documents
• Monitor sync logs for specific file processing errors
• Verify network connectivity and API rate limits
• Test with a small folder before processing large repositories

Best Practices

• Use incremental sync mode for better performance
• Implement specific glob patterns to avoid syncing unnecessary files
• Schedule syncs during off-peak hours to minimize impact
• Use hi_res parsing for scanned documents and images
• Regularly monitor sync logs for any issues
• Set appropriate days_to_sync_if_history_full to limit historical data
• Test parsing strategies with sample documents before full deployment

Example Use Cases

Document Intelligence Workflows

• Company Policies: Sync HR policies and procedures for automated Q&A
• Knowledge Bases: Index departmental wikis and team documentation
• Compliance Documents: Process legal and audit-related content
• Project Documentation: Automate access to project files and reports

RAG Applications

• Semantic Search: Enable natural language search across organizational documents
• Question Answering: Build AI assistants that can answer questions about company policies
• Document Summarization: Automatically summarize lengthy reports and documents
• Content Discovery: Help users find relevant information across SharePoint sites

Additional Resources

• Microsoft Entra Admin Center (opens in a new tab)
• SharePoint API Documentation (opens in a new tab)
• Cron Expression Guide (opens in a new tab)
• Lamatic Flow Templates (opens in a new tab)