Recently, I’ve seen quite a few people asking about how to create folders in SharePoint Document Libraries using Power Automate.
Create folders in a SharePoint library
In my case I have a Document Library called Documents1 and I want to create a folder called New Folder
Using the Send an HTTP request to SharePoint action it is really a 5 minute task.
Using the following REST API call I can get hold of the option to create a new folder.
_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('Documents1')/FoldersJust supply the body that specifies the name of your folder.
{ '__metadata': { 'type': 'SP.Folder' }, 'ServerRelativeUrl': '/Documents1/New Folder'}You could of course also do the same without the verbose option and nometadata instead. The body would then look something like this:
{'ServerRelativeUrl': '/Documents1/New Folder'}Run the flow
Then when you run the flow you will see that the HTTP call is successful
And my folder is created.
Document Libraries in various Site Collections
For site collections (that aren’t the root site collection) or subsites you can use the following:
thanks for this Pieter. With your help i’ve got it working wonderfully in our environment. We have a complex file structure of folders that i was already creating (by creating a file) in order to have one folder per sales order (with these folders grouped as there’s lots). Now i’ve added in your flow code, tweaking it to use vairables so it’s easier for me to manage, so i now have numerous sub folders for each parent folder ready for the team to store all job related docs in a tidy way. This is going to be a great help. thanks !
Thanks Pieter
I’m a newbie… Could you introduce me to the rights allocation for the created folders ? Let’s say a main folder in the Document Library called Documents1 , with many subfolders, all accessible to Group A, one of them being accessible only to sSecurity group B ?
Thanks,
Gaston
You could try the approach mentioned in this post: https://noellawlor.wordpress.com/2018/01/18/setting-sharepoint-item-list-permissions-with-flow/
Thanks.
Gaston
“message”: “Value cannot be null.\r\nclientRequestId: b0a3299f-fb4e-44d3-826f-6bef4c739715\r\nserviceRequestId: 44d1cd9e-10cc-8000-6e87-a13417104134”,
I am getting this error. I would appreciate your help.
Can you send me a screenshot of the configuration of the action giving the error?
Thank you for you prompt response. Here it is:
Site Address
Customer Bids – https://abc.sharepoint.com/sites/100010
*Method
POST
*Uri
_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘BId%20Documents’)/Folders
Headers
Content-Type
application/json; odata=verbose
Accept
application/json; odata=verbose
Enter key
Enter value
Body
{ ‘__metadata’: { ‘type’: ‘SP.Folder’ }, ‘SpWeb.ServerRelativeUrl’: ‘/BId%20Documents/New Folder’}
I think that your url to the folder isn’t right. it isn’t a server relative url. that would be /sites/….
Now getting the following error. Thank you again for your help;
{
“error”: {
“code”: 502,
“source”: “flow-apim-europe-001-westeurope-01.azure-apim.net”,
“clientRequestId”: “72737c0a-69f0-42d8-a945-60d7d3c56c1f”,
“message”: “BadGateway”,
“innerError”: {
“message”: “(null) \”sites/100010/sites/100010/BId Documents/New Folder\” not found.\r\nclientRequestId: 72737c0a-69f0-42d8-a945-60d7d3c56c1f\r\nserviceRequestId: 13d6cd9e-8072-8000-7de0-5daf09e8af45″,
“status”: 502,
“source”: “https://abc.sharepoint.com/sites/100010/_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘BId%20Documents’)/Folders”,
“errors”: [
“-2130247139”,
“Microsoft.SharePoint.SPException”
]
}
}
}
it looks like /sites/100010 is repeated twice
also in the get folder function the parameter doesn’t appear to include /sites/100010
Hello, I am trying to create a folder within a Document library also but is getting the following error:
“message”: “Value cannot be null.”,
“status”: 400,
“source”: “https://XXX.sharepoint.com/sites/MainSite/Subsite/_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘DocumentLibrary’)/Folders”,
“errors”: [
“-2147467261”,
“System.ArgumentNullException”
]
Thank you in advance!
inside the single quotes of the document library you need to include /sites/mainsite/subsite
Thank you for the prompt reply. Do i add it in the URI or in the Body?
at least in the byserverrelativeurl function as that would need to be everything after sharepoint.com
Tried all three combinations off adding it to the GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl and ByServerRelativeUrl, Now getting a BadGateway error.
I added another screenshot for site collections that aren’t the root site collection
Hello Pieter,
I getting this error,
“status”: 400,
“message”: “Server relative urls must start with SPWeb.ServerRelativeUrl\r\nclientRequestId: ae4e610a-a527-4136-8b88-524b59f41b3c\r\nserviceRequestId: 1fa0d69e-80cd-8000-56fe-73dfc5582595”,
appriciate your help.
Keyvan
the url that is mentioned needs to include the /sites/…/ part of your url.
This is interesting however I find it ridiculous that this level of effort is required to do something so common. Is makes me wonder why Microsoft does not directly support creating folders from PowerApps & Flow.
Don’t forget that they can’t cover everything. There will always be some simple things that aren’t there. But imagine if you had to do all that flow does in code… it would take 10 times longer.
I keep on getting this error
{
“status”: 400,
“message”: “The expression \”Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘sites/corporate-files/Lists/WIP Testing)/Clients’\” is not valid.\r\nclientRequestId: cc97207c-54cb-4496-8a2f-87b371d1096a\r\nserviceRequestId: d2b7d79e-9004-0000-99d4-8f792c168144″,
“source”: “https://mylifedigital.sharepoint.com/sites/corporate-files/_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘sites/corporate-files/Lists/WIP%20Testing)/Clients’”,
“errors”: [
“-1”,
“Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.InvalidClientQueryException”
]
}
hi Jason does your server relative url start with a / ?
Send an HTTP request to SharePoint
Do we need to create 2 time the above?
Pieter, I have tried lots of combinations and am starting to go a little mad…. Any advice would be greatly received….
{
“message”: “Access denied. You do not have permission to perform this action or access this resource.\r\nclientRequestId: ce926637-4e56-4da4-abbe-53603caf7680\r\nserviceRequestId: 276ede9e-30b3-8000-86d8-bb9bfaca2eeb”,
“status”: 403,
“source”: “https://techmah.sharepoint.com/sites/SurgeonCompliance/_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘sites/SurgeonCompliance/Shared%20Documents’)/Folders”,
“errors”: [
“-2147024891”,
“System.UnauthorizedAccessException”
]
}
Hi,
It looks like there is a / missing in front of sites/SurgeonCompliance in your ServerRelativeUrl
Thank you so much. Issue resolved. But in example its wrong.
How to create the subfolder inside this folder
You would need to specify the parent folder name in GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl function and in the ServerRelativeUrl (in the Body) you will need to include the parent folder and the new folder name.
Sorry my mistake
Send an HTTP request to SharePoint
Do we need to create 2 time the above?
If you want to create a folder and a subfolder then yes. Each folder is a separate call
Hi Pieter,
Thanks for this post! Do you know how can I fix this error?
{
“error”: {
“code”: 500,
“source”: “flow-apim-msmanaged-na-northcentralus-01.azure-apim.net”,
“clientRequestId”: “0086afe1-069c-4b92-a715-8bce776b1d26”,
“message”: “BadGateway”,
“innerError”: {
“status”: 500,
“message”: “The format of value ‘application/json;\nodata=verbose’ is invalid.\r\nclientRequestId: 0086afe1-069c-4b92-a715-8bce776b1d26”,
“source”: “sharepointonline-wus.azconn-wus.p.azurewebsites.net”
}
}
}
Thanks!
yes. there should be no new line between json and odata. just a space will do
Awesome Pieter it works! Thank you!!
Hi Pieter,
Am trying to create a folder in SharePoint under documents library but receiving below error
{
“status”: 404,
“message”: “Cannot find resource for the request GetFolderByServerUrl.\r\nclientRequestId: f72fb757-fd57-41cc-af34-f89f6154bc71\r\nserviceRequestId: 4957399f-c059-a000-a014-18f25949fa32”,
“source”: “https://xxxxxxx.sharepoint.com/sites/IDMACCESS/_api/web/GetFolderByServerUrl(‘/sites/IDMACCESS/shared%20Documents’)/Folders”,
“errors”: [
“-1”,
“Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ResourceNotFoundException”
]
}
could you please provide your suggestion
It should be GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl
I am trying to create a folder inside a folder but it is giving me this error
{
“error”: {
“code”: “-1, Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.InvalidClientQueryException”,
“message”: {
“lang”: “en-US”,
“value”: “Invalid JSON. Unexpected end of input reached while processing a JSON string value.”
}
}
}
I am giving the code I tried below
trial_1 = document library
folderC =parent folder
idea1= subfolder
POST https://{site_url}/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘trial_1/folderC’)/Folders
headers:
Authorization: “Bearer ” + accessToken
Accept: “application/json;odata=verbose”
Content-Type: “application/json”
Content-Length: {length of request body as integer}
X-RequestDigest: “{form_digest_value}”
and body:
{
“__metadata”: {
“type”: “SP.Folder”
},
“ServerRelativeUrl”: “trial_1/folderC/idea1”
}
Please help me with this
What is your site url? You will need to make sure that the/sites/… part is included there.
Also please check the quotes. Quite often single/double quotes corrupt when copied from blog posts.
my site url ishttps://teamcodered.sharepoint.com/sites/SEProductions/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘trial_1/folderC‘)/Folders
I tried chnaging the quotes from single to double and vice vera but the error is still same
my site url is https://teamcodered.sharepoint.com/sites/SEProductions/
I have tried changing the quotes but the error is still the same
So in all server relative urls the /sites/SEProductions part needs to be included.
And in your content type header you are missing the odata=verbose part
I did the changes you suggested
POST https://teamcodered.sharepoint.com/sites/SEProductions/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/SEProductions/trial_1/folderC‘)/Folders
Header:
Accept:application/json;odata=verbose
Content-Type:application/json;odata=verbose
Content-Length:95
I have added authorization and X-RequestDigest as well
Body:
{
“__metadata”: {
“type”: “SP.Folder”
},
“ServerRelativeUrl”: “/sites/SEProductions/trial_1/folderC/idea1”
}
still getting the same error.
Am I missing something?
Those double quotes appear a bit weird in your comment. Can you retype them?
Thank you for the reply
As told by you this is
POST https://teamcodered.sharepoint.com/sites/SEProductions/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/SEProductions/trial_1/folderC‘)/Folders
headers:
Accept:application/json;odata=verbose
Content-Type:application/json;odata=verbose
Content-Length:95
I have added authorization and X-RequestDigest as well
And body
{
“__metadata”: {
“type”: “SP.Folder”
},
“ServerRelativeUrl”: “/sites/SEProductions/trial_1/folderC/idea1”
}
But still it gives the same error
Please tell if I am missing/doing it wrong
Getting this error can you assist?
“error”: {
“code”: 502,
“source”: “flow-apim-msmanaged-na-centralus-01.azure-apim.net”,
“clientRequestId”: “979885fd-24a5-43bc-868a-c9d8d1aa46d3”,
“message”: “BadGateway”,
“innerError”: {
“status”: 500,
“message”: “The filename, directory name, or volume label syntax is incorrect. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x8007007B)\r\nclientRequestId: 979885fd-24a5-43bc-868a-c9d8d1aa46d3\r\nserviceRequestId: 979885fd-24a5-43bc-868a-c9d8d1aa46d3”
}
}
}
Hi Maggie, can you post the details in the failing action?
Hi Pieter,
I am having this error message: “(null) \”sites/|SITENAME|/|DocumentLibrary|/00300269975\” not found.”
My request is as follows:
POST https://|TENANT|.sharepoint.com/sites/|SITENAME|/_api/Web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl(‘/sites/|SITENAME|/|DocumentLibrary|’)/Folders HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: application/json;odata=verbose
Accept: application/json;odata=verbose
{“__metadata”:{“type”:”SP.Folder”},”ServerRelativeUrl”:”/sites/|SITENAME|/|DocumentLibrary/00300269975″}
I am quite lost. The weird request is because I am trying to use batch updates, assume sitename and document library are correct. Which could be the error?
Hi Fabian, did you replace the actual values with those tokens like |TENANT|?
I looks like the site or document library is not found. You could use the url in a browser and see if it gets any data. This to verify where things go wrong.