You can use SharePoint events, such as adding new files to—or updating existing files within—SharePoint document libraries, to automatically run Unstructured ETL+ workflows that rely on those document libraries as sources. This enables a no-touch approach to having Unstructured automatically process new and updated files in SharePoint document libraries as they are added or updated.

This example shows how to automate this process by adding a custom Power Automate flow to your Microsoft 365 or Office 365 account. This flow runs whenever a new or updated file is detected in the specified SharePoint document library. This flow then calls the Unstructured Workflow Endpoint to automatically run the specified corresponding Unstructured ETL+ workflow within your Unstructured account.

This example uses a custom Power Automate flow that you create and maintain. Any issues with file detection, timing, or flow invocation could be related to your custom flow, rather than with Unstructured. If you are getting unexpected or no results, be sure to check your custom flow’s run history first for any informational and error messages.

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Requirements

To use this example, you will need the following:

  • A Microsoft 365 or Office 365 Business or enterprise plan that includes SharePoint Online, OneDrive, and Power Automate. Shop for business plans. Shop for enterprise plans.

  • A Power Automate Premium license. Learn how.

  • An Unstructured account, and an Unstructured API key for your account, as follows:

    1. Sign in to your Unstructured account:

      • If you do not already have an Unstructured account, go to https://unstructured.io/contact and fill out the online form to indicate your interest.
      • If you already have an Unstructured account, sign in by using the URL of the sign in page that Unstructured provided to you when your Unstructured account was created. After you sign in, the Unstructured user interface (UI) then appears, and you can start using it right away. If you do not have this URL, contact Unstructured Sales at sales@unstructured.io.

    2. Get your Unstructured API key:

      a. In the Unstructured UI, click API Keys on the sidebar.
      b. Click Generate API Key.
      c. Follow the on-screen instructions to finish generating the key.
      d. Click the Copy icon next to your new key to add the key to your system’s clipboard. If you lose this key, simply return and click the Copy icon again.

  • The Unstructured Workflow Endpoint URL for your account, as follows:

    1. In the Unstructured UI, click API Keys on the sidebar.
    2. Note the value of the Unstructured Workflow Endpoint field.

  • A SharePoint source connector in your Unstructured account. Learn how.

  • Some available destination connector in your Unstructured account.

  • A workflow that uses the preceding source and destination connectors. Learn how.

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Step 1: Create an app registration

In this step, you create an app registration in Microsoft Entra ID to access the Azure key vault that you will create in the next step.

  1. Sign in to your Azure portal.
  2. In the Search resources, services, and docs box, enter App registrations, and then in the list of Services, click App registrations.
  3. Click + New registration.
  4. Enter some Name for the app registration.
  5. For Supported account types, select Accounts in this organizational directory only.
  6. For Redirect URI, select Web, and then enter https://localhost.
  7. Click Register.
  8. In the sidebar, click Overview.
  9. Expand Essentials, and note the values of the Application (client) ID and Directory (tenant) ID fields.
  10. Click Client credentials.
  11. On the Client secrets tab, click + New client secret.
  12. (Optional) Enter some Description for the client secret.
  13. (Optional) Enter some non-default Expires value.
  14. Click Add.
  15. Note the value of the Value field. This is the app registration’s client secret value. (Do not use the Secret ID value.)

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Step 2: Create an Azure key vault

In this step, you store your Unstructured API key in an Azure key vault for your Power Automate flow to access later.

  1. With your Azure portal still open from the previous step, in the Search resources, services, and docs box, enter Key vaults, and then in the list of Services, click Key vaults.

  2. Click Create.

  3. On the Basics tab, set the following key vault settings:

    SettingSuggested valueDescription
    SubscriptionYour subscriptionThe Azure subscription within which to create your new key vault.
    Resource GroupCreate newAfter you click Create new, enter some name for the new resource group within which to create your new key vault.
    Key vault nameSome globally unique nameSome name that identifies your new key vault. Valid characters are A-Z, a-z, 0-9, and -.
    RegionYour preferred regionSelect a region that’s near you or near other services that your key vault can access.
    Pricing tierStandardChoose the pricing tier for your key vault.

  4. Click Review + create.

  5. Click Create.

  6. After the deployment is complete, click Go to resource.

  7. In the sidebar, click Access control (IAM).

  8. Click + Add > Add role assignment.

  9. On the Role tab, in the Job function roles list, select Key Vault Administrator.

  10. Click Next.

  11. On the Members tab, with Assign access to set to User, group, or service principal, click + Select members.

  12. Search for and select the name of the app registration that you created earlier in Step 1.

  13. Search also for and select your user account.

  14. Click Select.

  15. Click Review + assign twice.

  16. In the sidebar, expand Objects, and then click Secrets.

  17. Click + Generate/import.

  18. Enter some Name for the secret.

  19. For Secret value, enter your Unstructured API key value.

  20. Click Create.

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Step 3: Create a Power Automate flow

  1. Sign in to Power Automate.

  2. On the sidebar, click Create.

  3. In the Start from blank area, click Automated cloud flow.

  4. Enter some Flow name for your new flow.

  5. For Search all triggers, enter When a file is created or modified (properties only), and then click When a file is created or modified (properties only) (SharePoint).

  6. Click Create.

  7. In the flow designer, click the When a file is created or modified (properties only) node.

  8. On the Parameters tab, set the following node properties:

    • For Site Address, enter the Site URL value of the SharePoint source connector for your workflow.
    • For Library Name, enter the Documents Library value of the SharePoint source connector for your workflow.
    • (Optional) If you specified a Path value for the SharePoint source connector for your workflow, select Folder in the Advanced parameters list and then select the corresponding folder name.

  9. Below the When a file is created or modified (properties only) node, click the plus (Insert a new action…) button.

  10. In the Search for an action or connector box, enter Get secret, and then under Azure Key Vault, select Get secret.

  11. Set the following node properties:

    • Enter some Connection name for the connection.
    • For Authentication type, select Service principal authentication.
    • For Client ID, enter the Application (client) ID value of the app registration that you created earlier in Step 1.
    • For Client secret, enter the client secret value of the app registration that you created earlier in Step 1.
    • For Tenant ID, enter the Directory (tenant) ID value of the app registration that you created earlier in Step 1.
    • For Key vault name, enter the name of the key vault that you created earlier in Step 2.

  12. Click Create new.

  13. Below the Get secret node, click the plus (Insert a new action…) button.

  14. In the Search for an action or connector box, enter HTTP, and then under HTTP, select HTTP.

  15. On the Parameters tab, set the following node properties:

    • For URI, enter <unstructured-api-url>/workflows/<workflow-id>/run, and replace the following placeholders:

      • Replace <unstructured-api-url> with your Unstructured Worfklow Endpoint value.
      • Replace <workflow-id> with the ID of your Unstructured workflow.

      The URI should now look similar to the following:

      https://platform.unstructuredapp.io/api/v1/workflows/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/run

    • For Method, select POST.

    • For Headers, enter the following:

      • accept, set to application/json
      • unstructured-api-key, set to your Unstructured API key value.

  16. In the top navigation bar, click the disk (Save) button.

  17. Click Back to go to the flow’s home page.

  18. In the top navigation bar, click the power (Turn on) button.

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Step 4: Trigger the flow and view results

  1. On a separate tab in your web browser, go to the SharePoint document library that corresponds to both your Unstructured workflow’s SharePoint source connector and the Power Automate flow’s When a file is created or modified (properties only) node.
  2. Add or update a file in the document library.
  3. On a separate tab in your web browser, in the Unstructured user interface for your account, click Jobs on the sidebar.
  4. In the list of jobs, click the newly running job for your workflow. It might take a minute or so for the new job to appear in the list.
  5. After the job status shows Finished, go to your destination location to see the results.

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Step 5 (Optional): Turn off the flow

To stop the Power Automate flow from running automatically, go back to the web browser tab from earlier in Step 3. Then, with the flow’s home page still open, in the top navigation bar, click the power (Turn off) button.