How to Bulk Upload Files with Preview to SharePoint

Key insights

 

• Leverage the attachment control in Power Apps to facilitate file uploads.
• Use Power Automate flow triggered from Power Apps to upload various file types including images and documents.
• Efficiently save uploaded files into SharePoint Document Library.
• Preview images within Power Apps using a Gallery control and have the functionality to view them in full screen.
• Implement features to refresh library files and remove or delete files as needed from the Document Library.

 

File Management in Power Apps and SharePoint

Power Apps, a suite developed by Microsoft, allows users to create custom applications without needing extensive programming knowledge. Utilizing connections to SharePoint, one of the leading document management and storage systems, enhances file handling capabilities. A critical functionality is uploading files, which isn't available out of the box with Power Apps and requires specific configurations.

In this context, Power Automate—a sister tool under Microsoft's Power Platform—plays a crucial role. It acts as a bridge to trigger automated workflows for file management, integrating seamlessly with established SharePoint libraries. Power Automate workflows can handle various file types, making the process versatile and robust.

The user interface of Power Apps can be tailored to include attachment controls, enabling users to upload single or multiple files. This integration also benefits from real-time features such as displaying uploaded images in a gallery view, refreshing the file list, and offering full-screen previews.

This mechanism not only streamlines workflow but also enhances the interactive experience for end-users. By programming Power Apps to use these capabilities, professionals can significantly reduce the complexity and time taken in manual file management, leading to increased efficiency and productivity in handling document workflows.

In the informative YouTube video presented by Dhruvin Shah [MVP], viewers are coached on how to adeptly upload multiple files to a SharePoint Document Library leveraging Power Apps. This process isn’t supported natively in Power Apps, requiring some creative maneuvering of the Power Automate V2 trigger to effectively handle file input types.

The tutorial meticulously covers the creation of a SharePoint Document Library and configuring the Power Apps to include an attachment control for user file uploads. Shah demonstrates both single and multiple file uploads and how to integrate this functionality within a Power Automate flow, substantially enhancing the user interface and functionality.

Additionally, the video delves into how files can not only be uploaded but also dynamically displayed in a Gallery view within the Power Apps, which users can then interact with to view larger versions of the images or manage the files directly from the library, such as deleting or refreshing file listings.

Major lessons shared in the video include how to use the attachment control for batching file uploads and seamlessly saving these files in the SharePoint Document Library. It also emphasizes automation by calling the Power Automate flow directly from within Power Apps to handle file uploads of various types, including images and documents.

The importance of visual feedback is highlighted through the functionality of opening images in a full-screen mode directly from the Gallery. This interactive feature allows users to see finer details of images, enhancing the overall user experience within SharePoint.

For further granularity, the video is segmented into chapters that methodically walk through each step of the process, from the setup of Power Apps to implementation of an image gallery. These chapters are precisely timed in the video, making it easy to follow and navigate through the specific sections relevant to learners’ needs.

Power Automate 

Power Apps and SharePoint Online provide robust solutions for business environments that handle large volumes of data and documents. By integrating these platforms, businesses can streamline their workflows and enhance collaboration. The discussed video tutorial by Dhruvin Shah [MVP] serves as an excellent starting point for users to learn about file management and automatic workflows within a SharePoint ecosystem.

Uploading files to SharePoint through Power Apps using Power Automate enhances the efficiency by automating tasks that would otherwise require manual intervention. The addition of an image gallery preview is an invaluable tool for media management - giving users immediate visual feedback and interaction capabilities, which is critical in fast-paced business settings.

The ability to handle these tasks directly from Power Apps without needing extensive coding knowledge democratizes the process, making it accessible to a broader range of users. Integrating advanced functionalities such as multi-file uploads and real-time gallery previews can significantly impact how organizations manage their digital assets more efficiently.

Through tutorials like the one delivered by Shah, users gain practical knowledge that can be immediately applied to real-world scenarios, reducing the learning curve associated with these advanced technologies. As such, leveraging SharePoint Online by harnessing the integrated capabilities of Power Apps and Power Automate can transform document and file management processes into a more streamlined, visually guided, and efficient workflow.

 

 

People also ask

"How do I upload multiple files in SharePoint document library?"

The method to upload multiple files to a SharePoint document library depends on whether you are using OneDrive or SharePoint. You have the option to select multiple files by holding the Ctrl or Shift key while selecting the files. After selecting the files, click OK to upload them.

"How to bulk upload in SharePoint?"

To bulk upload items to a SharePoint list, you would typically use data import techniques or scripts that are designed to handle large volumes of files or data efficiently.

"How do I use image gallery in SharePoint?"

You can utilize the Image Gallery web part on your SharePoint site to display images in a dynamic and visually appealing way.

"How do I upload multiple images to SharePoint?"

For bulk uploading images to a SharePoint site, navigate to the page where the images should be added. Use the Site Actions menu, select Site Contents, then navigate to your Images library from there, enabling you to upload multiple images at once.

 

Keywords

SharePoint multiple file upload, SharePoint document library, image gallery preview SharePoint, bulk upload SharePoint, SharePoint file management, SharePoint image gallery, SharePoint user guide, SharePoint tutorials.