SharePoint

This guide shows you how to enable SharePoint for file storage

, store and open files in desktop Office applications, and understand how Kinabase manages your files.

To use SharePoint with Kinabase, you must first connect your organisation to Microsoft 365. See our Connecting to Microsoft 365 guide.

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How SharePoint integration works

When you enable SharePoint as your file storage provider:

Folder structure

Kinabase automatically creates a folder for each collection in your SharePoint document library. When you upload files to a record, a folder for that record is created within the collection folder.

Two-way sync

You can upload files from either Kinabase or SharePoint. Files uploaded in SharePoint appear in Kinabase, and files uploaded in Kinabase appear in SharePoint.

Single source of truth

Files are stored directly in your SharePoint document library. Kinabase does not duplicate files - it references them from SharePoint.

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1. Enabling SharePoint for File Storage

Prerequisites

Before enabling SharePoint:

1. Your Kinabase organisation must be connected to Microsoft 365 via Settings → Organisation → Identity & Provisioning.
2. Kinabase must have permissions to access SharePoint. If permissions are missing, your Microsoft 365 administrator will need to grant additional consent.

Steps to enable SharePoint

1. Go to Settings → Organisation → File Storage.
2. Under Storage Provider, select SharePoint from the dropdown (replacing Kinabase (built-in)).
3. If you see a message that Kinabase does not have permissions to access SharePoint, click Continue to grant the required permissions via Microsoft.
4. Once permissions are granted, select the SharePoint document library you want to use.
5. Click Update to save your settings.

Use a dedicated library

We recommend using an empty or dedicated SharePoint document library. Kinabase will manage the folder structure within this library, creating folders for collections and records.

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2. Configuring a Collection for Files

Even with SharePoint enabled, each collection must be configured to show the Files tab:

1. Right-click the collection name in the sidebar, or click the ⋯ menu and select Configure.
2. Go to the Features tab.
3. Toggle Enable Files to on.
4. Click Save.

Each record in this collection will now have a Files tab where users can upload and view files.

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3. Adding & Managing Files

1. Open a record in your collection.
2. Click the Files tab (if files are enabled for this collection).
3. Drag and drop files onto the tab, or click Add file to upload from your computer.

Files are automatically stored in the corresponding SharePoint folder. The folder structure is:

[Document Library]
└── [Collection Name]
    └── [Record Name or ID]
        └── your-file.docx

Create new documents

You can create new Word, Excel, or PowerPoint documents directly from Kinabase. Click the New button in the Files tab and select the document type. These are instantly created in SharePoint.

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4. Opening Files in Desktop Apps

With SharePoint enabled, you can open Office documents directly in desktop applications:

1. In the Files tab of a record, find the file you want to open.
2. Click the ⋯ menu next to the file, or right-click on the file.
3. Select Open → Open in desktop app.
4. The file opens in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint on your computer.
5. Make your changes and save as usual.

Changes are automatically synced to SharePoint, and will be reflected in Kinabase.

Desktop apps vs web apps

Desktop Office applications offer more advanced features (such as macros, complex formatting, and specialised tools) than the web versions. Opening files in desktop apps preserves all functionality.

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5. File Management Features

Bi-directional sync

Uploading or modifying a file in Kinabase updates SharePoint, and changes made in SharePoint appear in Kinabase.

Automatic folder management

Kinabase creates and manages folders automatically. When you rename a record, the corresponding folder in SharePoint is also renamed.

Version history

SharePoint's native version history is preserved, allowing you to view and restore previous versions of files directly from SharePoint.

Higher file size limits

SharePoint typically supports larger file uploads than Kinabase's built-in storage, making it ideal for video files and other large media.

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Changing or Disabling SharePoint

If you need to change your SharePoint document library or switch back to Kinabase's built-in storage:

1. Go to Settings → Organisation → File Storage.
2. Select a different library, or change Storage Provider back to Kinabase (built-in).
3. You will see a confirmation warning. Click Update to confirm.

Important: When you change SharePoint libraries or switch providers, existing files in the previous location will not be automatically moved. You can still access them directly in SharePoint, but they will no longer be linked to Kinabase records.

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Troubleshooting

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Integrating SharePoint with Kinabase provides a unified file management experience, combining the data management capabilities of Kinabase with the collaborative file editing and storage features of Microsoft 365.