Connect SharePoint Online Libraries

You can connect as many SharePoint Online libraries as you'd like with QorusDocs. You can either connect multiple libraries as one SharePoint Online library content source, or you can create multiple content sources that each point to one SharePoint Online library only. Or even a bit of both.

Before you can connect any SharePoint Online libraries or lists to QorusDocs, you need to have at least 'Contribute' rights to these places in SharePoint Online, and you also need to belong to the QorusDocs Admin role.  

In this article you will learn the main steps when creating a new SharePoint Online library content source which are as follows:

1. Add a new SharePoint Online library content source
2. Copy and paste the link to your SharePoint Online site in the connector settings
3. Set any advanced options (optional)
4. Select SharePoint Online library search locations to add to your new content source
5. Select SharePoint Online library save locations to add to your new content source (optional)

Further below, we also explain the search options available for SharePoint Online library content sources, how to set up SharePoint Online library search filters, and what to do in QorusDocs if your SharePoint Online library structure changes.

Let's get started with the steps. 

1. Add a new SharePoint Online library content source

First, you'll need to be logged into Hub Central. You can access the login page by visiting the following link: https://www.qorushub.com/

Once you're in, in the left navigation menu, click on 'Content Sources' under 'Manage', then, click on 'Add', and then on 'SharePoint Online Library':

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2. Copy and paste the link to your SharePoint Online site in the connector settings

On the 'Configure Content Source' screen, give your SharePoint Online Library content source a name, and copy and paste the URL for the SharePoint Online site that houses the library or libraries you'd like to connect. 

When you're ready and if you don't plan on setting any advanced options, click on the 'Next' button (bottom right) to go to the next step.

If you're not sure where to get the URL of your SharePoint site from, visit the 'home' page of your SharePoint site, and copy and paste the URL directly from your browser's address bar:  

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3. Set any advanced options (optional)

Click on 'Show Advanced Options' to see the options available. These are all completely optional. If you'd prefer to skip ahead to the next step, click here.

Search location image

By default, QorusDocs will display the SharePoint logo next to SharePoint Online content sources in the Search pane. You can however add your own custom images for each content source, making it easier for users to differentiate between content sources, especially if you have many connected to your QorusDocs Hub. 

To do that, click on the box indicated below: 

Then, select an image from your computer. We recommend an image that is 50 pixels by 50 pixels for the best results. 

Content source delimiters

Delimiters are a sequence of one or more characters used to specify the boundary between separate regions of text, like a text placeholder. You can read more about them here.

By default, delimiters are defined at Hub level - meaning that they apply to all content across your QorusDocs Hub, no matter the content source from which the content is served. 

Here, you can override the delimiters set at Hub level and enforce content source specific delimiters. The delimiters you specify here are the only ones that will be considered valid for the content served via this content source. 

PDF Conversion

By default, you have the ability to convert to PDF: 

• the files that you create using QorusDocs (after clicking on 'create')
• the presentations that you assemble using the QorusDocs Cart
• the files that you attach to emails

If you'd like to prevent files that are served up from this content source from having any PDF conversion options enabled, then you can turn this off here, by unchecking the box: 

When you're ready, click 'Next' (bottom right) to move on to the next step.

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4. Select SharePoint Online library search locations to add to your new content source

To choose the places you'd like to make searchable with QorusDocs, otherwise known as search locations, all you need to do is check the boxes next to the libraries and/or folders you'd like to include as part of your content source.

In the example below, we're connecting the Graphics Library, the whole Marketing Collateral library, as well as two out of three folders in the Proposal Library.

If you're done, click on 'Finish' (bottom left). Otherwise, carry on with the step below to add save locations to your content source.

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5. Select SharePoint Online library save locations to add to your new content source (optional)

'Save' locations work hand in hand with the QorusDocs Clip, Create and the Cart. 

Here again, all you need to do is check the boxes next to the libraries and/or folders you'd like to make available as places that users can choose to save new files to. 

Although here we've deliberately picked different libraries for our search and save location, there's nothing preventing you from setting up the same libraries/folders to be both search and save locations.

Then, you can also optionally assign a style template to the save locations that you’ve selected.

 

Assigning a style template automatically applies all your brand colors, fonts, and styles to the content clipped to these save locations, so that you can be assured that clipped documents are always on brand.

Before you begin, the ideal template would be a completely blank document with only your Word Styles and no content at all within the body of the document. Headers and footers are fine though if you’d like to set those up. 

Here’s an example of a Word style template:

In the example below, we've first selected these four libraries, then clicked on ‘select template’ to assign a Word style template:

The following window will pop up, prompting you to insert the URL of the SharePoint library where your Word style template is saved (this can be any library and does not have to be one that you’ve selected as a Search or Save location for this content source):

In your SharePoint site, navigate to the library where the style template is saved, and copy the URL (up until and including the folder name) directly from your browser's address bar.

Then paste the link in the pop-up window and click ‘Apply’:

You can then choose the Word document you'd like to use as the style template:

The following window will pop up prompting you to confirm if you want to associate this style template to all the selected content sources across your QorusDocs Hub, or for just this specific content source.

We’ve elected to apply this template to this content source only in the example screenshot below:

Then when you’re done, click ‘Finish’.

For those who need to cater for multiple styles, you can set up a unique Word style template for each Content Source. The Content Source you clip to will then determine what Word style template gets applied.

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The search options available for SharePoint library content sources

In the Search pane, this is how our content source that connects to multiple libraries shows up: 

This content source can be searched using the search box, browsed by simply clicking on the content source name, and also searched with the help of search filters. You can find in-depth information about search capabilities in this article. 

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How to set up search filters for SharePoint library content sources

QorusDocs automatically builds up the list of search filters for a content source based on the Managed Metadata columns it finds in the libraries you've connected. So the setup does not actually take place in QorusDocs at all, it takes place in SharePoint itself. 

If you've never heard of Managed Metadata, then you might want to check out this article first.

Otherwise, proceed to this article to learn how to create Managed Metadata columns in SharePoint.

You'll want to add the Managed Metadata columns to your SharePoint Online libraries, and then categorize your content by filling in those columns. This is considered best practice and can be key in ensuring that your content remains easy to find, especially when you have a large volume of files and potential search results to wade through.

Once you're done, your custom SharePoint Online library search filters will become available in the QorusDocs search pane along with 2 other filters, the file type and last modified filters as shown below.

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What to do if your SharePoint library structure changes

QorusDocs won't automatically pick up any fundamental changes in your SharePoint structure, such as renaming libraries or folders, or adding, deleting or renaming Managed Metadata columns in the libraries connected to QorusDocs. For this reason, you will need to update your content source in QorusDocs, so we can pick up the structural changes you've made in SharePoint. 

To do that, click on 'edit' next to the SharePoint Online library content source: 

This will take you to the search location setup screen.

If the only things that have changed are the Managed Metadata columns associated with your libraries, then there's no need to do anything here - simply click on 'Finish' and QorusDocs will rebuild the list of custom search filters to include your Managed Metadata column changes. 

If libraries/folders have been renamed or deleted, then you can make changes to the search and save locations you had previously selected here. 

When you're done, click on 'Finish'. 

If you are editing the advanced options, the link will be greyed out by default to prevent accidental changes. To modify the SPO link, click the pencil icon.

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