Overview
Findable connects to your Microsoft SharePoint using the Microsoft Graph API. Once connected, Findable monitors the SharePoint sites, drives, or folders you choose and mirrors documents into the Findable platform for AI-powered classification, search, and organization.
Here’s what happens under the hood:
- Findable stores one encrypted Microsoft app credential set for your organization
- Findable registers a subscription for each SharePoint site and drive connected to a building
- When files are added or changed in SharePoint, Findable is notified automatically
- Documents are imported and processed by Findable’s AI: classified, tagged, and made searchable
- If export is enabled, Findable can also write processed documents and metadata back to SharePoint
Findable respects Microsoft’s API rate limits and processes changes on a per-tenant basis to ensure reliability.
Security & Permissions
Findable authenticates to the Microsoft Graph API via an App Registration in your Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD). Your IT team controls exactly what Findable can access.
Two access modes
| Mode | Permission | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Full Access | Sites.Read.All | Read access to all SharePoint sites in your tenant. Use Sites.ReadWrite.All if Findable should also write files/metadata back to SharePoint. |
| Limited Access | Sites.Selected | Access only the specific SharePoint sites you explicitly grant. Recommended for organizations that want granular control. |
How authentication works: A client secret is created for the app registration. This secret is encrypted at rest and only shared with Microsoft’s token service to obtain access tokens. All subsequent API requests use these short-lived tokens.
Guided setup in Findable
Open Settings → Integrations → SharePoint as an organisation administrator. The setup guide generates requests using your application ID and site addresses, and checks Microsoft access before you connect buildings.
You also need a Microsoft administrator for app registration, admin consent and site grants. These are separate from being a Findable administrator. Your choices and site URLs are saved in the current browser; secrets and successful access checks are not saved there. On return, check access again.
1. Choose access
Choose Selected sites (recommended) for Sites.Selected. Choose tenant-wide access only if your organisation intends to grant it. Tick the export option only if Findable should write documents back to SharePoint.
Choosing selected sites in Findable does not revoke existing tenant-wide Microsoft permissions. If the wizard detects broader access, have your administrator remove those application permissions and check again.
2. Connect Microsoft
- In the Microsoft Entra admin centre, create or open the app registration for Findable.
- Under API permissions, add Microsoft Graph → Application permissions → Sites.Selected. For tenant-wide access, use
Sites.Read.All, orSites.ReadWrite.Allfor export. - Grant admin consent for your organisation. Adding a permission alone is not enough.
- Under Certificates & secrets, create a client secret. Copy its Value, not its Secret ID.
- In Findable, enter the tenant ID, application (client) ID and secret value, save, and select Check Microsoft connection.
A successful connection check confirms credentials and application permissions. It does not prove that any particular site is accessible.
3. Grant and check site access
Paste each site’s address in Findable, for example https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Operations, https://contoso.sharepoint.com/teams/Facilities, or the root site https://contoso.sharepoint.com. Use the actual address, preserving spaces as URL encoding; do not remove spaces or paste library/file links.
For Sites.Selected, open Grant access to this site:
- Open Microsoft Graph Explorer and sign in to the correct tenant as a SharePoint Administrator or higher. From the profile menu, open Consent to permissions and consent to delegated Sites.FullControl.All for Graph Explorer. Tenant policy may require another administrator to approve consent. Do not add this elevated permission to the Findable sync application.
- Select GET, copy the generated URL from Findable and run it in Graph Explorer.
- Copy the complete JSON response back into Findable. Findable checks that its
idandwebUrlbelong to the site you entered, then generates the permission URL and request body. - Select POST in Graph Explorer, paste the generated URL and body, and run it. The role is
readfor import orwritewhen export was selected. Expect 201 Created. - Repeat for each site, then select Check site access in Findable. Changes can take a few minutes. If a grant already exists, check access before creating another one.
Copy instructions for IT creates a handover without secrets. If you have already pasted a matching site response, it also includes the generated permission request.
The site check reads the site and its document libraries. It never writes test files and does not prove export permission. A missing site may also mean Microsoft is hiding it because access is missing; the wizard distinguishes that from a denied request or a temporary integration failure.
For the permission model and administrator requirements, see Microsoft’s selected-permissions overview and site permission API.
4. Connect buildings and start syncing
Select Choose a building, open a building in the list, and add a SharePoint subscription. Enter the approved site URL, select the document library and either the whole library or selected folders, then review and create the subscription. The first sync starts automatically; the building panel shows its progress.
Folder selection limits what Findable imports. Microsoft’s permission still covers the entire approved site.
5. Optional export
Confirm the site’s write grant with your Microsoft administrator before enabling export. In the building’s SharePoint settings, enable export, choose the destination site, library and folder, and use Export to SharePoint. Export remains a separate choice for each building.
Need Help?
If you run into issues during setup, reach out to our team at support@findable.ai or use the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the Findable app.