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File Connections

File Connections

File connectors expose tabular files — CSV, TXT, and Excel (.xlsx) worksheets — as entities you can read and write in your Flows. Each connection points at one container (the place its files live); each file (and each Excel worksheet) becomes an entity whose columns are inferred automatically.

There are three file connectors, differing only in where the files live:

ConnectorFiles live inAvailability
File UploadFactoryThread-managed storage (you upload them)Cloud & on-prem
Local FilesA folder on the FactoryThread serverOn-prem only
SharePointA SharePoint document libraryCloud & on-prem

All three support reading and write-back, and infer each file's schema (column names and types) for you — there is nothing to configure for schema discovery.

File Upload​

Upload files directly into FactoryThread. Best when the data isn't in a live system — a one-off spreadsheet, an export, a reference list.

  1. Create the connection and Save it first — uploads are enabled only after the connection exists.
  2. Drag and drop files onto the upload area (or click to select).
    • Supported formats: .csv, .txt, .xlsx
    • Maximum 300 MB per file
  3. Each uploaded file becomes an entity; each worksheet in an Excel file becomes its own entity.

There is no Test Connection step — there's no external system to reach.

Local Files​

Point at a folder on the FactoryThread server's filesystem. Useful on-prem when another process drops files onto a shared directory.

  1. Choose a Folder Path from the dropdown. The list is restricted to folders an administrator has allowed.
    • If the dropdown is empty, an administrator must set the LOCALFILE_FOLDERS environment variable on the server to allow folders.
  2. Optionally set a connection Timeout.

On-prem only. Local Files is available only in on-premise deployments, and only allows folders the server administrator has explicitly configured.

SharePoint​

Connect to a SharePoint document library through Microsoft Graph. Files in the chosen library folder become entities.

  1. Under Microsoft Entra (app-only) credentials, enter:
    • Directory (Microsoft Entra) ID — your tenant ID
    • Application (client) ID — the registered app's client ID
    • Client secret
  2. Under SharePoint location, enter the Site URL (e.g. https://contoso.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing), then browse to the document-library folder you want.
  3. Click Test Connection to confirm the credentials and site resolve.

App-only authentication. SharePoint connects with service (app-only) credentials — a registered Microsoft Entra application — not an interactive per-user sign-in. The app registration needs permission to read the target document library.

Write-back to SharePoint files is last-write-wins.

Next steps​