If your organization has enabled the SharePoint integration, you can import folders from SharePoint into BEAMON and use the documents in them just like documents you upload yourself. Imported folders stay up to date automatically: when a file changes in SharePoint, BEAMON follows.
This article explains how to connect your Microsoft account, import a folder, and work with imported documents. If SharePoint has not been enabled for your workspace yet, your BEAMON admin sets it up first, see Set Up the SharePoint Integration (Admin).
- Before you start
- Connect your Microsoft account
- Import a SharePoint folder
- Which folder gets imported
- Import statuses
- Work with imported folders
- How syncing works
- Use SharePoint documents in Assist
- Reconnect an expired connection
- Occasionally asked questions
Before you start
- SharePoint must be enabled for your workspace by a BEAMON admin.
- You need a Microsoft work account with access to the SharePoint sites you want to import from.
- You browse SharePoint with your own account, so you see exactly the sites, document libraries, and folders your Microsoft permissions allow. If you cannot open something in SharePoint, it does not appear in BEAMON either.
Connect your Microsoft account
You do this once.
- On the Documents page, you see a banner telling you that your company has enabled SharePoint. Click Connect Now. You can also open the SharePoint tab and click Connect SharePoint.
- Sign in with your Microsoft work account.
- A confirmation appears once the connection succeeds.
Import a SharePoint folder
- On the Documents page, open the SharePoint tab. This is where your imported folders live.
- Start the import. A dialog opens where you browse your SharePoint sites, document libraries, and folders.
- Navigate by clicking a folder's name to move down a level.
- When you are inside the folder you want, click Select this folder.
- Confirm the import. The dialog closes and the import begins. You can keep working while it runs.
Which folder gets imported
Select this folder imports the folder you are currently in, along with everything inside it, including its subfolders and its files.
This means the folder itself appears in BEAMON as the top level of the import, with its structure preserved underneath. If you only want the contents of a folder without the folder itself, there is currently no way to import at that level; import the level below instead.
Import statuses
While the import runs, each file moves through a status in the folder listing:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Pending | Queued for import. |
| Processing | Being prepared so Assist can work with it. |
| Imported | Ready to use. |
| Failed | Could not be imported. |
| Unsupported | BEAMON cannot process this file type. |
Nothing is skipped silently: every file in the folder appears with a status, so you can see what was and was not imported. The rest of the folder imports normally when individual files are unsupported.
Work with imported folders
Imported folders are read-only mirrors of SharePoint. SharePoint remains the single source of truth, so in BEAMON you cannot:
- rename an imported folder or the files in it
- add files to an imported folder
- delete individual files from an imported folder
To change any of this, make the change in SharePoint. BEAMON follows.
BEAMON never writes to SharePoint. The integration only reads – nothing is created, renamed, moved, or deleted on the SharePoint side.
How syncing works
Syncing is automatic and there is nothing to click. BEAMON watches your imported folders in the background and picks up changes made in SharePoint:
- New files are added to the imported folder.
- Changed files are updated, and the updated version is what Assist uses from then on.
- Deleted files are removed from the imported folder.
- Renamed folders and files are updated.
Changes usually appear within a few minutes. There is no manual sync, so if a change has not appeared after several minutes, see the Occasionally asked questions section below.
Use SharePoint documents in Assist
Imported documents work like any other document in BEAMON.
- In an Assist chat, open the document selection dialog.
- Open the SharePoint section and navigate to the folder you want. The structure matches SharePoint.
- Select the files or folders you want to use, then run your prompt.
Assist always works with the current version of a document. If a file changes in SharePoint after you have asked a question about it, a new answer to the same question may differ from the earlier one.
Reconnect an expired connection
Microsoft connections expire from time to time, e.g., after a password change. When this happens, BEAMON shows a banner asking you to reconnect. Click Reconnect and sign in again.
Nothing is lost in the meantime. Your imported folders stay in BEAMON and keep updating in the background. Reconnecting restores what depends on your account: browsing SharePoint and importing new folders.
Occasionally asked questions
Why can’t I see a site or folder my colleague can see?
BEAMON shows what your own Microsoft account can access in SharePoint. Ask your SharePoint administrator for access to the site; it then appears in BEAMON.
Why has a change I made in SharePoint not appeared in BEAMON?
Changes usually take a few minutes. If a change has not appeared after several minutes, contact support@bryter.io. There is no manual sync to fall back on.
What if a recently updated document looks out of date when I open it?
Close the document and open it again.
What if a file shows Unsupported?
BEAMON cannot process that file type. The rest of the folder is unaffected.
Why can't I rename an imported folder or add files to it?
Imported folders are read-only mirrors of SharePoint. Make the change in SharePoint instead.
What happens to imported documents if I disconnect my Microsoft account?
They stay in BEAMON. Disconnecting only stops you browsing and importing until you reconnect.
For anything else, contact support@bryter.io.