Using SharePoint Lists as a Data Source in XpressDox

Pull data from a SharePoint List directly into your XpressDox templates

SharePoint Lists are a powerful way to store and share structured data within your Microsoft 365 environment. XpressDox can connect directly to a SharePoint List and use it as a data source, allowing template authors to look up and populate data such as employee records, matter details, or any other list-based information at the point of document assembly.

Configuring the SharePoint List as a Data Source in XpressDox

Once the SharePoint list is created, you have added columns that correspond to the data fields you want to use in your templates and populated the relevant fields, the next step is to configure it as a data source within XpressDox. This is a once-off configuration step that makes the list available to all templates stored in the configured folder and its sub-folders.

Note: SharePoint automatically creates an id column for every list. This column will appear in the XpressDox data source configuration and in the interview and can be used as a unique identifier. Be aware of this when you name your own columns to avoid naming conflicts.

Step 1: Open the XpressDox Configuration

In Microsoft Word, go to the XpressDox ribbon and click Settings > Configure. At the top of the configuration window, confirm that the folder path shown is the correct folder for which you want this data source to be available. Click the Data Sources tab. Click the New button (the green + icon on the Data Sources toolbar) to create a new data source entry.

Step 2: Select SharePoint List as the Data Source Type

The New Data Source wizard will open and display a list of available data source types. Select SharePoint List and click Finish.

A prompt will appear reminding you to give the data source a meaningful name and then click the “Use Data Source’s Editor” button to configure its specific properties.

Step 3: Name the Data Source and Open the Editor

Back in the Configuration window, the new data source will appear in the Data Sources list as “New SharePoint List data source”. Click on it, change the name in the Name field to something meaningful (for example, Employees), and press Tab. Then click “Use Data Source’s Editor”.

Step 4: Select the Site and List

The SharePoint List Configuration Form will open. XpressDox will retrieve the SharePoint sites that are accessible under your Microsoft 365 account. In the Site dropdown, select the team site you created. Then, in the List dropdown, select your list (for example, Employees).

Step 5: Enable List and Search, then Save

Tick the Configure List & Search checkbox. XpressDox will populate the column list, showing all the columns in your SharePoint list along with their captions and visibility settings.

Once you are satisfied with the configuration, click Save. A prompt will ask whether you want to save the full configuration file. Click Yes.

Using the Data Source in a Template

With the data source configured, you can now reference it in your XpressDox templates using the ChooseFromDataSource command. Below is a basic example of how the template commands would look for the Employees data source:

«AlignCaptions(Top)»
«ChooseFromDataSource(Employees,,,,,Employee)»
«Employee_FullName»
«Employee_Email»
«Employee_Department»
«Employee_Location»

The ChooseFromDataSource command will present a data selector in the interview. When the user runs the template, they will see a search field and a list of records to choose from.

Additional Notes

• Column naming: SharePoint list column names must comply with XML naming rules. Avoid spaces or special characters in column names.
• The SharePoint id column: Every SharePoint list includes an automatically generated numeric id column. This appears in the XpressDox configuration and the interview alongside your own columns. You can use it as a unique identifier if needed, or simply leave it as is.
• Self-hosted XpressDox server: If you are running a self-hosted XpressDox server, tick the checkbox in the Configuration Form to enter your own Client Key and Secret for authenticating with SharePoint.

Related Topics

• Connect to a database – Configure a data source
• ChooseFromDataSource command
• LinkToDataSource command
• XML and Data Sets