SharePoint Document Issues

How to Download Multiple PDF Attachments from a SharePoint List

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to bulk download multiple PDF attachments from a SharePoint list without having to open and download each item individually.

How to Download Multiple PDF Attachments from a SharePoint List

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Attempting to save multiple PDF files that are stored as attachments within various items of a SharePoint list.
Observed behavior: There is no built-in native feature to select multiple list items and bulk download their attachments simultaneously.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary site permissions to access the SharePoint list, and verify you have access to Power Automate if you plan to use an automated workflow workaround.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate to Move Attachments to a Document Library

Since lists do not support bulk downloads, you can create a Power Automate flow to copy all attachments into a SharePoint Document Library, which does support bulk downloading.

SharePoint Document Libraries have a built-in feature to download multiple files as a ZIP archive, whereas SharePoint Lists do not. By moving the attachments to a library, you can easily download them all at once.

Create a new Flow

Open Microsoft Power Automate, click on 'Create', and select 'Instant cloud flow' to trigger the process manually.

Get List Items

Add the 'Get items' action and configure it with your SharePoint Site Address and the specific List Name containing the PDF attachments.

Retrieve Attachments

Add an 'Apply to each' loop using the output from 'Get items'. Inside the loop, add the 'Get attachments' action.

Get Attachment Content

Add a nested 'Apply to each' loop for the attachments. Insert the 'Get attachment content' action to fetch the actual file data.

Create Files in Document Library

Add the 'Create file' action to save the retrieved attachment content into a designated SharePoint Document Library. Once the flow runs, navigate to the library, select all files, and click 'Download' to get them as a ZIP file.

Use Power Automate to Move Attachments to a Document Library

Automation Complete: This flow can be saved and reused anytime you need to extract attachments from your SharePoint lists in the future.

Solution 2

Download Attachments Individually

If you only have a few list items, downloading them one by one is the most straightforward method without setting up complex workflows.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Manage and Edit Downloaded PDFs with WPS Office

After bulk downloading your PDF attachments from SharePoint, you need a reliable tool to read, edit, or merge them. WPS Office is a lightweight, fully-featured suite that provides excellent compatibility with Microsoft Office formats and includes advanced PDF editing capabilities.

1. Install WPS Office: Download and install WPS Office for free from the official website.
2. Open the PDF Editor: Launch WPS Office and navigate to the 'PDF' tab on the home screen.
3. View and Edit Files: Click 'Open' to select the PDF attachments you downloaded from SharePoint, and start reading, highlighting, or editing immediately.

Highly compatible with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF formats.Includes a powerful built-in PDF toolkit to seamlessly merge, split, and edit downloaded attachments.Free, lightweight, and uses minimal system resources compared to traditional office suites.Familiar tabbed user interface allows you to view multiple PDFs in one single window.

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is there no bulk download button for attachments in a SharePoint list?

By design, SharePoint lists are structured for metadata and database-style record keeping rather than primary file storage. Document Libraries are optimized for file management and include bulk-download features, whereas list attachments are treated merely as supplemental data.

Can I use PowerShell to download all SharePoint list attachments?

Yes, advanced users can write a PowerShell script using PnP PowerShell modules to iterate through all list items, retrieve their attachment URLs, and download the files directly to a local hard drive without using Power Automate.

Is there a way to convert a SharePoint list to a Document Library?

You cannot directly convert a SharePoint list to a Document Library because their underlying structures differ. However, you can use Power Automate to migrate the list data and copy all attachments over into a newly created Document Library.

Document & File Issues