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How to Extract Word Comments and Metadata to Excel from SharePoint
Question details
The user wants to automate the extraction of Word document comments and metadata stored in SharePoint and export them into separate rows in an Excel spreadsheet.
- Product
- Microsoft 365
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Setting up an automated workflow to pull document comments, author names, file names, and tags from Word files in SharePoint and populating an Excel table with this data.
- Observed behavior
- The user is seeking the appropriate method or script to process Word documents and automatically write the extracted metadata into an Excel file without manual copying.
Before setting up any automation, ensure you have the necessary administrative permissions to access the SharePoint document library and that your destination Excel file has a pre-formatted Table ready to receive the data.
Seek Automation Support via Microsoft Q&A
Use the official Microsoft Q&A platform to get expert guidance on advanced SharePoint and Microsoft 365 automation workflows.
Extracting metadata and comments from SharePoint requires advanced developer tools like Power Automate, Microsoft Graph API, Office Scripts, or Azure Functions. Because these scripting and automation requests are highly specific and outside the scope of standard consumer support, they are best addressed by specialized engineers on Microsoft Q&A.
Open your web browser and go to the official Microsoft Q&A community page specifically for SharePoint and Power Automate developers.
Gather all necessary information for your workflow. Note down the specific SharePoint location, your intended trigger event, document identifiers, desired comment properties (author, text, tags), and expected permissions.
Create a new thread detailing your exact requirements. Be sure to specify whether you intend to use Power Automate, Office Scripts, or Microsoft Graph API so the experts can provide the most accurate code snippets.
Try WPS Office for Lightweight Document and Spreadsheet Management
While complex SharePoint automation is highly specific to the Microsoft 365 developer ecosystem, WPS Office provides a fast, free, and highly compatible alternative for your everyday Word document editing and Excel data management needs. Enjoy seamless local offline editing without expensive subscription fees.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install the Software: Run the downloaded installer and follow the simple on-screen instructions to set up WPS Office on your computer.
- 3. Open and Edit Your Files: Seamlessly open your existing .docx and .xlsx files to review comments, edit text, and manage your spreadsheets without any formatting loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I extract Word comments to Excel without using Power Automate?
Yes, if you do not need an automated cloud solution, you can manually copy comments from the Review pane in Word and paste them into Excel, or use a VBA macro if you are running the desktop version of Word. However, this will not automatically sync with SharePoint.
What licenses are required to use Power Automate for this task?
Extracting elements directly from the Open XML format of Word documents using Microsoft Graph API HTTP requests often requires a premium Power Automate license, alongside standard Microsoft 365 credentials.
Does Microsoft Graph API natively support reading Word document comments?
Directly querying document comments via Graph API is complex and may have limitations compared to reading standard SharePoint list items. Often, developers use custom Azure Functions to parse the underlying Open XML document format.
