SharePoint Document Issues

Use an Authenticated SharePoint Site as Dynamics Knowledge Search Provider

Maira Mehtab Sep 21, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to import and refresh knowledge articles from a private, authenticated SharePoint site located outside their Dynamics tenant to act as a Knowledge Search Provider.

Product: SharePoint Online, Dynamics 365
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Configuring external knowledge search providers in Dynamics 365 using an external SharePoint site.
Observed behavior: Available external search provider options in Dynamics do not support the authentication required to access a private SharePoint site outside the host tenant.

Before you start

Verify your current Dynamics 365 external search provider settings and confirm that your target SharePoint site is located outside the host tenant and strictly requires authentication.

Solution 1Recommended

Explore Custom Integration via Developer Communities

Because there is no out-of-the-box feature for this scenario, you must develop a custom solution or consult Microsoft developer communities for integration guidance.

Currently, SharePoint Online does not offer a native feature to authenticate external search providers from a private SharePoint site outside the Dynamics tenant. Standard configurations only support unauthenticated endpoints or internal tenant sites.

Review Custom Development Options

Since standard integrations fail due to cross-tenant authentication barriers, you will need to implement a custom API or middleware that handles the authentication handshake between Dynamics 365 and the external SharePoint site.

Consult Microsoft Q&A

Navigate to the Microsoft Q&A platform, log in with your Microsoft account, and post your specific tenant architecture details using the 'SharePoint Development' tag to get direct guidance from Microsoft engineers.

Engage the SharePoint Developer Community

Join the official SharePoint Developer Community forums to ask for custom integration examples or third-party solutions that bridge Dynamics Knowledge Search with authenticated external endpoints.

Developer Resources Required: Building a custom connector for this scenario requires knowledge of SharePoint REST APIs, Entra ID (Azure Active Directory) app registrations, and OAuth authentication flows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't Dynamics 365 connect to my external SharePoint site natively?

Dynamics 365's out-of-the-box external search providers do not currently support passing authentication credentials to private SharePoint sites located outside your host tenant.

Can I use a public SharePoint site instead?

Yes. If the SharePoint site is made public and does not require authentication, Dynamics Knowledge Search can index and retrieve articles without requiring custom integration.

Are there third-party tools to bridge Dynamics and authenticated SharePoint sites?

Yes, some third-party integration platforms and middleware (such as custom Power Automate flows or Logic Apps) can handle the authentication token exchange required to sync knowledge articles across tenants.

Document & File Issues