By default, SharePoint doesn’t support FTP let alone SFTP. But as one of the most popular cloud storage platforms, there is a need to regularly move files to and from SharePoint using these protocols.
While there is no native FTP or SFTP support for SharePoint, there are a few methods to use the protocols to securely transfer files involving a SharePoint site.
Transferring files with Power Automate
If you are already in the Microsoft ecosystem and your organization uses Power Automate, this is one possibility for moving files into SharePoint Online via SFTP.
Power Automate (formerly known as Microsoft Flow) is a cloud tool used to automate business processes and create workflows. Since both SharePoint and Power Automate are Microsoft tools, they integrate quite well for various purposes. Where both fall short in this configuration, however, is the SFTP portion.
While Power Automate is extremely powerful—and it is possible to build intricate automations—it is also very complex with a steep learning curve. Even simple actions like moving a file from an SFTP server to SharePoint involve multiple steps, building flows, and specifying multiple individual actions.
We go into more detail on one method of using Power Automate for this purpose in our guide How to move files from SFTP to SharePoint using Power Automate.
Transferring files from SFTP to SharePoint using PowerShell
Commonly used for task automation and managing configurations, especially for on-prem setups, PowerShell is another Microsoft tool that can automate the process of moving files from an SFTP server to SharePoint.
Like Power Automate, PowerShell is an extremely powerful but also extremely complicated tool that involves creating and managing custom scripts to execute tasks. This can make otherwise straightforward tasks like SFTP file transfers much more complicated.
For instance, "SFTP Cmdlets" are a series of commands that can be added to PowerShell to facilitate transfers involving the SFTP protocol. As mentioned in their documentation, "The cmdlets abstract the underlying data source into tables, views, and stored procedures that can be used to both retrieve and update data".
As the description suggests, PowerShell is designed for a highly technical audience, and while the commands can be used for facilitating the underlying SFTP transfers, they require a skilled and knowledgeable PowerShell operator to configure and manage. The transfers themselves are abstracted to text commands as opposed to a visual representation that many other tools use in their interface.
For a technical audience and the goal of moving files between Windows servers and SharePoint using SFTP, this is a workable option. However, using PowerShell for SFTP transfers to SharePoint is beyond the requirements of many average businesses that are looking for a simple way to securely move files from a remote server to SharePoint.
Configuring SharePoint as an FTP / SFTP endpoint using Couchdrop
A much simpler way to use SFTP/FTP with SharePoint is by using Couchdrop. Setting up the SharePoint integration is simple, and you can hit the ground running in less than a minute.
To use SFTP with a SharePoint site, all you need to do is set up an account with Couchdrop and connect your SharePoint account as an endpoint. The details you use during registration will be used to create your cloud SFTP server automatically, with no config files or other maintenance for you to worry about.
This means that you could use Couchdrop as the Cloud SFTP or FTP server and transfer files between your cloud server and SharePoint using either protocol. But you can transfer files to and from remote SFTP servers and FTP servers with SharePoint without building and managing custom scripts. This is often used when connecting to an external SFTP or FTP server that you don't control but need to access regularly.
Connecting a remote server to SharePoint is quick and easy with Couchdrop and three easy steps:
- Connect your SharePoint account to Couchdrop and specify a site
- Add remote server credentials for the SFTP/FTP server
- Build an automation to move files to/from SharePoint
Step 1. Connect your SharePoint site to Couchdrop
With any method, you'll need to connect to the SharePoint site you wish to connect to. The first step is to create a Couchdrop account. If you don't have an account already, all new accounts get instant access with a 14-day free trial without having to add a credit card or go through a product demo (though you can still book a product demo if you want).
Once logged in, you can choose to add a new storage connection from any page on Couchdrop and then choose SharePoint from the list. Couchdrop will then guide you through how to connect to your SharePoint site, which can often be done in seconds.
Couchdrop can connect to both normal SharePoint sites and SharePoint GCC endpoints. You'll be asked to choose which type of site you want to connect to during configuration, and the fields will change appropriately.
Usually, you can connect to SharePoint using delegated OAUTH Access to allow for instant connectivity. However, there are also other options available to connect, such as via application access for granting restrictive permissions.
Step 3. Add SFTP / FTP server credentials
Since the goal is to move files between an FTP/SFTP and SharePoint, you'll need to create a connection to the remote server. To do this, add another connection and this time choose the FTP server or SFTP server option, depending on which server type you need to connect to.
For either option, you'll be asked for server details and credentials. These will be credentials for a user on the server you want to transfer files to/from.
Step 4. Automate transfers between SharePoint and the FTP/SFTP server
Normally, moving files between a server and a SharePoint site would involve downloading files and reuploading them. Building a transfer automation can bypass this step entirely.
Transfer automations run at scheduled intervals and can open a connection to the server to move files between the server and the SharePoint site. Once you've connected both the server and SharePoint, you can select them as a source for transfer automations. Then, select which file(s) to move and enable the workflow to automate the transfer process.
On top of automating the transfer itself, Couchdrop can also modify files as part of the workflow. You can make a copy, compress, rename, and more during the transfer so that the files are in a ready state when they arrive. This means you can pull files from a remote SFTP server, update the names to match your organization's naming conventions, then route them to the appropriate document library in your SharePoint site, all automatically.
Try Couchdrop as an FTP / SFTP solution for SharePoint
Using SFTP with SharePoint is easy with Couchdrop. Couchdrop is simple, fast, and requires no infrastructure setup or management. Take the complexity out of SFTP to SharePoint file transfers and see how easy secure file transfers are with Couchdrop.
Register for an account now to start a 14-day free trial with no credit card required.