--- title: "How to Use SharePoint PNP PowerShell Module in Office 365" description: "Learn to utilize the SharePoint PNP PowerShell module with Office 365 in this hands on tutorial by ATA Learning!" canonical: "https://adamtheautomator.com/sharepoint-pnp/" --- # How to Use SharePoint PNP PowerShell Module in Office 365 > Learn to utilize the SharePoint PNP PowerShell module with Office 365 in this hands on tutorial by ATA Learning! Source: https://adamtheautomator.com/sharepoint-pnp/ --- ATA Learning Tap to hide [ ATA Learning ](/) * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Search for: * [](https://twitter.com/adbertram) * [](https://github.com/Adam-the-Automator) * [](https://www.linkedin.com/company/adam-the-automator-llc) * [](/feed/) ![How to Use SharePoint PNP PowerShell Module in Office 365](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/How-to-Use-SharePoint-PNP-PowerShell-Module-in-Office-365.jpg) # How to Use SharePoint PNP PowerShell Module in Office 365 [![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/9a14f10ff1b1ec7d790d34f5b559e4d3de2d31b172e6ef266dfd8b479174d97b?s=192&d=mm&r=g)June Castillote](https://adamtheautomator.com/author/june/)30 May 202213 min. read Categories: [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) Tags:[SharePoint](/tag/sharepoint/) Table of Contents * [Prerequisites](#prerequisites) * [Installing the SharePoint PnP PowerShell Module](#installing-the-sharepoint-pnp-powershell-module) * [Connecting to SharePoint PnP PowerShell (Interactive)](#connecting-to-sharepoint-pnp-powershell-interactive) * [Connecting via Credential Prompt](#connecting-via-credential-prompt) * [Connecting via Web Browser Login](#connecting-via-web-browser-login) * [Connecting to SharePoint PnP PowerShell (Non-Interactive)](#connecting-to-sharepoint-pnp-powershell-non-interactive) * [Registering Your PnP PowerShell App](#registering-your-pnp-powershell-app) * [Connecting to PnP PowerShell Using the Registered App and Certificate](#connecting-to-pnp-powershell-using-the-registered-app-and-certificate) * [Storing Credentials Securely](#storing-credentials-securely) * [Creating a New SharePoint Online Site](#creating-a-new-sharepoint-online-site) * [Adding Site Permissions](#adding-site-permissions) * [Creating a New Document Library](#creating-a-new-document-library) * [Uploading Files to the Document Library](#uploading-files-to-the-document-library) * [Deleting Old Files for Housekeeping](#deleting-old-files-for-housekeeping) * [Conclusion](#conclusion) When you hear _SharePoint_, you probably picture the website in your head. Whether as a user or admin, the web GUI is not the only way to interact with SharePoint—especially for automation or bulk transactions. What’s the other way? PowerShell! Specifically, interacting with SharePoint using [PnP PowerShell module](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/sharepoint/sharepoint-pnp/sharepoint-pnp-cmdlets). Not a reader? Watch this related video tutorial! **_Not seeing the video? Make sure your ad blocker is disabled._** Another great thing about the PnP PowerShell module is that it works cross-platform, so long as there’s PowerShell 7+. So stay tuned and learn to leverage the PnP PowerShell module to perform common tasks in SharePoint Online. Using a real-world use case to get you started, you’ll also learn by example. ## Prerequisites This tutorial will be a hands-on demonstration. If you’d like to follow along, be sure you have the following. * A Windows, macOS, or Linux computer – This tutorial uses a Windows 10 computer with PowerShell 7.2.3. Related:[How to Walk Through a PowerShell 7 Upgrade](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-7-upgrade/) * You must have [Global administrator (GA) access](https://www.nucleustechnologies.com/blog/create-an-admin-account-in-office-365/) to your Microsoft 365 tenant. If you’re not a GA, you’ll need another GA’s help in providing the PnP PowerShell app consent in Azure AD. * You must know your [tenant’s directory ID](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/fundamentals/active-directory-how-to-find-tenant) and SharePoint Online portal, root, or admin URL. This tutorial uses the following SharePoint Online URLs.
Portal/Root URLhttps://lzex.sharepoint.com/
Admin URLhttps://lzex-admin.sharepoint.com/
* A code editor such as [Visual Studio Code (VSCode)](https://code.visualstudio.com/). Related:[What You Need to Know about Visual Studio Code: A Tutorial](https://adamtheautomator.com/visual-studio-code-tutorial/) ## Installing the SharePoint PnP PowerShell Module What enables users and admins to interact with SharePoint Online via PowerShell is the PnP PowerShell module. The developers made this module available to install from [PowerShell Gallery](https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/PnP.PowerShell). Open a PowerShell window and run the below [Install-Module](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/powershellget/install-module?view=powershell-7.2) command to install the PnP PowerShell module (PnP.PowerShell). ```powershell Install-Module -Name "PnP.PowerShell" ``` Now, run the following [Get-Module](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.core/get-module?view=powershell-7.2) command to confirm the installation by displaying the PnP PowerShell module information. ```powershell Get-Module "PnP.PowerShell" -ListAvailable ``` As you can see below, the latest version as of this writing is 1.10.0. ![Verifying the PnP PowerShell Module Version](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-558.png) Verifying the PnP PowerShell Module Version ## Connecting to SharePoint PnP PowerShell (Interactive) Since installing the PnP PowerShell module doesn’t connect you to SharePoint online automatically. But no worries, the cmdlet that lets you connect PowerShell to SharePoint Online is [Connect-PnPOnline](https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Connect-PnPOnline.html). This cmdlet gives you options on how to authenticate – _interactive_ and _non-interactive_. In interactive authentication, you have to input the credentials during authentication. You will typically use this method if you’re only running ad-hoc or manual tasks. ### Connecting via Credential Prompt If you’re looking for a quick way to connect to SharePoint PnP PowerShell, you can do so via credential prompt. Run the below command to connect to PnP PowerShell using a credential prompt. This interactive method does not support MFA. ```powershell Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://.sharepoint.com ``` ![Connecting to SharePoint PnP PowerShell via Credential Prompt](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-559.png) Connecting to SharePoint PnP PowerShell via Credential Prompt ### Connecting via Web Browser Login Another interactive authentication method is, appending either the `-DeviceLogin` or `-Interactive` switch. Both these switches allow you to log in with MFA-enabled accounts. The `-DeviceLogin` switch generates a code you must enter into a web page to complete the [OAuth device code flow](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/v2-oauth2-device-code). This authentication method is applicable when you’re using a client that does not have a web browser allowing you to continue the authentication on another machine device. The `-Interactive` switch automatically launches a web browser where you must log in with your credentials. 1\. Run either of the below commands in PowerShell to begin interactive web browser authentication. Make sure to replace the URL with your tenant’s SharePoint URL. ```powershell # Generate a code to complete the OAuth device code flow. Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://.sharepoint.com -DeviceLogin # Launches a web browser to log in with your credentials Connect-PnPOnline -Url https://.sharepoint.com -Interactive ``` 2\. If you executed the command with the -DeviceLogin switch, you’d see a result similar to the screenshot below. Make sure to note the generated code. Launch your browser and open the [https://microsoft.com/devicelogin](https://microsoft.com/deviceloginand) URL. Paste the generated code into the browser, and click Next. After submitting the code, your browser redirects to the Microsoft login page (step three). ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-560.png) Entering the code for device login If you executed the -Interactive switch instead, PnP PowerShell automatically opens a new web browser and sends you straight to the Microsoft login page. ![Viewing the Microsoft 365 Login Page](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-561.png) Viewing the Microsoft 365 Login Page 3\. Now, log in to your Microsoft 365 account as you usually would. Complete the MFA challenge if your account requires it. Related:[Leverage Office 365 MFA to Regain Control Now \[Tutorial\]](https://adamtheautomator.com/office-365-mfa/) ![Logging in with Microsoft 365 Credentials](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-562.png) Logging in with Microsoft 365 Credentials 4\. While on the Permissions requested page, click Accept (bottom-right) to continue. You’ll see the below permissions list the first time you connect with PnP PowerShell. > _The Consent on behalf of your organization box only appears if your account is a global administrator. Do not tick this box so that other users may still get the same prompt and accept the permissions requests themselves._ ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-563.png) Accepting PnP PowerShell Default Permissions Once you’ve completed the authentication flow, you’ll see the below message in your browser confirming the authentication was successful. ![Verifying Interactive Authentication is Complete](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-564.png) Verifying Interactive Authentication is Complete ## Connecting to SharePoint PnP PowerShell (Non-Interactive) The interactive mode is good enough to connect to SharePoint PnP PowerShell. But the non-interactive method is appropriate in automation scenarios where manually providing the credentials is impossible, such as in scripts and applications. This method leverages a registered Azure AD app with explicit permissions (default or custom) for [OAuth authentication](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/fundamentals/auth-oauth2). ### Registering Your PnP PowerShell App Using a Microsoft 365 account without MFA is dangerous, especially if the account has admin privileges. On the other hand, you cannot use an MFA-enabled account for automation. The solution is to register an Azure AD app with explicit permissions. The app must also include certificate-based authentication to make the application more secure. To register the Azure AD app for PnP PowerShell if you’re on Windows: Run the below code in PowerShell to create a new app registration in Azure AD. > _Note that his app registration method works only on Windows systems. The Register-PnPAzureADApp cmdlet generates a [CNG certificate](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/configmgr/core/plan-design/network/cng-certificates-overview), which isn’t supported on non-Windows computers. In which case, jump to step two._ > _Adding a certificate password is optional but recommended to protect the certificate. If you prefer not to have a certificate password, remove the CertificatePassword parameter._ ```powershell <# What will this code do? - Launch a browser window, and open the `Interactive` log-in page. - Generate a certificate with the password `mycertpassword` and valid for one (1) year. - Save the certificate files (*.cer, *.pfx) to `C:\\PnP\\certificates`. - Register a new app with the name `Pwsh PnP`. - Upload the certificate (*.cer) to the Azure app registration and assign the following default permissions: `Sites.FullControl.All`, `Group.ReadWrite.All`, `User.Read.All`. - Store the app registration results to the `$pnpApp` variable. #> $appSplat = @{ ApplicationName = 'Pwsh PnP' Tenant = 'lzex.onmicrosoft.com' OutPath = 'C:\\PnP\\certificates' CertificatePassword = $(ConvertTo-SecureString -String 'mycertpassword' -AsPlainText -Force) Interactive = $true ValidYears = 1 } $pnpApp = Register-PnPAzureADApp @appSplat ``` Related:[PowerShell Splatting: What is it and How Does it Work?](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-splatting/) But if you’re on **Linux** or **macOS**, follow these steps to create a new app registration in Azure AD: 1\. First, run the below [openssl](https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/practical-uses-of-openssl-command-in-linux/) command in PowerShell or Bash to generate a self-signed certificate. This command creates a new certificate with the subject Pwsh PnP and is valid for 365 days. The final certificate filename will be pnp\_certificate.pfx. > _Disclaimer: This intricacy of the openssl command is beyond the scope of this tutorial. The example below does not claim to represent the best practice in creating self-signed certificates and is only provided for demonstration purposes._ ```bash # Create a new directory to store your certificate mkdir ~/certs && cd ~/certs # Generate the certificate (valid for 365 days) openssl req -newkey rsa:2048 -nodes -keyout key.pem -x509 -days 365 -out pnp_certificate.pem -subj '/CN=Pwsh PnP' # Convert the certificate to a PKCS12 format with .PFX extension openssl pkcs12 -inkey key.pem -in pnp_certificate.pem -export -out pnp_certificate.pfx -passout pass:mycertpassword ``` ![Generating a Self-signed Certificate with OpenSSL](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-565.png) Generating a Self-signed Certificate with OpenSSL 2\. Next, run the below code in PowerShell to register the new app. ```powershell <# What will this code do? - Launch a browser instance for the `Interactive` login. - Register a new Azure AD app named `Pwsh PnP` to the `lzex.onmicrosoft.com` tenant. - Upload the existing `pnp_certificate.pfx` certificate to the Azure AD app registration. - Assign the following default permissions: `Sites.FullControl.All`, `Group.ReadWrite.All`, `User.Read.All`. - Store the app registration results to the `$pnpApp` variable. #> $appSplat = @{ CertificatePath = "pnp_certificate.pfx" CertificatePassword = $(ConvertTo-SecureString -String 'mycertpassword' -AsPlainText -Force) ApplicationName = 'Pwsh PnP' Tenant = 'lzex.onmicrosoft.com' Interactive = $true } $pnpApp = Register-PnPAzureADApp @appSplat ``` 3\. On the pop-up window, log in with your credentials. This login instance is specifically for registering the application. ![Logging in to Azure AD](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-566.png) Logging in to Azure AD The command will wait 60 seconds before starting the consent flow, as shown below. Once started, the Microsoft login window shows up (step four). ![Waiting for the Consent Flow](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-567.png) Waiting for the Consent Flow 4\. Now, log in with your global admin account and click Accept to give the app permissions. This login instance is specifically for granting consent to the app’s permissions. ![Granting the PnP PowerShell App Permissions](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-568.png) Granting the PnP PowerShell App Permissions 5\. Lastly, run the below command to inspect the new app details by displaying the variable on the screen. ```powershell $pnpApp ``` The result shows you the certificate file (Pfx file) locations, the app’s client Id (AzureAppId/ClientId), the Certificate Thumbprint, and the Base 64 encoded value of the certificate (Base64Encoded). ![Viewing the New App Details](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-569.png) Viewing the New App Details ### Connecting to PnP PowerShell Using the Registered App and Certificate You’ve registered the app and now have the details you need to connect to PnP PowerShell. You can now use either the PFX file or the base64-encoded certificate to connect to PnP PowerShell. To connect using the PFX certificate file, run the below command making sure to replace the values with your own. ```powershell Connect-PnPOnline ` -Url ` -Tenant lzex.onmicrosoft.com ` -ClientId $pnpApp.'AzureAppId/ClientId' ` -CertificatePath $pnpApp.'Pfx File' ` -CertificatePassword $(ConvertTo-SecureString -String 'mycertpassword' -AsPlainText -Force) ``` To connect using the Base64 Encoded certificate string, run the below command instead. As you can see, you only need to replace the `-CertificatePath` parameter with the `-CertificateBase64Encoded` parameter. ```powershell Connect-PnPOnline ` -Url ` -Tenant lzex.onmicrosoft.com ` -ClientId $pnpApp.'AzureAppId/ClientId' ` -CertificateBase64Encoded $pnpApp.Base64Encoded ` -CertificatePassword $(ConvertTo-SecureString -String 'mycertpassword' -AsPlainText -Force) ``` ### Storing Credentials Securely Hard-coding or passing credentials in plain text is not the best practice. One way to securely store and retrieve credentials in PowerShell is by using the **[Secret Management Module](https://www.powershellgallery.com/packages/Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretManagement)**. Related:[PowerShell Encrypt Password Command via Secret Management Module](https://adamtheautomator.com/powershell-encrypt-password/) 1\. First, run the following command to install the required modules, namely Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretManagement and Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore. ```powershell Install-Module -Name Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretManagement, Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore ``` 2\. Next, run the below [Register-SecretVault](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.secretmanagement/register-secretvault?view=ps-modules) command to create a new secret vault. Change the vault’s name (MySecretVault) as you wish. ```powershell Register-SecretVault -Name 'MySecretVault' -ModuleName "Microsoft.PowerShell.SecretStore" ``` 3\. After creating a secret vault, run the [Set-SecretStoreConfiguration](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.secretstore/set-secretstoreconfiguration) command below to ensure the secret vault does not require a password for access. Doing so allows you to retrieve the credentials using unattended scripts for automation. Don’t worry; only the user who created the vault (you) can access it. ```powershell Set-SecretStoreConfiguration -Authentication None -Confirm:$false ``` 4\. Now, run each command below to add your PnP PowerShell application credentials to the vault. In this example, the only secret is the certificate password ($pnpCertificatePassword). All other values are non-secured metadata information. ```powershell # Convert the password to a secured string $pnpCertificatePassword = $(ConvertTo-SecureString -String 'mycertpassword' -AsPlainText -Force) # Add non-secret values as metadata $pnpSecretMetaData = @{ ClientId = $pnpApp.'AzureAppId/ClientId' CertificateBase64Encoded = $pnpApp.Base64Encoded CertificatePath = $pnpApp.'Pfx file' } # Add the new secret to the vault Set-Secret ` -Name 'Pwsh PnP' ` -SecureStringSecret $pnpCertificatePassword ` -Metadata $pnpSecretMetaData ``` 5\. Next, execute the below commands ([Get-Secret](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.secretmanagement/get-secret) and [Get-SecretInfo](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/module/microsoft.powershell.secretmanagement/get-secretinfo)) to confirm that you can access the new secret and metadata from the vault. ```powershell Get-Secret -Name 'Pwsh PnP' Get-SecretInfo -Name 'Pwsh PnP' | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Metadata ``` You’ll get a similar output to the screenshot below. As you can see, the secret returns as System.Security.SecureString object, while the metadata returns as a hashtable. ![Retrieving Secret from the Vault](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-570.png) Retrieving Secret from the Vault 6\. Finally, run the following commands to connect to PnP PowerShell. ```powershell $certificatePassword = Get-Secret -Name 'Pwsh PnP' $metaData = Get-SecretInfo -Name 'Pwsh PnP' | Select-Object -ExpandProperty Metadata Connect-PnPOnline ` -Url https://lzex.sharepoint.com ` -Tenant lzex.onmicrosoft.com ` -ClientId $metaData['ClientId'] ` -CertificateBase64Encoded $metaData['CertificateBase64Encoded'] ` -CertificatePassword $certificatePassword Get-PnpTenantInstance ``` ![Connecting to PnP PowerShell Using the Credentials from the Secret Vault](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-571.png) Connecting to PnP PowerShell Using the Credentials from the Secret Vault ## Creating a New SharePoint Online Site Now that you’ve settled on the authentication method and credential management, it’s time to explore how to use SharePoint PnP PowerShell in a real-world use case. In the succeeding example, you’ll be creating a new SharePoint site and document library where you’ll be uploading files. You’ll also set up the library notifications and perform housekeeping of old items. Run the following command in PowerShell to create a new site. ```powershell # Create the new SPO site ## -Type = The type of site collection to create. Valid values are: ## CommunicationSite, TeamSite, TeamSiteWithoutMicrosoft365Group ## -Title = The new site collection title. ## -Url = The new site collection URL. ## -Owner = The new site collection owner. Make sure that this user account exists. New-PnPSite ` -Type TeamSiteWithoutMicrosoft365Group ` -Title 'LogsRepo' ` -URL '' ` -Owner 'spoadmin@lzex.ga' ``` ![Creating a New Site Collection](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-572.png) Creating a New Site Collection > _If a deleted site exists with the same URL, the new site creation fails. To fix the error, specify a different URL or permanently delete the deleted site first._ Now, run the below commands to connect to the new site. ```powershell # Connect to the new site Connect-PnPOnline ` -Url '' ` -Tenant 'lzex.onmicrosoft.com' ` -ClientId $metaData['ClientId'] ` -CertificateBase64Encoded $metaData['CertificateBase64Encoded'] ` -CertificatePassword $certificatePassword # Get the current site details Get-PnPSite ``` ![Connecting to the New Site](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-573.png) Connecting to the New Site ### Adding Site Permissions New SharePoint sites have three default SharePoint groups with different permissions, namely _ Owners_, _ Members_, and _ Visitors_. Instead of adding users directly to the site itself, you’d typically add members to these groups depending on the level of access you wish to assign. 1\. Run the below [Get-PnPSiteGroup](https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Get-PnPSiteGroup.html) command to get the names of the site groups and what roles they hold (Title,Roles) in a table (Format-Table). ```powershell Get-PnPSiteGroup | Format-Table Title,Roles ``` ![Listing the SharePoint Site Groups](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-574.png) Listing the SharePoint Site Groups 2\. Next, run the [Add-PnPGroupMember](https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Add-PnPGroupMember.html), in the below format to add the members (if any) to the groups. The below example adds one user to each site group. ```powershell # Add the site group members Add-PnPGroupMember -Group "LogsRepo Owners" -LoginName "june@lzex.ga" Add-PnPGroupMember -Group "LogsRepo Visitors" -LoginName "sporeader@lzex.ga" Add-PnPGroupMember -Group "LogsRepo Members" -LoginName "spoeditor@lzex.ga" ``` 3\. Finally, run the following command to confirm the group members you added to the site in step two. ```powershell Get-PnPSiteGroup | Format-List Title,Users,Roles ``` ![Getting the Site Group Members](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-575.png) Getting the Site Group Members ## Creating a New Document Library Now that you have an empty site, it’s time to create a new document library where you’ll be uploading files later. Run the below command to create a new document library. Replace the library name (`Logs`) as you like. ```powershell # -Template DocumentLibrary = Create a new document library. Refer to the [New-PnPList#template]() for the list of available templates. # -Title = The new library name. # -OnQuickLaunch = Add the library link to the quick launch. New-PnPList -Template DocumentLibrary -Title Logs -OnQuickLaunch ``` Optionally, run the below command to specify which user(s) should receive notification regarding the document library events. > _Note that the SharePoint person type (user) ID always starts with i:0#.f|membership| before the username._ ```powershell # -List = The name of the document library. # -User = The notification user. # -ChangeType = Which changes to monitor. Valid values are AddObject, ModifyObject, DeleteObject, Discussion, All. # -DeliveryMethod = The notification delivery method. Valid values are Email and SMS. # -Frequency = Specifies the interval for the notification. Value values are Immediate, Daily, Weekly. ## Note: Instead of -Frequency, you can use -Time to set specific/custom schedules for the notifications. Add-PnPAlert ` -List Logs ` -User "i:0#.f|membership|june@lzex.ga" ` -ChangeType All ` -DeliveryMethod Email ` -Frequency Immediate ``` ![Adding Alerts Regarding Document Library Events](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-576.png) Adding Alerts Regarding Document Library Events ## Uploading Files to the Document Library You’ve just created your document library (Logs), and it is empty right now. If you don’t have any files yet for uploading, don’t worry, you’ll create the sample files for testing. 1\. First, run the below command to create a directory that will hold your sample dummy files. This command creates a temp sub-folder on the current directory (./temp). ```powershell New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path ./temp -Force ``` 2\. Next, run the below code to create your sample data files and upload them to your document library (Logs). ```powershell # Create dummy files and upload to the SharePoint library. # Each file will be dated with 1 day increment to simulate files with different age. # Modify $sampleSize value to increase or decrease the number of files to create. $sampleSize = 30 for ($i = 0; $i -lt $sampleSize; $i++) { $dummyFile = "./temp/Log$('{0:d2}' -f ($sampleSize - $i)).log" $fileDate = $(Get-Date).AddDays(-$i) Get-Random | Out-File $dummyFile -Force ## -Path = The file to upload. ## -Folder = The Document Library name. ## -Values = Hashtable of additional values. This example sets the Created and Modified date properties of the uploaded file. Add-PnPFile -Path $dummyFile -Folder Logs -Values @{Created = $fileDate; Modified = $fileDate } } # Delete the uploaded files from the local directory. Remove-Item ./temp/* ``` ![Uploading Files to the SharePoint Document Library](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-577.png) Uploading Files to the SharePoint Document Library 3\. Lastly, open your web browser, access the SharePoint site URL, and navigate the Logs document library. You’ll see the uploaded files, like in the screenshot below, confirming your successful upload. ![Viewing the Document Library](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-578.png) Viewing the Document Library Alternatively, run the below [Find-PnPFile](https://pnp.github.io/powershell/cmdlets/Get-PnPFile.html) command to list the files matching the \*.log extension on the document library. ```powershell Find-PnPFile -Match *.log -List Log ``` ![Listing the Log Files](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-579.png) Listing the Log Files ## Deleting Old Files for Housekeeping Keeping your document library organized and conserving storage, you must consider deleting files past their usable age — however long that may be. For example, the log files you uploaded to the document library may only be relevant for five days. And every file that meets that age and older must be removed. 1\. First, set the age of the files in days to keep. The below example sets the file age threshold to five days in the $fileAgeToKeepDays variable. ```powershell $fileAgeToKeepDays = 5 ``` 2\. Next, run the below command to get all the files matching the \*.log extension and filter the result to return only those older than five days. ```powershell $pnpFiles = (Find-PnPFile -Match *.log -List Logs).GetEnumerator() | ` Where-Object { $_.TimeCreated -lt $((Get-Date).AddDays(-$fileAgeToKeepDays)) } ``` 3\. After getting the files, run the following command to inspect the results and ensure that only files older than five days are in the $pnpFiles variable. ```powershell $pnpFiles | Sort-Object TimeCreated -Descending | Format-Table Name,ServerRelativeUrl,TimeCreated ``` As you can see below, assuming that today is May 18th, the latest file in the collection is May 13th. ![Getting the Files Older than the Set Age to Delete](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-580.png) Getting the Files Older than the Set Age to Delete 4\. Now, run the below command after getting all files subject to deletion. This command doesn’t provide output but deletes each file collected in the $pnpFiles variable. ```powershell $pnpFiles | ForEach-Object { Remove-PnPFile -ServerRelativeUrl $_.ServerRelativeUrl -Force } ``` 5\. Finally, run the following command to confirm that only newer files exist in the document library. ```powershell Find-PnPFile -Match *.log -List Logs | ` Sort-Object TimeCreated -Descending | ` Format-Table Name, TimeCreated ``` ![Listing the Remaining Files in PnP PowerShell](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-581.png) Listing the Remaining Files in PnP PowerShell Alternatively, navigate to your document library (Logs) and see verify the remaining files. ![Viewing the Document Library on the Web Browser](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/image-582.png) Viewing the Document Library on the Web Browser ## Conclusion You’ve reached the end of this tutorial, but your journey to PnP PowerShell does not end here. You learned different authentication methods, and you registered and authorized an Azure AD app with specific permissions for PnP PowerShell. At the same time, you also ran various cmdlets to interact with SharePoint Online. In this tutorial, the techniques you learned cover PnP PowerShell basics and demonstrated the module using a real-world application. The examples you saw could be a starting point to creating scripts integrating with the PnP PowerShell cmdlets. Good luck! Share this article [Share on X](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fsharepoint-pnp%2F&text=How%20to%20Use%20SharePoint%20PNP%20PowerShell%20Module%20in%20Office%20365)[Share on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fsharepoint-pnp%2F)[Share on LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fadamtheautomator.com%2Fsharepoint-pnp%2F) ## Related Posts ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/sharepoint-permissions.jpg) ### [The Definitive Guide to SharePoint Permissions](/sharepoint-permissions/) Learn how to properly secure the many different sections of SharePoint in this definitive guide to SharePoint permissions! ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/Getting-Started-with-PowerShell-SharePoint-Management.jpg) ### [Getting Started with PowerShell SharePoint Management](/powershell-sharepoint/) Learn how to use PowerShell SharePoint tools to manage, provision, and update effectively in this ATA Learning tutorial! ![](https://adamtheautomator.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/How-to-Map-a-SharePoint-Drive.jpg) ### [Effortlessly Map SharePoint Drives: Expert Techniques](/map-sharepoint-drive/) Learn how to map SharePoint drives as real Windows drives using the GUI, PowerShell, and command prompt in this expert guide. ## Categories * [IT Ops](/category/it-ops/) * [Cloud](/category/cloud/) * [DevOps](/category/devops/) * [Home Ops](/category/home-ops/) * [Information Security](/category/infosec/) * [Software Development](/category/software-development/) ## Site * [Home](/) * [Tutorials](/tutorials/) * [Instructors](/author/) * [Advertising](/advertising/) * [Recommended Resources](/resources/) * [About Adam](/about-adam/) Copyright 2026© ATA Learning | [Privacy Policy](/privacy/)