Dynamics 365 can store record documents in SharePoint Online instead of Dataverse, and for most organisations that is the right choice. But the standard integration was built to connect the two systems, not to give users a comfortable place to work with files. This guide explains how the integration works, where it falls short in daily use, and the options you have for fixing it.
How Dynamics 365 SharePoint integration works
With server-based SharePoint integration switched on, an administrator chooses which tables (for example Account, Opportunity or Case) get document management. Each record then gets its own folder in a SharePoint document library, and users see that folder in the Documents tab of the record.
Behind the scenes Dynamics 365 keeps track of this through two tables: SharePoint Sites and Document Locations. A document location simply points a record to a SharePoint folder. The files themselves stay in SharePoint, which has two real advantages:
- Lower storage cost: files in SharePoint do not consume Dataverse file capacity, which is considerably more expensive to extend.
- Collaboration: documents can be co-authored in Office, versioned and shared with colleagues who do not use Dynamics 365.
You can also choose an automatic folder structure based on Account or Contact, so that, for example, all opportunity folders for a customer sit under that customer’s folder.
The limits users run into every day
The integration works, but the user experience in the standard document grid creates friction as soon as a team handles more than a handful of files per record.
1. Finding files in subfolders
Once users organise documents into subfolders (contracts, invoices, correspondence), the grid becomes a click-through exercise. There is no single search across every folder of the record, so users open folder after folder or switch to SharePoint to find one file.
2. Uploading several files
The standard upload dialog is built for one document at a time. Teams that receive a batch of files from a customer end up repeating the same steps, or giving up and uploading in SharePoint directly.
3. Renaming, moving and organising
Everyday tidying (renaming a file, moving it to another folder, creating a new folder) usually means leaving Dynamics 365 and opening the SharePoint library. Every switch costs time and context, and many users simply stop organising files.
4. Previewing documents
Checking what is inside a PDF or Word file normally means opening it in a new tab or downloading it. For people who review many documents a day, such as service agents or account managers, this adds up quickly.
5. Security is managed in two places
Dynamics 365 security roles do not flow into SharePoint. A user who can open a record in Dynamics 365 still needs the right permissions in SharePoint to see its files, and a user with SharePoint access can browse folders regardless of their Dynamics 365 role. Keeping both aligned is a recurring task for administrators, and a common source of “I can’t see the documents” tickets.
6. Folder names and long paths
Folders are named after the record when they are created. If the record is renamed later, the folder keeps its old name. Deep, automatically created folder structures with long record names can also run into SharePoint Online’s limit on the total length of a file path.
Your options for a better document experience
Option 1: Configure the standard integration well
- Enable document management only for the tables that really need it.
- Use the Account- or Contact-based folder structure so related records share a parent folder.
- Agree a short, fixed set of subfolders per table and create them automatically.
- Plan SharePoint permissions together with your Dynamics 365 security model from day one.
This costs nothing extra and removes a lot of chaos, but it does not change how the document grid itself behaves.
Option 2: Automate the housekeeping with Power Automate
A cloud flow can create the standard folder structure when a record is created, rename folders when a record name changes, or file attachments from incoming emails into the right folder. This is a good fit for repetitive back-office steps. Read more about our Power Automate consulting.
Option 3: Replace the document grid with a PCF file manager
For teams who live in their documents, the most effective fix is to replace the standard grid with a custom component built on the Power Apps Component Framework (PCF). It keeps SharePoint as the storage, but gives users a modern file manager inside the record.
This is exactly what we built with Modern File Manager, Simetrix Consult’s document control for Dynamics 365. It adds:
- Search across every folder and subfolder of the record
- Drag-and-drop and multiple file uploads with progress
- Document preview without leaving Dynamics 365
- Create folders, rename and move files in place
- A clean Fluent UI design that matches the model-driven app
See the full walkthrough with screenshots in Modern File Manager for Dynamics 365: A Better SharePoint Experience Inside CRM, or browse all our Dynamics 365 PCF controls.
Which option is right for you?
| Situation | Best fit |
|---|---|
| A few documents per record, simple folders | Standard integration, well configured |
| Repetitive filing and folder creation | Standard integration plus Power Automate |
| Many files, subfolders, daily document work | A PCF file manager such as Modern File Manager |
| Very specific processes or approvals | A custom PCF control or plugin built for you |
Get help with Dynamics 365 document management
Simetrix Consult designs and builds Dynamics 365 and Power Platform solutions, including custom PCF controls and SharePoint and system integrations. If your users are struggling with documents in Dynamics 365, book a free consultation or ask us for a Modern File Manager demo.