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OneDrive Zapier integrationAutomate OneDrive with Zapier.

The OneDrive Zapier integration gives you 3 triggers, 12 actions and 6 searches. New files and folders can start a Zap, and a Zap can upload, copy, move, export, share or delete files in OneDrive, on the free plan too, since OneDrive is not kept for paid plans.

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Overview

What the OneDrive Zapier integration actually does

The OneDrive Zapier integration connects Microsoft's online file storage to your other apps, without code. A file or a folder appears in OneDrive, Zapier spots it on its next check, and something happens elsewhere. Or the other way round: an event in another app drops a file, a folder or a sharing link into OneDrive for you.

Three results people set up first. Attachments that file themselves: Upload File saves a file from an earlier step, like an email attachment or a signed contract, straight into OneDrive. Client folders that are shared on day one: Create Folder followed by Create Sharing Invitation opens a folder for each new client and invites them to it. PDF copies without opening Word: Export File turns a document into a PDF or HTML version that the next step can send on.

Now the limits. All three triggers are polling triggers, so on the free plan a new file can sit up to 15 minutes before the Zap sees it. Two of them, New File and New Folder, only watch the personal drive; New or Updated File watches one folder you pick. A Zap never picks up the files that were already there before it was switched on. And Replace File takes files of up to 100 MB.

The same app also has a OneDrive Make integration page on this site. For a broader view of the platform itself, see the Zapier review.

Vocabulary

Zapier vocabulary, in plain words

Seven words show up in every section below. Here they are once, so the rest reads smoothly.

Zap
The automation you build on Zapier: one trigger, then one or more actions that run each time that trigger event happens.
Trigger
The event in an app that starts the Zap, like a new file landing in OneDrive. Once the Zap is on, Zapier waits for it.
Action
What the Zap does once started: the step that uploads, copies, shares or deletes something for you in an app.
Task
The unit Zapier bills. One task is one action your Zap completes successfully; the count on your plan is a count of those.
Polling vs instant
A polling trigger is checked by Zapier on a timer. An instant one is reported by the app the moment it happens. OneDrive only has polling ones.
Filter
A step that lets the Zap go on only when what arrived meets your condition, such as a file type, and stops it otherwise.
Search step
A step that looks up something already in an app, like an existing folder, so the steps after it can use what it found.
Cost

What a OneDrive Zap costs in tasks

Zapier bills tasks, and a task is an action that succeeded. The trigger costs nothing, and neither do the checks Zapier makes on your OneDrive, however many there are.

  • Trigger checksFree, never billed
  • Each successful action1 task
  • Free plan100 tasks a month, 2-step Zaps
  • Filter or search stepPaid plan (multi-step Zap)

An action that fails is not counted. Each successful action counts on its own, so a Zap that uploads a file and then shares it uses two tasks per run. The free plan gives 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but only two steps per Zap. A filter, a search or a second action turns it into a multi-step Zap, which needs a paid plan. OneDrive itself is available from the free plan, so a simple two-step OneDrive Zap costs only the tasks it uses.

Connect

Connect your OneDrive account to Zapier

  1. 01

    Open the connections page

    In Zapier, go to the Apps page of your account. A connection is your OneDrive account linked once, then reused by every step that works with OneDrive, so you only do this one time.

  2. 02

    Pick OneDrive

    Click + Add connection, search for OneDrive in the dialog and select it, then click Add connection. You need an existing Microsoft account with OneDrive; Zapier does not create one.

  3. 03

    Sign in and allow access

    Sign in with your Microsoft account in the tab that opens, then grant Zapier access. Files and folders someone else owns can only be used if that account has read or write rights on them.

First Zap

Your first Zap: a backup copy of every finished file

GoalEach file added or edited in a working folder gets copied to an archive folder, but only when it matches your condition.

  1. 01

    Build: pick the trigger

    Create a Zap, choose OneDrive as the app that starts it and New or Updated File as the event. Select your connection and the working folder to watch.

  2. 02

    Test the trigger

    Run the test. Zapier brings back the three most recent files of that folder, so you pick a real one and build the rest on real values.

  3. 03

    Add the filter

    From the plus icon, add a Filter and fill its three boxes: what to look at, the rule, the value to compare with. Pick a text rule for a name. This step makes the Zap multi-step, on a paid plan.

  4. 04

    Add the copy

    Add OneDrive with Copy File or Folder, map the file from the trigger and choose an archive folder outside the watched one, or the copy would set the Zap off again.

  5. 05

    Test, then publish

    Test the action, check the copy in OneDrive, then click Publish to switch the Zap on. Only files added or changed from now on will be copied.

Triggers

OneDrive triggers on Zapier

3 events start a Zap when something happens in OneDrive. Zapier checks for them at the interval your plan allows.

1

New File

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new file is created in the personal drive.”

Starts the Zap whenever a file is created anywhere in your personal drive. It does not ask for a folder, which makes it the widest net of the three.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
logging every file that lands in your drive into a tracking sheet, or sending each one through a sharing step for the team.
Watch out
any action of the same Zap that creates a file in the personal drive, such as Upload File, Copy File or Folder or Create Text File, sets it off again. Send the result elsewhere, or use New or Updated File on a single folder.
2

New Folder

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a new folder is created in the personal drive.”

Fires each time a folder appears in your personal drive. A new folder often marks a new client, project or case, which makes this a clean starting point for setup work.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
inviting the right people to every new project folder, or adding a matching line to a project list.
Watch out
paired with Create Folder in the same Zap, it loops: each folder the Zap creates is a new folder for the next check, and the tasks go fast.
3

New or Updated File

Polling trigger

In Zapier“Triggers when a file is created or modified in the selected folder.”

Watches one folder that you select and starts the Zap when a file in it is created or modified. It is the only OneDrive trigger that reacts to edits, not just to new files.

How it fires
Zapier goes and looks at regular intervals, and how often depends on your plan: every 15 minutes on the free one.
When to use it
keeping a copy, a PDF export or a notification in step with a document the team keeps editing.
Watch out
an action that writes back into the same folder, Replace File for instance, counts as an update and starts the Zap again.
Actions

OneDrive actions on Zapier

OneDrive gives you 12 actions. For each one: what it does for you, when to reach for it, and what to watch out for.

1

Copy File or Folder

Action

In Zapier“Copy a file or folder to a new location.”

Puts a duplicate of a file or a whole folder in a new location. For a folder, you can copy only what is inside it, and for files, keep the version history when the destination supports it.

When to use it
archiving a signed document while the original stays in the working folder.
2

Delete File or Folder

Action

In Zapier“Deletes a file or folder, moving it to the Recycle Bin.”

Removes a file or a folder by moving it to the Recycle Bin, so a mistake can still be undone from OneDrive.

When to use it
clearing a temporary file once a later step has sent it on.
Watch out
a shared item has to be named by its ID as itemId|||driveId.
3

Export File

Action

In Zapier“Exports a file to PDF or HTML format.”

Converts a file to PDF or HTML. It works on files only, not on folders.

When to use it
producing a PDF of a quote or a report so the next step can email it to a client.
Watch out
if the chosen format does not suit the type of the file, the action returns an error, and the Zap stops there.
4

Upload File

Action

In Zapier“Upload a file.”

Saves into OneDrive a file handed over by an earlier step. It is the action that turns attachments and form uploads into stored files.

When to use it
keeping every invoice that arrives by email in one OneDrive folder.
Watch out
with New File on the same Zap, each upload starts it again.
5

Create Folder

Action

In Zapier“Create a new folder.”

Makes a new folder with the name you type or map from an earlier step, such as a client name or a project code.

When to use it
opening a client folder when a deal is marked as won in your CRM.
Watch out
do not combine it with the New Folder trigger in a single Zap.
6

Move or Rename File or Folder

Action

In Zapier“Moves a file or folder to a different location. Optionally rename the item.”

Sends a file or folder to another place in OneDrive, and can give it a new name in the same step.

When to use it
moving processed files out of an inbox folder and adding the date or client to their name.
Watch out
the item to move is mapped from an earlier step, so test with a real file first.
7

Remove Item Permission

Action

In Zapier“Remove a specific user or link’s access to a file or folder. Provide either email address or permission ID.”

Withdraws the access of one person or one link to a file or folder. You identify it by an email address or a permission ID.

When to use it
closing a contractor's access to the project folder when their contract ends.
Watch out
run Get Item Permissions first to see who has access.
8

Replace File

Action

In Zapier“Replaces a file with new content.”

Swaps the content of an existing file for a new one, taken from an earlier step or from a public address. The file keeps its place in OneDrive.

When to use it
updating a price list that others already link to.
Watch out
the new file is capped at 100 MB, and a different extension needs a new name to avoid a corrupted file.
9

Create Sharing Invitation

Action

In Zapier“Send a sharing invitation to specific recipients for a file or folder in a personal drive.”

Invites named people to a file or folder of the personal drive, at the permission level you set. You can require them to sign in, and choose whether they get an email about it.

When to use it
giving a new client access to their folder.
Watch out
unticking the email option grants access silently.
11

Create Text File

Action

In Zapier“Create a new text file with custom content.”

Writes a plain text file with the name and content you give it. Add the .txt ending to the name yourself if you want it.

When to use it
dropping a short readme or a log of what the Zap did into a folder.
Watch out
both the name and the content are required.
12

API Request (Beta)

Action

In Zapier“This is an advanced action which makes a raw HTTP request that includes this integration's authentication.”

An advanced action for anything the other eleven do not cover: it sends a raw request to OneDrive, with your connection's sign-in already attached. It is still in beta.

When to use it
when a technical teammate needs an operation missing from the list.
Watch out
it only reaches addresses that belong to OneDrive.
Searches

OneDrive searches on Zapier

6 search steps look for data that already exists in OneDrive, so a later step can use it.

A search step finds a drive, a file, a folder or the list of people with access, so the action that follows knows what to work on. Searches sit at the bottom of the Action event list, under SEARCH. Three settings decide what happens when the answer is not one clean match.

1

Find Drive by ID

Search

In Zapier“Find a specific drive using its unique ID.”

Fetches one specific drive when you already know its ID. It does not browse or guess: the ID is required.

When to use it
confirming which drive a shared item lives on before a later step works on it.
Watch out
a wrong ID finds nothing and, on default settings, stops the Zap.
2

Find File

Search

In Zapier“Search for files by name, content, or metadata.”

Looks for files whose name or details contain the text you give. It is the everyday search when you know roughly what the file is called.

When to use it
finding last month's report by name so it can be shared or replaced.
Watch out
a broad word returns several files, and the first one wins by default.
3

Find File or Folder by ID

Search

In Zapier“Find a specific file or folder in a personal drive using its unique ID.”

Retrieves a file or folder of the personal drive from its unique ID, with no ambiguity about which one.

When to use it
when another app has stored the OneDrive ID of a document and the Zap needs it back.
Watch out
the ID is required, so an earlier step or another app must hold it.
4

Find Items (Via KQL)

Search

In Zapier“Search for items using Keyword Query Language.”

Searches with Keyword Query Language, a small search syntax: a star for partial words, filetype:pdf for a type, quotes for an exact phrase.

When to use it
picking only the PDFs whose name starts with a given word.
Watch out
one typo in the query and nothing matches.
5

Find Folder

Search

In Zapier“Search for folders by name and metadata.”

Locates a folder from text found in its name or details, then hands it to the steps that follow.

When to use it
finding the client folder before Upload File drops a document in it.
Watch out
two clients with close names can both match; tighten the text or choose to stop on several results.
6

Get Item Permissions

Search

In Zapier“List all users and links that have access to a file or folder.”

Lists every user and every link that can reach a file or folder.

When to use it
checking who still has access to a folder before a contractor leaves, then removing them with Remove Item Permission.
Watch out
for an item on a shared drive, enter its ID as itemId|||driveId.

The three settings every search exposes

  1. Successful if no search results are found?
    On its default, a search that finds nothing stops the Zap and skips the steps after it. Switched on, the Zap carries on empty-handed.
  2. Create X if it doesn't exist yet?
    This box turns a search into a find-or-create. OneDrive offers no such variant on Zapier, so none of its six searches shows it.
  3. If multiple search results are found?
    Three ways out: keep the first match (the default), stop the Zap, or pass all the matches on to the next steps.
When it breaks

When a OneDrive Zap breaks

Zapier links one help article to OneDrive, a getting-started guide, and documents no rate limit for the app. What breaks is a mix of the usual Zapier traps and a few OneDrive specifics.

Six cases cover most stuck Zaps. If none fits, the Zapier troubleshooting page goes through the checks in order.

  • Files from before the Zap never arrive

    A Zap only reacts to what happens after you switch it on. Files already in OneDrive are not picked up; moving that backlog is a separate job.

  • The Zap keeps restarting itself

    A Zap that writes into the place its trigger watches starts again on its own output. New File plus Upload File is the classic pair, and it burns tasks fast.

  • A bulk upload goes quiet

    After a large import or a migration into OneDrive, a trigger can return a huge batch at once, and Zapier's flood protection may hold it back.

  • An edited file is not sent twice

    Zapier remembers what a polling trigger has already seen, so the same file does not start the Zap twice. Only New or Updated File reacts to edits.

  • Replace File refuses the file

    The replacement file is capped at 100 MB. With a different extension from the original, it also needs a new name, or the result is a corrupted file.

  • Export File returns an error

    Export only takes files, never folders, and only to PDF or HTML. A format that does not suit the file type makes the step fail and stops the Zap.
Need help

Need help automating OneDrive with Zapier?

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FAQ

OneDrive Zapier integration: frequent questions

01Is the OneDrive Zapier integration free?
Yes. OneDrive works on the free Zapier plan, because it is not one of the apps Zapier keeps for paid plans. The free plan gives 100 tasks a month and unlimited Zaps, but each Zap is limited to one trigger and one action. Add a filter, a search step or a second action and the Zap becomes multi-step, which needs a paid plan. You still need your own Microsoft account with OneDrive to connect.
02How many tasks does a OneDrive Zap use?
One task for each action that succeeds, and that is all. The trigger is free, and so are the checks Zapier makes on your OneDrive to find new files, however often they happen. A Zap that uploads a file and then creates a sharing link costs two tasks per run. An action that fails, such as an export to a format the file does not support, is not counted against your plan.
03Does OneDrive trigger Zaps in real time?
No. All three OneDrive triggers are polling triggers: Zapier checks your drive on a timer instead of being told by OneDrive. That check runs every 15 minutes on the free plan, every 2 on Professional, and every minute on Team and Enterprise. On paid plans the interval can be changed and a check can be run by hand from the editor. The trigger type is set by the app, so no setting makes it instant.
04What does connecting OneDrive to Zapier require?
A Microsoft account with OneDrive, and rights on what the Zap will touch. Open the Apps page in Zapier, click + Add connection, pick OneDrive, sign in in the tab that opens and grant access. Files owned by someone else need read or write rights for that account. Items shared with you do not show in the pickers: several actions then ask for the ID in the form itemId|||driveId, typed by hand instead of picked from a list.
05Why does a OneDrive Zap keep running on its own files?
Because it writes where its trigger looks. New File watches the whole personal drive, so an Upload File, a Copy File or Folder or a Create Text File in the same Zap creates a new file, the next check finds it, and the Zap runs again. The same goes for New Folder with Create Folder, and for Replace File in a folder watched by New or Updated File. Send the output to a place the trigger does not watch.
06What if the OneDrive operation needed is missing?
Then there are two routes. Zapier offers 3 triggers, 12 actions and 6 searches for OneDrive, and nothing beyond them. The twelfth action, API Request (Beta), is the way out for the rest: it sends a raw request to OneDrive with your connection already signed in, but it is meant for someone technical and only reaches OneDrive addresses. Without that skill on hand, the operation is simply not available on Zapier for this app.
07Zapier, Make or n8n for OneDrive?
It depends on a few criteria, not on a winner. On Zapier, OneDrive runs on the free plan with two-step Zaps and 100 tasks a month, its three triggers are polling ones, so the delay depends on the plan, and any filter, search or extra action calls for a paid plan. If those limits fit your volume and the delay is acceptable, Zapier is the short road; if not, compare what the other tools offer for OneDrive first.
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