How to Enable Server-Based SharePoint Integration in Dynamics 365

So you’re trying to connect Dynamics 365 with SharePoint and manage documents without jumping between platforms all day. Makes complete sense.

Server-based SharePoint integration is the modern, supported way to do this — and it’s honestly not as complicated as it sounds. Once it’s set up, your team can create, upload, view, and delete documents stored in SharePoint directly from inside Dynamics 365.

Here’s a quick stat to put it in perspective: organizations using integrated document management systems save up to 20% of their time on administrative tasks, according to IDC research. That’s real hours back in your week.

This guide walks you through every step — the permissions you need first, the setup wizard, and how to enable entities for document management. Let’s get into it.

How to Enable Server-Based SharePoint Integration in Dynamics 365

Before you touch any settings, there are a few things you must have in place. Think of this as the checklist before the checklist.

What You Need Before You Start

Permissions required:

• Microsoft 365 Global Admin membership — required for running the Enable Server-Based Authentication wizard and any Azure PowerShell commands
• System Administrator security role in Dynamics 365 — this gives you access to the wizard itself
• SharePoint Farm Administrators group membership — only needed if you’re integrating with SharePoint On-Premises

Technical prerequisites:

• Both your Dynamics 365 and SharePoint Online must be on the same Microsoft 365 tenant — this is non-negotiable
• If you’re connecting to SharePoint On-Premises, your SharePoint site must be accessible via the internet (HTTPS on port 443) and use a public SSL certificate
• Make sure SharePoint is not set to “Block Access” for unmanaged devices — if it is, Dynamics 365 will get a 401 Unauthorized error on every request

Quick heads-up: Once you enable server-based integration, you cannot revert to the older client-based method. The legacy Microsoft Dynamics CRM List Component was officially phased out by Microsoft in 2020. So make sure you’re ready before you flip the switch.

Step 1 — Go to Advanced Settings in Dynamics 365

Log in to your Dynamics 365 environment as a System Administrator.

Click the Settings icon (the cogwheel in the top-right corner), then select Advanced Settings from the dropdown.

If you don’t see this option, double-check that you’re logged in with admin rights. Non-admin users won’t have access to this area.

Step 2 — Navigate to Document Management

Inside Advanced Settings, go to Settings → System → Document Management.

You’ll see a grid of options. Look for the one labeled “Configure Server-Based SharePoint Integration” and click it.

This is where the setup wizard begins.

Step 3 — Run the Enable Server-Based SharePoint Integration Wizard

A wizard will pop up. It’s straightforward — follow these steps:

3a. Choose your SharePoint deployment type

You’ll be asked: is your SharePoint Online or On-Premises?

• Online = SharePoint is hosted in Microsoft 365 (most common setup)
• On-Premises = SharePoint is hosted on your own servers

Note: If you have Dynamics 365 Online, the On-Premises option may appear grayed out — that’s expected behavior.

3b. Enter your SharePoint site URL

If you chose Online, enter the URL of your SharePoint site — for example: https://yourcompany.sharepoint.com

You can copy this directly from your SharePoint homepage. The wizard will automatically validate it.

3c. Validate and finish

The wizard checks that:

• The URL is a valid SharePoint Online site
• The site exists in the same Microsoft 365 tenant as your Dynamics 365 org

If validation passes, click Enable → then Finish.

That’s your server-based integration live. But you’re not done yet.

Step 4 — Fix SharePoint Unmanaged Device Settings (If Needed)

This is the step most people skip — and then wonder why documents aren’t loading.

If SharePoint is set to block unmanaged devices, Dynamics 365’s server-to-server token gets rejected. Here’s how to fix it:

1. Sign in to https://admin.microsoft.com as a Global or SharePoint admin
2. In the left panel, go to Admin Centers → SharePoint
3. In the SharePoint admin center, select Access Control
4. Under Unmanaged Devices, select Allow full access from desktop apps, mobile apps, and the web

Save and you’re good to go.

Step 5 — Enable Document Management on Entities

Enabling server-based integration doesn’t automatically activate document management for all records. You need to tell Dynamics 365 which entities should be able to store documents in SharePoint.

Go back to Settings → Document Management → Document Management Settings.

A popup will appear with a list of entities. By default, Microsoft includes:

• Account
• Article
• Lead
• Product
• Quote
• Sales Literature

Check the entities you want, then click Next. Dynamics 365 will build the SharePoint document libraries in the background — this may take a moment.

Once complete, click Finish.

You’ll now see a Documents tab appear inside the records for the entities you enabled. Files attached there will live in SharePoint automatically.

Step 6 — Assign SharePoint Permissions to Users

Here’s something that catches a lot of teams off guard: Dynamics 365 access permissions do NOT automatically carry over to SharePoint.

Just because a user can see a record in Dynamics 365 doesn’t mean they can access the documents stored in SharePoint. You need to manage this separately.

To give users document access:

• The user’s Dynamics 365 Active Directory account must be a member of the Site Members group on the relevant SharePoint site collection
• For SharePoint Online, make sure users are invited properly through the SharePoint site with the right permission level

Pro tip: If you need Dynamics 365 security roles to mirror in SharePoint automatically, consider a third-party tool like the CB Dynamics 365 to SharePoint Permissions Replicator. It runs in the background and keeps permissions in sync as your team changes.

What Happens After Setup

Once everything is configured, here’s what your team will experience:

• Documents tab visible inside Dynamics 365 records
• Files are stored in SharePoint but accessible without leaving Dynamics 365
• Documents can be checked in/out, edited, and shared with version control intact
• External stakeholders (like clients reviewing a proposal) can access documents directly in SharePoint with the right permissions — no Dynamics 365 license needed for them

According to Microsoft, companies using integrated document management reduce data silos by centralizing all business documents under one platform — a significant win for compliance and audit trails.

On-Premises Setup: What’s Different

If you’re integrating Dynamics 365 On-Premises with SharePoint On-Premises, the process involves a few more technical steps:

• You’ll need an X.509 digital certificate with at least 2048-bit encryption for server-to-server authentication
• The certificate must be run through the CertificateReconfiguration.ps1 PowerShell script on all servers where the Dynamics 365 Full Server role is installed
• SharePoint must be on a single farm deployment only
• The Active Directory domain for both SharePoint and Dynamics 365 must be the same (or you’ll need custom claims mapping)

Supported SharePoint On-Premises versions: SharePoint 2013 (SP1 + April 2019 CU), SharePoint 2016, and SharePoint 2019.

This is more involved, and if you’re not comfortable with PowerShell and certificate management, it’s worth getting a Microsoft partner to assist.

Conclusion

Enabling server-based SharePoint integration in Dynamics 365 is one of those setup tasks that, once done right, just runs quietly in the background while your team stays more productive.

Here’s the quick recap:

• Make sure you have Global Admin and System Admin roles sorted before starting
• Run the wizard via Settings → Document Management → Configure Server-Based SharePoint Integration
• Set your SharePoint unmanaged device access to allow full access
• Enable document management on your specific entities
• Manage SharePoint permissions for users separately

One important reminder: this change is irreversible once made — so prep your environment, confirm your SharePoint URL, and then go ahead with confidence.

And if you’re running On-Premises, budget extra time for the certificate setup.

That’s all there is to it. If your integration is up and documents are flowing, great work — your team just got a meaningful upgrade in how they manage and access business content.