How to Connect to SharePoint Online Using PowerShell and an Azure Registered App

For automation, integration, or administrative tasks, using PowerShell to access SharePoint Online with an Azure AD registered app is a secure and scalable approach. This method avoids user-based authentication and leverages app-only permissions.

In this guide, we’ll walk through the entire process—from registering an Azure AD app to connecting to SharePoint Online using PowerShell.

Prerequisites

• Access to Microsoft Azure Portal
• Admin access to the Microsoft 365 tenant
• PowerShell installed with the PnP PowerShell module

Step 1: Register the App in Azure AD

1. Go to Azure Portal and sign in.
2. Navigate to Azure Active Directory > App registrations.
3. Click New registration.
4. Enter a name like SharePointPnPApp.
5. Under Supported account types, choose Single tenant (unless multi-tenant access is needed).
6. Click Register.

Step 2: Create a Client Secret

1. In the registered app, go to Certificates & secrets.
2. Click New client secret.
3. Add a description and set an expiry duration.
4. Click Add and copy the secret value. You won’t be able to see it again.

Step 3: Grant API Permissions

1. Go to API permissions > Add a permission.
2. Select SharePoint > Application permissions.
3. Add the required permissions (e.g., Sites.Read.All, Sites.FullControl.All).
4. Click Add permissions.
5. Click Grant admin consent for [Your Tenant] and confirm.

Step 4: Assign App Permissions in SharePoint

1. Navigate to your SharePoint site (e.g., https://yourtenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite).
2. Append /_layouts/15/appinv.aspx to the URL.
3. Fill in the App ID (Client ID) and click Lookup.
4. Add the following XML in the Permission Request XML box:

xmlCopyEdit<AppPermissionRequests AllowAppOnlyPolicy="true">
  <AppPermissionRequest Scope="http://sharepoint/content/sitecollection" Right="FullControl"/>
</AppPermissionRequests>

5. Click Create and Trust It when prompted.

Step 5: Install PnP PowerShell Module

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Install-Module PnP.PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser

Step 6: Connect to SharePoint Online Using the App

Use the following script in PowerShell:

$tenant = "yourtenant"
$siteUrl = "https://$tenant.sharepoint.com/sites/yoursite"
$clientId = "your-app-client-id"
$clientSecret = "your-app-client-secret"

Connect-PnPOnline -Url $siteUrl -ClientId $clientId -ClientSecret $clientSecret -Tenant "$tenant.onmicrosoft.com"

Step 7: Test the Connection

Once connected, test by running:

Get-PnPWeb

You should see details of the SharePoint site, confirming the app-only authentication is working.

Conclusion

Using an Azure AD registered app to connect to SharePoint Online via PowerShell is a secure and automated method, ideal for backend scripts and integrations. With app-only authentication, you avoid password management and user interaction, making it a best practice for enterprise-level automation.