I am using UiPath Apps with Data Fabric to display data and PDF files within the UiPath app, and currently, all the data is being stored in Data Fabric.
However, I would like to keep the PDF files in a secure external location, such as SharePoint or a database, and have them synced or accessed from the app when the user opens the file.
The main requirement is that I do not want to store the PDF files directly within UiPath products. I would like to understand if there is a recommended approach for securely storing the files externally while still making them accessible through UiPath Apps.
If you don’t want to store the files in Data Fabric and prefer to keep them in an external location such as SharePoint, I would recommend storing the files in SharePoint. In Data Fabric, you can store the file ID and URL, and then use/sync this URL with your UiPath Apps so users can access the files when needed.
If the requirement is to keep the PDFs outside UiPath products, I would recommend using SharePoint/OneDrive or an external database/object-storage solution as the system of record, and store only the document reference/metadata in Data Fabric.
For example:
Data Fabric: PDF ID, file name, SharePoint item ID/path, metadata
External storage: Actual PDF file
UiPath Apps: Retrieve the file/reference when the user requests it and display/download it.
For SharePoint, you could use UiPath Integration Service/SharePoint activities or an API-based approach to retrieve the document. Make sure access is controlled using the user’s identity/appropriate permissions rather than exposing a public file URL.
This approach avoids storing the PDF itself in Data Fabric while still allowing the App to work with the document.
The exact implementation would depend on whether the PDFs need to be displayed directly inside the App or only downloaded/opened, and what authentication/access-control requirements you have.
Keep the PDFs in SharePoint or Azure Blob/S3 as the system of record, and store only a reference in Data Fabric. Here’s a setup that works in practice.
Data Fabric entity (metadata only)
DocumentId, FileName, DriveId, ItemId, UploadedBy, UploadedOn
Store the SharePoint Drive ID + Item ID, not the URL. URLs break when a file is renamed or moved item IDs don’t.
Retrieval flow
User clicks View PDF in the app.
The app triggers a process (API Workflow or automation) and passes the ItemId.
The process uses the Integration Service Microsoft SharePoint connector to fetch the file or its link and returns it to the app.
The app opens the link, or renders the file if it is small.
Security
Don’t use Anyone with the link sharing.
Returning a SharePoint link lets SharePoint enforce the user’s own permissions.
If the process runs under a service account, filter records in the app by role or owner. Otherwise any user could fetch any file.
Uploads (if needed)
The app sends the file to a process, which uploads it to SharePoint and writes the returned item ID and metadata to Data Fabric.
Hi @Mahendra_T ,
Yes, you can keep the PDFs outside UiPath Data Fabric. I would store only the file ID/path/URL and metadata in Data Fabric, while keeping the actual PDF in SharePoint or another secured external repository. When the user requests the document, call an automation/integration to retrieve it using the user’s authorized access and return/open the file in the App.
Another supported option is an Orchestrator Storage Bucket, including Azure-backed storage, which UiPath Apps can reference for file upload/download.