SharePoint Listener Activity Overview

Context

Use the SharePoint Listener Activity to listen for changes in a SharePoint list, either to kick off a new workflow instance, or to continue an existing workflow.

Use Cases

Trigger a flow when a file was updated, edited, added, and so on, in your SharePoint environment.

Wizard Tips

SharePoint connections: the connections from this activity to the SharePoint lists.
Blocking: select this option to continue executing the thread only when triggered by the SharePoint list event. This option is only relevant when the SharePoint Listener Activity is located in mid-execution. If you disable blocking, the workflow can continue execution (where relevant) even as the specific activity waits for a SharePoint event.
Message: use this feature to send notification to the listed members when there is a SharePoint Listener event. A message is generated when an activity instance is created, even if the record is not yet available. The message feature is useful when someone must take action for the relevant record to be updated.

SharePoint Connection Details

Parameter	Description
Web Service Path	The Web service that explores the SharePoint lists. If this field does not automatically populate, see the Define the Web Service Path section below.
Object Location	The SharePoint list's URL. This parameter is optional. If you want to define the SharePoint Listener on an external site, and you are using SharePoint 2013, see the Configure the Object Location section below.
Event	Select the relevant event and then select the Enabled check box.
Runtime synchronization	Enables synchronization when the SharePoint Listener Activity is mid-execution.
Condition	The condition that causes the workflow to resume when the activity is executed mid-workflow. You can define the condition using the expression editor.
Site GUID Web GUID Source GUID	Click the green arrow icon to retrieve this data from the SharePoint list. The system navigates to the specified URL to retrieve this information.

Define the Web Service Path

You define the Web service path in the Administration web.config file.

To get the Web service path, navigate to the IIS and locate the ws.asmx file located in the SharePointServices virtual directory.

  <activities>
    <sharepoint>
      <sharepoint2007>
        <webservicepath>
          <clear />
          <add path="http://localhost:90/SharePointServices/ws.asmx" />
        </webservicepath>
      </sharepoint2007>
    </sharepoint>
  </activities>
</sequence.engine>
<connectionstrings />

Configure the Object Location

Create a new Web application.
Create a site collection (team site), based on the application.
To view the site URL, navigate to the new site > Documents.
Example: http://ServerName:80/sites/SubSite/_layouts/15/start.aspx#/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx
URL that the SharePoint Listener listens to:
http://ServerName:80/sites/SubSite/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Add the ws.asmx file to the Flowtime web.config file. See the Define the Web Service Path section.
You do not have to edit the URL in the sub-site.