delete empty folders in sharepoint document library

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Posted on by auyiucho

how to delete all empty folders in a sharepoint document library?

Thanks

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ChristianAbata 8,951 Most Valuable Professional on at

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hi @auyiucho the only way I can see you can do this is using HTTP sharepoint request

https://blogs.msmvps.com/windsor/2018/06/15/calling-the-sharepoint-rest-api-in-a-microsoft-flow/

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faustocapellanj 1,662 on at

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Hello @auyiucho

As @ChristianAbata mentioned, you need to use the SharePoint HTTP request. This is how you would do it:

For my example, I used a manual trigger.

For the next action, add a Send an HTTP request to SharePoint, which in my example I renamed to GetFolders. Set your Site Address and for Method, use Get. In the Uri, enter the following:
_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/YourSiteName/YourDocumentLibraryName')/Folders. This will return all the folders inside the respective document library. For the Headers, set the Key to accept and its Value to application/json;odata=nometadata. Adding this to your Headers will reduce the amount of unnecessary data the HTTP request will send back.

For the next action, add a Filter array. This will be used to retrieve the folders that have 0 ItemCount and to exclude an internal folder called Forms. In the * From field, enter the expression body('GetFolders')['Value']. which is the array returned in the from the HTTP request. Click on Edit in advanced mode and use the expression @and(equals(item()?['ItemCount'], 0), not(equals(item()['Name'], 'Forms'))).

For the next action, add an Apply to each, which in my example I renamed to ForEach Folder. For the * Select an output from previous steps, select the Body from the Filter array action. Inside this action, add another Send an HTTP request to SharePoint, which in my example I also renamed to Delete Folders.

Set your Site Address and for Method, use Delete. In the Uri, enter the following:
_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/YourSiteName/YourDocumentLibraryName/ExpressionGoesHere'). For the ExpressionGoesHere part in the Uri, use the expression items('ForEach_Folder')['Name'].

Please try this approach and let us know.

Regards,

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auyiucho 41 on at

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Thanks faustocapellanj.

My document library as below
So, I enter the site/library as below
But it returns error: 400
"message": "{\"odata.error\":{\"code\":\"-2147024809, System.ArgumentException\",\"message\":{\"lang\":\"en-US\",\"value\":\"Server relative urls must start with SPWeb.ServerRelativeUrl\"}}}\r\nclientRequestId: eb1a8ad5-0f36-4a9a-8a56-f0e9f635e75d\r\nserviceRequestId: af375a9f-f0dd-0000-537e-631771881cae",
"source": "https://inconhk.sharepoint.com/teams/admin/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/Administration/InconSystemTemp')/Folders",

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fcapel1023 4 on at

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Hi @auyiucho
The parameter in the GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl action needs to match the URL of the site you are sending the HTTP request to. From what I see in your screenshot, your site is structured as /teams/admin, not as the example I posted before. Craft your folder Uri as follows: /teams/admin/InconSystemTemp and try again.

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faustocapellanj 1,662 on at

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To clarify something, the reply posted by @fcapel1023 was done by me, @faustocapellanj , but didn't realize I had done it from an old account I never use, which was logged in in my phone. Anyways, apologies if this causes any confusion.

See my actual reply below:
The parameter in the GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl action needs to match the URL of the site you are sending the HTTP request to. From what I see in your screenshot, your site is structured as /teams/admin, not as the example I posted before. Craft your folder Uri as follows: /teams/admin/InconSystemTemp and try again.

Regards,

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auyiucho 41 on at

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I double check the site name. it is "admin"
So, I type the Uri as below:
_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/admin/InconSystemTemp')/Folders

But the same error 400.

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auyiucho 41 on at

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It has error details:
{"odata.error":{"code":"-2147024809, System.ArgumentException","message":{"lang":"en-US","value":"Server relative urls must start with SPWeb.ServerRelativeUrl"}}}
clientRequestId: 1d57bf9d-84ad-4ccb-8e9d-fe458217f1be
serviceRequestId: 703f5a9f-e0bd-0000-530b-eeaf785e43b9

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faustocapellanj 1,662 on at

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Hi @auyiucho

If you look at the Site Address you are using in your Send an HTTP request to SharePoint action, the site is as follows: https://inconhk.sharepoint.com/teams/admin, but in the Uri, you are using _api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/Administration/InconSystemTemp')/Folders. The text highlighted in Red doesn't match the Url in the Site Address parameter.

Your Uri parameter must be _api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/teams/admin/InconSystemTemp')/Folders to match the Site Address. To be safe, open a browser window and enter this URL:
https://inconhk.sharepoint.com/teams/admin/_api/web/GetFolderByServerRelativeUrl('/teams/admin/InconSystemTemp')/Folders and see what you get.

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auyiucho 41 on at

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this time it shows error 404

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faustocapellanj 1,662 on at

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Hi @auyiucho

The screenshot below shows what your Send an HTTP request to SharePoint should look like, especially the * Uri parameter. Please try that and let me know.

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