Install the PnP PowerShell Module for SharePoint Online (2024)

The PnP PowerShell module has become an indispensable tool for many SharePoint administrators and developers. This open-source module, created by Microsoft’s Patterns and Practices (PnP) initiative, provides a robust set of commands for managing SharePoint Online and SharePoint Server through PowerShell.

In this post, I will provide an overview of the PnP PowerShell module, discuss how to install and update it, demonstrate some key commands and capabilities, and share some of the common tasks to manage your SharePoint environment. Whether you are new to the PnP PowerShell module or looking to get more out of it, this post will help take your skills to the next level. By the end, you’ll have the module installed and connected to SharePoint Online using an authenticated session for executing commands.

What is PnP PowerShell?

The new PnP PowerShell module PnP.PowerShell is a cross-platform, .net framework-based PowerShell product that can run on any operating system that supports .net core, like Windows, Linux, macOS, etc., and provides 500+ cmdlets to work with Microsoft 365 environment (No support for On-Premises server products, As a side note!) cloud products like SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Planner, Security & Compliance, Azure Active Directory, and more.

Some of the key features of PnP PowerShell include:

• Ability to connect to SharePoint Online and on-premises environments.
• A wide range of cmdlets for managing sites, lists, libraries, content types, fields, and more.
• Support for provisioning and deploying SharePoint artifacts.
• Integration with the SharePoint REST API and CSOM (Client-Side Object Model).
• Extensibility through custom cmdlets and scripts.
• Working with SharePoint files and folders.
• Managing Microsoft 365 users and groups.

If you are administering Microsoft SharePoint, you know that PnP PowerShell is an essential tool for managing your environment. It’s an open-source component and community-provided library with active community members providing support, so there won’t be any SLA or direct support from Microsoft. This article will show you how to install the PnP PowerShell module for SharePoint Online.

How to Install the PnP PowerShell Module: Step-by-Step

Managing SharePoint Online environments often requires executing repetitive administrative tasks – like creating sites, setting permissions, and configuring libraries. Carrying out these tasks manually through the SharePoint admin center can be time-consuming. That’s where the Patterns and Practices (PnP) PowerShell module comes into play.

To install the new PnP PowerShell module, You have to follow these steps:

1. Uninstall the Legacy SharePointPnPPowerShellOnline Module, if already installed.
2. Install the New PnP PowerShell Module.
3. Register Azure AD Application and Grant Access to the tenant.

Let’s get started! Open the Windows PowerShell console as an Administrator and execute these steps to install PnP.PowerShell module.

Check if the classic PnP PowerShell module is installed with the below command:

Get-Module SharePointPnPPowerShellOnline -ListAvailable | Select-Object Name,Version | Sort-Object Version -Descending

This returns the Name and version of legacy PnP PowerShell installed on the machine (If any). Uninstall Any previous PnP PowerShell Modules for SharePoint Online installed:

Uninstall-Module SharePointPnPPowerShellOnline -Force -AllVersions

Step 2: Install the New PnP PowerShell Module

How do I install a new PowerShell module? To install the new PnP PowerShell module, use:

Install-Module PnP.PowerShell

This will download and install the PnP PowerShell module from the PowerShell Gallery. How to install PnP PowerShell offline? If needed, You can also use setup files from GitHub, Download the PnP PowerShell Offline Installation package, and install it with the following:

Install-Package C:\Path\File.nupkg

Step 3: Register a new Azure AD Application and Grant Access to the tenant

Register-PnPManagementShellAccess

The final step is granting the tenant access to the PnP Management Shell Multi-Tenant Azure AD Application. On executing the above cmdlet, you’ll be prompted to log in and provide consent for your tenant. You must log in with Global Admin (or Tenant Administrator) permissions and complete this step.

In case you are not a global admin, use: Register-PnPManagementShellAccess -ShowConsentUrl and share the URL you get from this cmdlet with the Tenant Admin, and they can complete this consent step from the URL you share.

Finally, You can verify the installation by getting a list of PnP PowerShell commands:

Get-Command -Module PnP.Powershell

How do I use PnP PowerShell in SharePoint Online? Once you are done with the above steps, You can connect to SharePoint Online through PnP PowerShell scripts with username and password with the following commands:

#Connect to PnP OnlineConnect-PnPOnline -Url "https://Crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing/" -Credential (Get-Credential)#Get All ListsGet-PnPList

Connect-PnPOnline using MFA

To connect to SharePoint Online using PnP PowerShell MFA (Multifactor authentication): Use the “-Interactive” switch instead of “Credentials” if your account is MFA enabled. Behind the scenes, each cmdlet executes a client-side object model code to achieve functions.

#Connect to SharePoint siteConnect-PnPOnline -Url "https://Crescent.sharepoint.com/sites/Marketing" -Interactive#Retrieve a List$list = Get-PnPList -Identity "Documents"

This retrieves the list with the title “Documents” and assigns it to the $list variable.

PnP PowerShell to Connect to OneDrive for Business

Microsoft OneDrive for Business – The cloud-based storage and file-sharing part of the Office 365 suite can be managed with PowerShell, too. To access the OneDrive for Business site from PowerShell, you will need to first connect to the OneDrive site by running the following cmdlet: Connect-PnPOnline. Once you are authenticated, you can then run any available cmdlets against your OneDrive for Business site just as you would any other SharePoint Online site. E.g., let’s connect to the OneDrive site and create a new folder:

#Parameters$OneDriveSiteURL = "https://crescent-my.sharepoint.com/personal/salaudeen_crescent_com"$FolderName = "Archives" Try { #PowerShell to Connect to OneDrive for Business Connect-PnPOnline -Url $OneDriveSiteURL -Interactive #ensure folder in SharePoint Online using powershell Resolve-PnPFolder -SiteRelativePath "Documents/$FolderName"}catch { write-host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)" -foregroundcolor Red}

Managing PnP PowerShell Module

Let’s see how to update it, find the installed module version, and uninstall the module:

How do I update PnP PowerShell? To update the PnP PowerShell to the latest version, run the following:

Update-Module -Name "PnP.PowerShell"

This will download and install the latest version of the PnP PowerShell module on your local machine.

What version of PnP PowerShell do I have?

To check the installed version of PnP PowerShell in your system, use:

Get-InstalledModule -Name "PnP.PowerShell"

Uninstall the PnP PowerShell Module

If you would like to remove the PnP PowerShell, you can run the following:

Uninstall-Module -Name "PnP.PowerShell"

Can I have both the New PnP PowerShell and the Classic PnP Modules?

If you want to use the PnP PowerShell module for SharePoint Server (On-Premises), You can install it along with Pnp.PowerShell module as:

Install-Module -Name SharePointPnPPowerShell2019 -AllowClobber

This script installs the SharePointPnPPowerShell2019 module and makes cmdlets available from this module. You can use “Import-Module SharePointPnPPowerShell2019” on the first line to instruct your script to load and use Cmdlets from this specific module. As a side note, the old SharePointPnPPowerShellOnline module is archived and no longer updated.

At times, You may need to use the CSOM PowerShell scripts with the combination of PnP PowerShell cmdlets, as we don’t have PnP PowerShell cmdlets for each and everything in SharePoint Online: How to Connect to SharePoint online using CSOM PowerShell?

Here are some of the most common PnP PowerShell cmdlets for SharePoint Online from the PnP.PowerShell module.

Conclusion

And that wraps up this guide on installing and configuring the incredibly useful PnP PowerShell module for SharePoint Online! As you’ve seen, getting set up with PnP PowerShell is quick and easy with just a few PowerShell commands.

Now that the module is installed, you have access to a vast suite of commands for efficiently administering your SharePoint Online environments. From creating sites, lists, libraries, and columns to applying themes, managing permissions, and more, the possibilities are endless with PnP PowerShell.

Be sure to check out the documentation on the available cmdlets to leverage its capabilities fully. As SharePoint Online continues to evolve, so will the PnP PowerShell module, with new features added regularly.

I hope you found this guide helpful. The PnP PowerShell module can massively boost your productivity as a SharePoint admin or developer. Automating tasks allows you to focus on more strategic initiatives rather than heavy manual configuration.

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