Impersonate Sharepoint File Checkout #919

Activity

1. vgrem

   added

   questionFurther information is requestedFurther information is requested

   on Dec 6, 2024
2. vgrem

   added

   sharepointSharePoint REST v1 API, ClientContextSharePoint REST v1 API, ClientContext

   on May 26, 2026
3. office365-maintainer commented on Oct 3, 2026

   

   office365-maintainerBot

   on Oct 3, 2026

   More actions

   Checkout and check-in are supported through the SharePoint REST v1 client:

   from office365.sharepoint.files.checkin_type import CheckinType
   
   file = ctx.web.get_file_by_server_relative_path("Shared Documents/draft.docx")
   file.checkout().execute_query()
   file.checkin("Updated via API", CheckinType.MajorCheckIn).execute_query()
   # or, to discard the check-out:
   # file.undocheckout().execute_query()

   A runnable end-to-end example is in examples/sharepoint/files/checkout_checkin.py.

   On impersonation: SharePoint REST has no "run as user" switch — a request executes as whoever the access token represents, so a check-out is always attributed to the authenticated identity. To check out as a given site user you must authenticate as that user with a delegated flow, then call file.checkout():

   • Delegated: with_username_and_password(...), with_interactive(...), with_device_flow(...), or with_access_token(...) if you obtain an on-behalf-of token in a middle-tier service.
   • App-only: with_client_certificate(...) runs as the application, so it cannot be used to attribute a check-out to another user. (with_client_secret(...) is also not accepted by SharePoint /_api.)

   If the goal is to clear a file that someone else left checked out, list the library's checked-out files and take over the check-out — this requires sufficient permissions (e.g. site collection admin):

   for item in ctx.web.default_document_library().get_checked_out_files().execute_query():
       item.takeover_checkout().execute_query()

   Closing this as answered — please reopen if you had a different scenario in mind.
4. office365-maintainer

   closed this as completedon Oct 3, 2026