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Unable to add existing site column to content typ (ct.field_links.add()) #942
Description
Hi,
I'm struggling to add existing site columns to content type.
Code:
`
field_target = ctx_dest.web.fields.get_by_internal_name_or_title(field.title).execute_query()
print(f" - Mapping Field: {field_target.internal_name} Target-ID: {field_target.id}")
field_links = ct_target.field_links.add(field_target).execute_query()
`
The field_target is found and of type 'office365.sharepoint.fields.field.Field'.
The error is:
`Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/home/joe/.local/lib/python3.10/site-packages/office365/runtime/client_request.py", line 37, in execute_query
response = self.execute_request_direct(request)
File "/home/joe/.local/lib/python3.10/site-packages/office365/runtime/client_request.py", line 101, in execute_request_direct
response.raise_for_status()
File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/requests/models.py", line 943, in raise_for_status
raise HTTPError(http_error_msg, response=self)
requests.exceptions.HTTPError: 400 Client Error: Bad Request for url: https://joe.sharepoint.com/sites/Joe_PROD/_api/Web/ContentTypes('0x0100DBB1EA60214E52428BCC389XXXSSSAAA')/FieldLinks
During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/home/joe/reporting/sharepoint_list_mgmt/sp_site_config_reproduce.py", line 189, in
field_link = ct_target.field_links.add(field_target).execute_query()
File "/home/joe/.local/lib/python3.10/site-packages/office365/runtime/client_object.py", line 55, in execute_query
self.context.execute_query()
File "/home/joe/.local/lib/python3.10/site-packages/office365/runtime/client_runtime_context.py", line 173, in execute_query
self.pending_request().execute_query(qry)
File "/home/joe/.local/lib/python3.10/site-packages/office365/runtime/client_request.py", line 41, in execute_query
raise ClientRequestException(*e.args, response=e.response)
office365.runtime.client_request_exception.ClientRequestException: ('-2147024809, System.ArgumentException', "Die Spalte 'Absender' ist nicht vorhanden. Möglicherweise wurde sie von einem anderen Benutzer gelöscht. https://joe.sharepoint.com/sites/Joe_PROD ", "400 Client Error: Bad Request for url: https://joe.sharepoint.com/sites/Joe_PROD/_api/Web/ContentTypes('0x0100DBB1EA60214E52428BCC389XXXSSSAAA')/FieldLinks")
`
Activity
tuesdayMike commentedon Feb 20, 2025
I tried switching to plain vanilla http requests (SP Rest API) but âlways get to the 404 point. This limitations seems to be the problem:
Site Columns cannot be added to a content type using the REST service.
Source: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/office/sharepoint-visio/jj245869(v=office.15)
office365-maintainer commentedon Oct 3, 2026
Not a library defect — this is a documented SharePoint REST limitation.
FieldLinkCollection.add()already sends the payload Microsoft documents for this endpoint: anSP.FieldLinkobject carryingFieldInternalName(see the "REST resource endpoint" section of SP.FieldLinkCollection.add). The server accepts it and then fails to resolve the column, which is the documented behavior:The failing URL is
/_api/Web/ContentTypes('0x...')/FieldLinks, i.e. a site content type, so REST cannot link a site column to it. The same limitation is still present in SharePoint Online (SharePoint/sp-dev-docs#10489).Workarounds:
list.fields.add_field_as_xml(...)), then link it withlist.content_types.get_by_name(...).field_links.add(...).Add-PnPFieldToContentType) or PowerShell.Since this is a server-side limit rather than something the REST client can change, closing as not planned.