REST API for adding metadata to folder

Question

I was successfully able to create a folder in SharePoint 2013 document library using REST API in C# with below code:

<sharepoint site URL>/_api/Web/Folders/add('/DocLibName/FolderName')

I also added custom metadata columns Code, Department, Location but I was not able to add values on folder level. However, when I upload a file using REST API, the metadatas are successfully updated.

How can I add metadatas at folder level?

Answer 1

Finally got it to work using REST API. But it involves additional REST call.

Below is the code to Create a folder, from that code we will call the get Folder method to get the folder's ID:

function CreateFolder(){

        jQuery.ajax({
            "url" : _spPageContextInfo.siteAbsoluteUrl + "/_api/Web/Folders/add('/sites/testsite/Shared Documents/newfolderRest16')",
            "type" : "POST",
            "headers" : { 
                    "accept" : "application/json; odata=verbose", 
                    "content-type" : "application/json; odata=verbose",
                    "X-RequestDigest" : $("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val()
            },
            success: function(data){
                console.log(data);
                GetFolder(data);
            },
            error: function(data){
                console.log(data);
            }
        }); 

    }

Now, getFolder method will get the folder's ID which we will then pass to the UpdateFolder method to update the folder:

function GetFolder(data){
    var url = _spPageContextInfo.siteAbsoluteUrl + "/_api/web/getfolderbyserverrelativeurl('/sites/testsite/Shared Documents/newfolderRest16')?$expand=ListItemAllFields";

    $.getJSON(url).then(function(data){
         console.log(data.ListItemAllFields.ID);
         UpdateFolder(data.ListItemAllFields.ID);
    });
}

function UpdateFolder(id){  
    $.ajax ({  
        url: _spPageContextInfo.siteAbsoluteUrl + "/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('Documents')/items("+ id +")",
        type: "POST",  
        data: JSON.stringify({  
            "__metadata":  
            {  
                type: "SP.Data.Shared_x0020_DocumentsItem"  
            },  
            "Department": "HR",
            "Location": "India"
        }),  
        headers:  
        {  
            "Accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",  
            "Content-Type": "application/json;odata=verbose",  
            "X-RequestDigest": $("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val(),  
            "IF-MATCH": "*",  
            "X-HTTP-Method": "MERGE"  
        },  
        success: function(data, status, xhr)  
        {  
            console.log("success");
        },  
        error: function(xhr, status, error)  
        {  
            console.log(error);
        }  
    });
}

here, in the update folder method, please ensure that you are using the correct ListItemEntityTypeFullName or else it will throw bad request error.

To get the correct ListItemEntityTypeFullName, make a REST call to the below endpoint in the browser.:

https://sitecollectionurl/_api/web/lists/getbytitle('Documents')?$select=ListItemEntityTypeFullName

Answer 2

Get folder using item ID:[To every folder an id is assigned] and then update item properties.

        var insertItems = [[]];
        var ItemId='1'      
        insertItems[0] = ["Department","DeptA"];
        insertItems[1]=["Code","Code1"];
        try 
        {
            var clientContext = SP.ClientContext.get_current();
            var oList = clientContext.get_web().get_lists().getByTitle('listname');
            var item;
            if (ItemId!='')
            {
                item = oList.getItemById(ItemId);
            for (var i = 0; i < insertItems.length; i++) 
            {
                if (insertItems[i][1] != undefined && insertItems[i][1] != null)
                                item.set_item(insertItems[i][0], insertItems[i][1]);
            }

            item.update();
            clientContext.load(item);
            clientContext.executeQueryAsync(function () {
                console.log('item updated');
            }, function (sender, args) {
                console.log('Request failed. ' + args.get_message() + '\n' + args.get_stackTrace());
            });
            }
        }
        catch (e) {
            console.log('Request failed. ' + e.message);
        }

Answer 3

To my knowledge Metadata for Folders is not supported in SharePoint, whether accessed via the API or UI. It's generally recommended to use separate libraries instead of folders.