Unable to update User Profile Property due to Policy Settings set to Disabled

The web service  userprofileservice  <site url>/_vti_bin/userprofileservice.asmx has to be used to update user profile properties for other users in SharePoint 2013 and SharePoint Online.

Even though the HTTP status code response returned was 200 which means successful, the user profile property was blank when the user properties was queried using the REST api method sp.userprofiles.peoplemanager/getpropertiesfor.

<site url>/_api/sp.userprofiles.peoplemanager/getpropertiesfor(@v)?@v=’i%3A0%23.f%7Cmembership%7CfirstName.LastName%40arteliauk.onmicrosoft.com’

The user profile property updated was PictureUrl , however it was showing as null

<d:PictureUrl m:null="true" />

After spending a couple of hours trying to figure out why the use profile property was not showing,  I decided to review the user profiles properties for Picture property and how it is different from the other user profile properties, e.g. Job Title which was showing the updated value.

The Policy Settings on Picture property was disabled for some reason.

Disabled from Manage user profile policies in SharePoint admin center meant

The property or feature is visible only to the User Profile Service administrator. It does not appear in personalized sites or Web Parts, and it cannot be shared.

Also it meant the property was not visible when queried by REST API.

After updating the policy settings to Optional, the pictureURL property for the user is being returned by the REST API query and showing up in SharePoint sites as well.

<d:PictureUrl>siteurl/StaffDetail/js.jpg?t=63579640559</d:PictureUrl>

 

 

 

Update User Profile Property using Web Service Request action in Nintex

In SharePoint Online, Nintex workflow can be used to update a user profile property.

Before using Nintex Workflow to update user it needs to be given the right permissions

1. Allow workflow to use app permissions

 a. Navigate to site settings

 b. Under Site Actions, click Manage site features

c. Locate the Workflows can app permissions and click Activate if it is not activated yet.

2. Allow workflow to use app permissions

3.Navigate to site settings> site app permissions

Note down the workflow app id which is between i:0i.t|ms.sp.ext| and @

4. Navigate to <SiteURL>/_layouts/15/appinv.aspx

5. Enter workflow app id  and click on Lookup button
6. Enter the following in Permission Request XML

  <AppPermissionRequests AllowAppOnlyPolicy=”true” >
<AppPermissionRequest Scope=”http://sharepoint/content/sitecollection” Right=”FullControl” />
<AppPermissionRequest Scope=”http://sharepoint/social/tenant” Right=”FullControl” />
</AppPermissionRequests>

7.Click on Create
8.Click on Trust the app.

Unfortunately the REST API does not provide the capability to update user profile property of any user except the pictureurl property of currently login user.

The SharePoint UserProfileService.asmx is still available. It can be used in a Web Request Action to update a user profile property.

The example below updates the property “About Me”.

Set the following in the Web Request call.

Url: https://tenant-admin.sharepoint.com/_vti_bin/userprofileservice.asmx

SoapAction: http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortalServer/UserProfileService/ModifyUserPropertyByAccountName

Body: <?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”utf-8″?><soap:Envelope xmlns:xsi=”http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance&#8221; xmlns:xsd=”http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema&#8221; xmlns:soap=”http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/”>  <soap:Body>    <ModifyUserPropertyByAccountName xmlns=”http://microsoft.com/webservices/SharePointPortalServer/UserProfileService”>      <accountName>‎‏i:0#.f|membership|test@domain.com</accountName>      <newData>        <PropertyData>          <IsPrivacyChanged>false</IsPrivacyChanged>          <IsValueChanged>true</IsValueChanged>          <Name>AboutMe</Name>          <Privacy>NotSet</Privacy>          <Values>            <ValueData><Value xsi:type=”xsd:string”>Weekend finally</Value></ValueData></Values>        </PropertyData>     </newData>    </ModifyUserPropertyByAccountName>  </soap:Body></soap:Envelope>

UserName: account having tenant admin rights

Password: password of the user specified above

Store Response Content in: Create a variable to store response content

Store http status code in : Create a variable to store status code

Store response headers in: Create a variable to store response headers

Store response cookies in: Create a variable to store response cookies

 

To check whether user profile properties have been updated correctly use the api

<site collection url>/_api/SP.UserProfiles.PeopleManager/GetPropertiesFor(accountName=@v)?@v=‘<accountname>’

or access the user information list

<siteurl>/_layouts/15/people.aspx?MembershipGroupId=0

and click on the name you want to view data.