name: sharepoint-word-docs
description: Edit SharePoint-hosted Word .docx files while preserving document structure and styling. Use when the user wants to update a real Word document in SharePoint rather than summarize it as plain text.
SharePoint Word Docs
Overview
Use this skill for .docx edits that start from SharePoint. Treat the file as a real Word package, not as extracted text, and preserve the existing document structure and styling unless the user explicitly accepts formatting loss.
Core Workflow
- Search for the file and identify the exact target by title, path, and file type.
- Fetch extracted text once to verify it is the right document and to locate the target section.
- Fetch the raw
.docxwithfetch(download_raw_file=true)before editing. - Edit locally with
python-docxor equivalent OOXML-aware local tooling so the original Word package remains intact. - Ensure that the upload path can preserve a normal styled Word package before overwriting the original.
- Write the revised file back with
update_fileusing the exact drive-root-relative path from SharePoint metadata. - Re-fetch and verify both:
- the intended text or section change
- the expected structure or styling when possible
Safety
- Do not replace a styled
.docxwith plain text output. - Do not replace a styled
.docxwith a minimal regenerated package merely to make upload succeed unless formatting loss is already acceptable from the request context. - Treat inline base64 binary upload as potentially brittle for richer
.docxpackages. If the write path looks unsafe, stop and explain the formatting risk rather than silently degrading the file. - If the first overwrite attempt returns
itemNotFound, inspect the folder items and use the exact root-relative path from SharePoint metadata.
Verification
- Content verification alone is not enough for existing styled documents.
- Check heading structure, spacing, and style preservation when possible.
- If you can only validate text content, say so explicitly and note the remaining formatting risk.