SharePoint Online: Get All Subsite Lists With PnP PowerShell

Introduction

Hey guys! So, you're diving into the world of SharePoint Online and PnP PowerShell, huh? That's awesome! Especially when you're dealing with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and trying to wrangle lists from various subsites. It can be a bit tricky, but don't worry, we'll break it down. This guide will help you understand how to reuse your PnP context effectively to fetch all those lists without pulling your hair out. We'll explore the ins and outs of dealing with MFA-enabled accounts and how to script your way to victory. Let's get started!

Understanding the Challenge

When you're scripting for SharePoint Online, especially with PnP PowerShell, you quickly realize how crucial it is to manage your context. Think of the context as your connection to the SharePoint environment. Now, when you're working with an account that has MFA enabled, things get a bit more interesting. You can't just use a simple username and password; you need to authenticate in a way that satisfies the MFA requirements. This often involves a pop-up window asking for a code from your phone or authenticator app. The challenge arises when you want to extend your script to subsites. Do you need to re-authenticate for each subsite? That sounds like a nightmare! Reusing the PnP context is the key to avoiding this. By reusing your context, you maintain your authenticated session, allowing you to seamlessly access different parts of your SharePoint environment without repeatedly entering your credentials. This is a massive time-saver and makes your scripts far more efficient. So, let’s dive deeper into how we can achieve this magic trick.

Why Reusing PnP Context Matters

Reusing the PnP context is not just about saving a few keystrokes; it's about writing efficient and robust scripts. Imagine you have a large SharePoint environment with dozens or even hundreds of subsites. If you had to authenticate separately for each one, your script would take forever to run, and you'd be bombarded with MFA prompts. That's not a scalable solution, right? Moreover, repeatedly authenticating can sometimes lead to issues with session limits or even trigger security alerts. Reusing the context helps you avoid these pitfalls. It keeps your script running smoothly and reduces the chances of hitting any roadblocks. Another significant advantage is that it makes your script cleaner and easier to read. Instead of having authentication code scattered throughout your script, you authenticate once and then reuse that connection. This makes your script more maintainable and less prone to errors. Think of it like this: you wouldn't want to start your car every time you need to adjust the AC, right? You start it once and then use it for everything you need during that drive. The same principle applies here. So, let's get into the practical steps of how to reuse that context like a pro!

Setting Up PnP PowerShell for MFA

Okay, before we dive into reusing the context, let's make sure you've got the basics covered for handling MFA with PnP PowerShell. First things first, you'll need to have the PnP.PowerShell module installed. If you haven't already, pop open PowerShell and run Install-Module PnP.PowerShell. This gets you all the goodies you need to interact with SharePoint Online. Now, when you connect to SharePoint with MFA, you'll typically use the Connect-PnPOnline cmdlet with the -Interactive parameter. This little switch tells PnP PowerShell to bring up a login window where you can enter your credentials and go through the MFA process. Once you've authenticated, PnP PowerShell creates a context object that holds your connection information. This is the golden ticket we'll be reusing! Make sure you store this context object in a variable, like `$Context = Connect-PnPOnline -Url