SharePoint Data Handling with PnP Batching Queries

When working with SharePoint data, performance is key. Imagine needing to update thousands of items in a list—doing this one by one is a nightmare. This is where PnP Batching Queries come in! Whether you’re using an older version of PnP JS or the latest release, batching allows you to perform multiple operations in a single request, reducing latency and improving efficiency.

In this blog, we’ll dive into:

What PnP Batching is and why it’s useful
Differences between older and newer versions of PnP JS
Implementation examples in JavaScript and React
Pros and cons of PnP Batching
Real-life use cases

What is PnP Batching?

PnP Batching is a technique that enables developers to send multiple SharePoint REST API requests in a single HTTP call, reducing the number of network trips and improving performance. This is crucial when working with large datasets in SharePoint Online.

Without batching, updating 1000 items would require 1000 individual requests. With batching, you can bundle these into fewer requests, making your application faster and more efficient.

PnP JS: Old vs. New Versions

Over time, PnP JS has evolved, bringing changes to its batching mechanism. Here’s a quick comparison:

Feature	Older PnP JS (v2 & below)	Newer PnP JS (v3 & above)
Batching Syntax	Uses `sp.createBatch()`	Uses `sp.web.usingBatch()`
Execution Style	Manual `.execute()` call required	Automatic execution when using async/await
Flexibility	More verbose, requires explicit execution	More streamlined, leverages modern JS patterns

Now, let’s jump into some hands-on examples!

PnP Batching Examples

Example 1: JavaScript with Older PnP JS (v2 and below)

import { sp } from "@pnp/sp";

async function batchUpdateOld() {
    const batch = sp.createBatch();
    const list = sp.web.lists.getByTitle("MyList");

    for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
        list.items.getById(i).inBatch(batch).update({ Title: `Updated Item ${i}` });
    }

    await batch.execute();
    console.log("Batch update complete!");
}

batchUpdateOld();

Here, we manually create a batch, add requests to it using .inBatch(), and then call .execute() to send them together.

Example 2: JavaScript with Newer PnP JS (v3 and above)

import { spfi } from "@pnp/sp";
import "@pnp/sp/items";

async function batchUpdateNew() {
    const sp = spfi().usingBatch();
    const list = sp.web.lists.getByTitle("MyList");

    for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
        await list.items.getById(i).update({ Title: `Updated Item ${i}` });
    }

    console.log("Batch update complete!");
}

batchUpdateNew();

In newer PnP JS, .usingBatch() is automatically applied to all operations within the function, making it cleaner and more intuitive.

Example 3: React Component with PnP Batching (Latest Version)

For React developers, integrating PnP batching can enhance performance when dealing with SharePoint data.

import React, { useEffect } from "react";
import { spfi } from "@pnp/sp";
import "@pnp/sp/items";

const BatchUpdateComponent = () => {
    useEffect(() => {
        async function updateItems() {
            const sp = spfi().usingBatch();
            const list = sp.web.lists.getByTitle("MyList");
            
            for (let i = 1; i <= 5; i++) {
                await list.items.getById(i).update({ Title: `Updated Item ${i}` });
            }
            
            console.log("Batch update completed in React!");
        }

        updateItems();
    }, []);

    return <div>Updating SharePoint List...</div>;
};

export default BatchUpdateComponent;

Pros and Cons of PnP Batching

Pros:

✅ Improves Performance – Reduces the number of network requests, leading to faster execution.
✅ Lower Network Load – Fewer HTTP requests mean less strain on the server.
✅ Better Code Efficiency – Cleaner, more maintainable code with fewer redundant operations.
✅ Reduced API Throttling – SharePoint Online enforces API limits; batching helps avoid hitting those thresholds.

Cons:

❌ Debugging Complexity – If one operation in a batch fails, it can be harder to pinpoint the issue.
❌ Batch Size Limits – Large batches may hit SharePoint’s limits, requiring additional handling.
❌ Sequential Execution in Newer Versions – Newer PnP versions execute batch requests sequentially rather than in parallel, which might impact speed.

Real-Life Use Cases

📌 Bulk Updates in SharePoint Lists: A company managing employee data updates thousands of records at once instead of making separate API calls for each record.
📌 Migrating Data to SharePoint Online: During data migration, batching reduces the number of requests, making the transfer process smoother.
📌 Automated Document Tagging: If a SharePoint document library requires metadata updates on multiple files, batching improves efficiency.
📌 Task Management Systems: When updating multiple tasks in a SharePoint-based task tracking system, batching speeds up processing.

Key Takeaways

PnP Batching helps optimize SharePoint data operations by reducing network calls.
Older PnP JS versions require explicit batch creation and execution.
Newer PnP JS versions streamline batch execution using usingBatch().
React developers can use batching inside useEffect to improve performance.
Understanding pros and cons helps in deciding when to use batching efficiently.

By leveraging PnP Batching, you can build faster and more efficient SharePoint applications with cleaner and more maintainable code!

Got questions or other use cases? Drop them in the comments! 🚀