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I'm following this tutorial on using Excel Services REST api and trying to read a range.

If I paste the url into my browser it works and I see the range in my browser.

http:<site>/_vti_bin/ExcelRest.aspx/<library>/<file>/Model/Ranges('<range>')

But if I use jquery ajax in a content or script editor webpart, it doesn't work. First I get an authorization challenge which doesn't accept my credentials and then if I cancel that, I get a 401 unauthorized error.

$.ajax({
    url:exact_same_url_as_above,
    type:"GET",
    headers:{
        "accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
        "content-type": "application/json;odata=verbose",
        "X-RequestDigest":$("#__REQUESTDIGEST").val()
    }
})
.done(function(data,status,xhr){
    console.log(data);  
})

I am the site collection owner and have full control over everything. I have lots of REST api code running in other locations in the site, but this is the first that uses the 2010 _vti_bin access point.

Any idea what is going on?

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8
  • try changing the get to a post? Commented Oct 6, 2016 at 21:54
  • Thanks for the idea. Tried it and got the same result. Usually if it works in the browser bar and/or is a read it is just a GET. Commented Oct 6, 2016 at 23:00
  • Are you running the script in a page within http:<site> ? Commented Oct 6, 2016 at 23:51
  • Yes. On the same page I used a 2013 REST call (/_api/web/lists('guid')/items(#) to retrieve the title and other information about the document and those worked just fine. Commented Oct 7, 2016 at 14:37
  • Have you tried it in fiddler? Commented Oct 10, 2016 at 17:10

1 Answer 1

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1
+50

Using postman to run a few tests.

When I include the headers:

    "accept": "application/json;odata=verbose",
    "content-type": "application/json;odata=verbose",

I get 401 Unauthorized like you are experiencing. Not even admins can draw blood from a turnip or json from ExcelRest.aspx

Solution:

If I remove the Content-Type entry I get a response back with the data I am looking for.

Getting the data you are looking for:

Use either the $format=ATOM or $format=HTML or $format=image URL parameters to drive the response content type.

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2
  • That is so crazy. Seems like that would be a reason to throw an error or something not require an impossible authentication! In any event it works. I removed content-type from the header, added datType:"text" to the props, used $format=json in the url and added JSON.parse(data) in the done handler. Commented Oct 12, 2016 at 14:55
  • @Rothrock That was a cryptic comment about added datType:"text" to the props. I strongly recommend a solution found there: sharepoint.stackexchange.com/a/117469/96802. It explains and fixes the 401 error and returns json all right Commented May 4, 2021 at 16:14

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