SharePoint Files Connect external objects do not return custom metadata for JPG, PNG, or GIF files

Root Cause

Files Connect does not currently support metadata retrieval for media files (.JPG, .PNG, .GIF, .MP4, etc.). This limitation exists because SharePoint does not index binary files — binary files are data files (such as images and videos) stored in binary format that SharePoint's search index does not process. As a result, when Files Connect performs an External Object Search against SharePoint, it cannot retrieve properties or metadata for those binary media files.

Workaround

Although metadata for media files cannot be automatically retrieved via External Object Search, there is a partial workaround available:
If the External Object's custom property in Salesforce is mapped to SharePoint's internal column names or aliases (rather than display names), those properties can be retrieved. To check and update your field mappings:

1. In Salesforce Setup, navigate to Files Connect and open your SharePoint External Data Source.
2. Review the External Objects and their External Fields.
3. Confirm that each External Field is mapped to the correct SharePoint internal column name or alias (not the display name).

If the column mapping references SharePoint internal names correctly, those properties may be returned even for media files, depending on the SharePoint column configuration.
Note: This workaround applies only to custom properties mapped to SharePoint internal columns. The standard metadata fields for binary media files (such as file content type inferred from the file format) remain unsupported.