Overview of Access Services in SharePoint Server 2013

APPLIES TO: yes-img-132013 no-img-162016 no-img-192019 no-img-seSubscription Edition no-img-sopSharePoint in Microsoft 365

Access Services in SharePoint Server 2013 are service applications that enable you to share two types of Access 2013 solutions on the web.

Access apps are new in SharePoint Server 2013

Access apps for SharePoint are a new type of database that you build in Access 2013, then use and share with others as an app for SharePoint in a web browser. To build an Access app, you select the type of data that you want to track (contacts, tasks, projects, and so on). Access creates the database structure as well as various views that let you add and edit data. Navigation and basic commands are built-in, so you can start to use the app right away. Once the Access app is running, it's a straightforward task to customize and enhance the Access app over time.

Access web databases are supported for backward compatibility

By default, you cannot create a web database by using Access 2013. However, you can still view and edit a web database that was previously created by using Access 2010 and SharePoint Server 2010, and you can republish it to SharePoint Server 2016.

There is no way to automatically convert a web database to an Access app. If you want to manually convert a web database to an Access app to take advantage of new functionality and features, you can do the following:

  • Import the data from the web database into a new Access app.

  • Re-create the user interface and business logic.

See also

Other Resources

What's new in Access 2013

Welcome to the Access 2013 developer reference