A search for the $\Xi cc++$ baryon through the $\Xi cc++\to D+pK-\pi +$ decay is performed with a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 1.7 $\mathrm{fb}-1$ recorded by the LHCb experiment in $pp$ collisions at a centre-of-mass energy of 13 TeV. No significant signal is observed in the mass range from the kinematic threshold of the decay to 3800 $\mathrm{MeV}/c2$. An upper limit is set on the ratio of branching fractions $R=B(\Xi cc++\to D+pK-\pi +)B(\Xi cc++\to \Lambda c+K-\pi +\pi +)$ with at the 90% (95%) confidence level at the known mass of the $\Xi cc++$ state.