Copy/Duplicate a Flow in a Solution

[bhitchlockfcs]

I have a Flow in an existing solution for which I need to create several variants. Ideally I would copy the flow and edit the copy. 

Unfortunately the copies are created outside the solution and are not visible to import into the solution.

Any ideas on how to replicate a Flow inside of a Solution?

Thanks,

Brian

[rvroman]

After following the above (thanks @abm ), upon import, I get an error: 

The solution file is invalid. The compressed file must contain the following files at its root: solution.xml, customizations.xml, and [Content_Types].xml. Customization files exported from previous versions of Microsoft Dynamics 365 are not supported.

Could this be due to the editor I used to edit the customizations.xml file? Other ideas?

[rvroman]

@Welbywelb , I'm absolutely new to Postman and a lot of web-tinkering, but I followed your recommended steps and think I found what was needed, but the response I received was:

{

    "error": {

        "code": "UnsupportedMediaType",

        "message": "Unsupported media type."

    }

}

The flow does have child flows, not sure if that's the "unsupported media type", of if there are other ideas.

[kat_rock]

Amazing work @Welbywelb and @zolle04
These instructions and screenshots made something that seems overwhelming at first really easy. Thank you so much!

[kat_rock]

@rvroman I know this is an old post, but if it helps I had the same error which resolved by selecting 'raw' and 'JSON' for the body

[kat_rock]

Hi everyone
Here are the individual steps of @Welbywelb solution using Postman:

1. Within the solution, create a new flow with a few basic steps and save it. This is your target flow which will be over-written with the flow you are going to duplicate. Take note of the name because you will need it at Step 9.

2. Open the inspect window for the TARGET flow and navigate to the "network" tab. Click 'Save' on the flow and capture the PATCH post URL and Bearer token.

3. Go to the flow you want to copy (your SOURCE flow) and in Chrome open the inspect window and navigate to the "network" tab.

4. Click 'Save' on the flow and capture the body of the Patch command (Payload > Request Payload > View Source > Show More. (Starts with {"properties":..)

5. Go to Postman (https://www.postman.com/) and create a new Patch request.

6. Add the URL from Step 2

7. Select the Authorization tab and select 'Bearer token'. Add the Bearer token from Step 2

8. Paste the body of the flow you want to copy from step 4 and select ‘raw’ and JSON.

9. Edit the "displayName" in the body so it matches exactly what you called the target flow.

10. Hit Send and the target Flow should be updated with the contents of the flow you just copied.

[Welbywelb]

Thank you kat_rock - yeah sorry I had missed the raw/JSON selection in Body type when I wrote that up. Still cannot believe this functionality is not available natively 😞

[russoedu]

Thanks a lot for that.

First of all, thanks for that... it's unbelievable that we need to do this to copy a flow to the solution...

One thing I believe is also worth mentioning is that you need to increase the version on 'solution.xml' if you intend to import the solution back to the same environment.

[LRA-Admin]

I didn't pay attention to the words "source" and "target" in the solution using Postman, and ended up overwriting and renaming my original flow!

Highlighting these in kat_rocks version:

2. Open the inspect window for the TARGET flow and navigate to the "network" tab. Click 'Save' on the flow and capture the PATCH post URL and Bearer token.

3. Open the flow you want to copy (your SOURCE flow) and in Chrome open the inspect window and navigate to the "network" tab.

4. Click 'Save' on the flow and capture the body of the Patch command (Payload > Request Payload > View Source > Show More. (Starts with {"properties":..)

...etc

[carolchiz]

seems a bit complicated. Should the clone button not do this?

[tpratt]

Received the follow error on import:

The solution file is invalid. The compressed file must contain the following files at its root: solution.xml, customizations.xml, and [Content_Types].xml. Customization files exported from previous versions of Microsoft Dynamics 365 are not supported.

[kat_rock]

Good idea! I've made the same updates to my post for clarity. 

[bsorrentino]

Thanks @abm

following your guideline I’ve developed an utility zx-powerapps-cli hope this could help

[TschoofBAH]

Great work from some folks to solve this issue that should absolutely NOT be an issue in this system.

This is why adoption of PowerPlatform is so difficult, a functionality that should just WORK doesn't and you find this all over the place within Power Platform. 

[NickTLS]

The need to do this is asinine.

I want to make a change to a child flow in a new direction. Figured I could just clone the workflow, give it a new name and then re-import. Figured it would be a two second fix. Instead, I have spent hours to stumble on this thread. What is even more infuriating is that sometimes the clone and import just work! I have another workflow in a solution that I cloned multiple time to point to different document libraries for testing and all but 1 wont import back into the solution. The only thing that is different is the document library the workflow is looking at on the same site.

[_Ken]

+1 vote for @zolle04  solution.
@bhitchlockfcs Any chance of marking @zolle04  as a solution as well, to help someone else navigating these threads.

[testasdfasfsafa]

This is very frustrating... I don't understand how we can make a simple copy of a flow inside a solution...   THIS IS NOT " WORKFLOW FOR EVERYONE".

[FinderFees]

Am here to once again resurrect this topic that is still, for whatever reason, not default functionality in Power Automate.

I just wanted to add that for those that use XrmToolBox (which contains various wonderful tools for Dataverse and Dynamics). There is a tool within it called "C-tse Copy Flow" where you just select the solution that contains your source flow, select the flow, click "Copy flow", give it a new name, and be done with it. (From there you can then remove it from that solution and add it to another like you would any other flow.)

After the better part of a year using @Welbywelb's solution, I feel a bit like I'm cheating now.

[testasdfasfsafa]

It's very clear to me that Microsoft has given up on Power Automate.  Simple features and lack of frequent smaller updates to fix smaller issues never happen. There are so many flaws and logical bugs, it's unacceptable.  You can't even sort columns in solutions, etc...  The leadership of this group must be replaced.  This forum is a cemetery of good ideas.  It's all about "please vote" and yet, these badly needed features never get implemented.

[KrAck]

Within CDS itself (make.powerapps.com) the Cloud Flows cannot be exported, copied or saved as.

But when you go to Power Automate (make.powerautomate.com) and select there the power apps environment, you can do pretty much everything you can do with the power automate flows.

[iset2468]

This can be done.  Here is the Microsoft article: Edit a solution-aware cloud flow - Power Automate | Microsoft Learn.  The trick is to open your flow from inside of the solution and then save.  If you simply go to My Flows, It doesn't add the solution context, however f you do this, there still is a way to get it back into the solution.  I have found that when copying a flow this way, the flow is turned off by default and does not show as an available flow to add to the solution.  Once the copy is created, turn it on and it will be available to add to the solution.  Just make sure to turn it back off once it is added to the solution until you have updated it.  This avoids having it run in parallel with the original workflow until you have re-configured what you need.