Environment Variables section not showing in Dynamic Content

[MarrinerDev]

I'm testing using environment variables in a Flow and when I try to reference the environment variable in a Flow, the "Environment Variables" section in the Dynamic Content panel is not showing up at all.

I've set up a very simple example of a string environment variable called "SomeName". I then select the solution and click add new cloud flow. For the sake of argument, I create a new flow started from PowerApps.

When I add any action under that initial step and try to set a value for any settable field in that action based on the environment variable I can't because the "Environment Variables" section doesn't show up in the Dynamic Content panel.

Any ideas why or what I'm missing?

I created a test canvas app in the same solution and the variables are visible there (albeit via the ridiculously cumbersome Dataverse table approach).

Many thanks.

[Expiscornovus]

Hi @MarrinerDev,

Looks like you are taking all the corrects steps and I would have expected that the environment variable would have been there.

Couple of things to be aware of with environment variables.

- It could be that the section is still called Parameters instead of Environment Variables, they only recently rebranded it.

- Environment variables would be filtered by data type in the near future. You might want test with a compose action. But I assuming you did because it doesn't work with any action.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/data-platform/environmentvariables#current-limitati...

I have tried reproducing your steps. But unfortunately I am unable to reproduce your issue.

Just for your information I will share those steps. Might help with the troubleshooting.

1. Created a environment variable & cloud flow in the same solution and environment (default environment).

2. Text data type, only default value.

3. Create a cloud flow and searched for the new variable in the dynamic value section.

[rhousham]

I too am experiencing this problem. I'm going to try and delete the solution and try again but it doesn't seem to work as it should.

[carl1to]

Same problem here. Somehow this "Environment Variable Section" disappeared for me. Even it is working in existing flows it doesn't show up in ne flows or even new solution with cloud flow created directly inside the solution....

[maxpower45255]

Did you try publishing your customizations? I have an even weirder issue. I added a few environment vars and published changes. I can see them in one of my flows' dynamic content but not in the other. I refreshed the page several times to no avail. hmmm. 

[carl1to]

on the next day, it worked just fine... probably needed to refresh the browser tab or something...

[Django]

Is there some delay before an Environment Variable becomes available in Dynamic Content of Flow?

Just added on, I can see it in the Environment Variable Definitions as well as in the Environment Variable Values tables but not (yet??) in Dynamic Content of an existing flow...

[Django]

Even stranger: 

Flow that existed before new Variable was created:

New Flow after Variable was created:

[maxpower45255]

@Django I've seen this issue happen but not always. The solution I've found is is to turn off and turn the flow back on. Another trick I found is to prefix all my environment variables with a few letters so it's easy to find them when I search for them.  

Good luck

[Django]

Thanx @maxpower45255!

I tried disabling and enabling the flow again but no luck...

Saving a copy of the flow and adding the copied flow to solution seems to work for the copy --> but original flow should see the variable so that is what I am aiming for 🤓

[maxpower45255]

@Django Try publishing your customizations, along with turning the flow off/on. Outside of this, you may need to wait a few minutes. These are some of the quirks of Power Automate that I can't explain. I hope someone from the MSFT product team can pitch in and hope they resolve this odd behavior. 

[Anonymous]

Can confirm that publishing customizations and turning on/off worked for me.

One of those many quirks.

[Django]

Thanx @maxpower45255, I just waited a few days and it suddenly started appearing in pre-existing flows.

If @Anonymous confirms that Publishing customizations AND Turning flow on/off forces the flow to automagically start showing newly added  Environment Variables than that are valuable insights 💪👍

[hinke]

I saw similar behavior after changing the Current Value of an environment variable.
After changing the value and publishing the customizations, the Flow action that used the Environment Variable from the Dynamics Content, still displayed the old value, while a List action in the same flow that retrieved the current value from the "Environment Variable Values" entitity showed the updated value.

After turning the Flow off and on again, the updated value was also displayed correctly in the step  that used the environment variable from the Dynamic Content.
So it looks like the value of an environment value in the Dynamics Content is cached and not immediately updated when the value on the entity is updated.

This really should be fixed as soon as possible in my opinion. Part of the benefit of Environment Variables is that you can set the in the release pipeline. 
But when you set updated values for Environment Variables in your ACC and PROD environment in your release pipeline, then the new value should active  immediately, without having to turn all your flows off and on again.

Can we expect a fix for this? 

[asanthiyagu]

I was facing the same issue when I open the flow from "My Flows" section. When I edit it from solution it was appearing.

[aarnav]

I had the same issue and turning the flow off and back on resolved the issue for me.

[Vitss]

I do encountered the same behavior while making a new Flow (2nd in a solution where the environment variables are working fine in Flow and Powerapp).

'Solved' the issue by skipping the first screen for choosing name and trigger and selected the trigger and name afterwards.

[rbunge]

Can confirm this "workaround" -- MS does some daft, head-scratching things from time to time... Thanks, @Vitss!

[JBlackham]

A little late to the party, but I encountered this same problem when I was making a new flow in Power Automate today.  I used the template selector when I created the flow so it pre-populated things in my dynamic content list.  After struggling for a few minutes, I stumbled across this helpful topic.

I appreciate all of the helpful direction provided, but wanted to give an alternative solution to the problem that I tried.  I refreshed my browser and the environment variables showed up in the dynamic content selector.  Simple fix, but it didn't require turning it on/off, publishing it, or anything fancy.

Thanks!

[abm]

Hello All

Once you add and publish (not really sure whether we need a publish or not) it should be in Dataverse table 'Environment Variable Value'. Check whether the newly added Environment variable exists or not.

If the value is not showing dynamically then always set that as an expression

parameters('SomeName (ajb_somename)')

Believe this should work.

Thanks