Get the Outlook Contact with User-defined Fields, then insert into SharePoint through Power Automate.

[Paul_Wu]

Hi All

I added a field (e.g. P/S) in Outlook contact. 

Now, I would like to use Power Automate to get my Outlook contract, then insert into the SharePoint list.

But, when I use the Get Contacts (V2) to get the Outlook contact. I can't find the field which I create on Outlook contact.

Could anyone suggest some solution or alterative, so that I can pass the User-defined field from Outlook to SharePoint list?

Thanks. 

[eliotcole]

Hi, @Paul_Wu, two questions:

1. When you open the contact in Outlook 365 (on the web) do you see the custom columns?
   Asking because I'm unable to add custom columns using web Outlook.
   
   
2. Have you tried to see if the custom column shows using the Microsoft Graph Explorer, here?
   You may need to tap 'Permissions' near the top, and confirm access to your data, this is safe, it is all Microsoft.

With regards to the columns, I believe I'm right that these are 'Extended Properties' in the Graph API and more information can be found on it here. The Graph API helps interaction with all the MS services and information.

[eliotcole]

OK, I did a LOT of dancing around with this, but you can retrieve specific information from the Graph API, but you have to be very specific, @Paul_Wu.

So, I needed to setup a system which created GUIDs for new 'extendedProperty' fields that need to themselves be added by the Graph API. The reason for which is that if you just invent a new GUID for each special field (even if it's a repeated one) then it's taxing on exchange (eventually) ... so long story short ... I now have an extendedProperties SharePoint list 😅.

Anyway, in order to retrieve the detail of, say, a contact, which has an Extended Property, you need the ID of that property, which is a combo string of its type, the GUID, then the word name, then its name. This goes in a graph call which looks something like this:

https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/me/contacts/HTTP_ENCODED_LONG_CONTACT_ID?$expand=singleValueExtendedProperties($filter=Id eq 'Integer {PREVIOUSLY_GENERATED_GUID} name isEliot')

I entered my IDs above, obviously, and the response data that follows has a fake id.

So, anyway, that is now going to show the contact *with* the new field, and its value of 1, which despite being an integer value is stored as a string, annoyingly (that may be my fault) and will be displayed something like this in the returned data:

{   
    "otherData": "is above this",
    "singleValueExtendedProperties": [
        {
            "id": "Integer {1234aa-b5678-1111-1h1h-dc876dv8756dc8vyei} Name isEliot",
            "value": "1"
        }
    ]
}

I've not noted anything about custom columns in contacts other than this, although I've probably missed it.

Now I have to round out this system, because I very much wish to secrete information throughout my Outlooks! 😅

[Paul_Wu]

1. No, even in Outlook (desktop version). I only find the custom column on the Contact in List view.

2. Microsoft Graph Explorer is new to me. I will follow your suggestion to have a test first.

Thank you.

[eliotcole]

I highly suspect that doing things in your local client is not going to translate to anything anywhere else.

We'd be getting into the realms of creating an Office.js script here for any of this, I think.

Just remember ... With regards to getting things to work with the cloud, and the cloud services like Outlook, Exchange, M365, etc ... Then the functions have to work there, too. I'm very doubtful that your Contacts have that data on the web ( but maybe they do - heh! ) so you will have to find another way, or use a common Contacts field creatively. 😉