If SharePoint Folder create than create subfolder in the created folder

[N2P3]

Hello everyone,

I have a challenge that I would like to solve automatically.

I would like that when I create a folder in a SharePoint document library (1st level), 5 subfolders (2nd level) automatically become in the created folder.

So I create a Vegetarian folder in the document library and the target screen should then look like this:

/Vegetarian
//Breakfast
//Brunch
//Lunch
//Teatime
//Dinner

Many thanks in advance and best regards
Nick

[ekarim2020]

Yes, this should be possible.

The logic of the flow will resemble something like this:

Was the object created in SharePoint a File or Folder?

Was the Folder created under the root of the Document Library?

I'll try to post a flow demo later.

Ellis

[ekarim2020 · Accepted solution]

Here is a demo flow that should achieve the desired results:

 

1. THE TRIGGER

We start with the trigger When a file is created (properties only). Select the site and Library name:

We only want the flow to run if a new folder was created. We don't want the flow to trigger each time a new file is created. We can control when the flow runs or triggers by using a trigger condition:

Select Settings:

Click add, then add the trigger condition:

The flow will only trigger if a folder was created. You can copy-and-paste the following text into the Trigger Conditions:

@triggerOutputs()?['body/{IsFolder}']

 

2. THE LIST OF SUBFOLDER NAMES

Initialize an array variable to store the list of subfolder names that need to be created:

3. GET PATH UNDER WHICH SUBFOLDERS ARE TO BE CREATED

Use a compose variable to store the folder path under which the subfolders should be created. The path needs to be in the format: [Document Library name] / [New Folder Name].

You can copy-and-paste the following text into the Inputs of the Compose action:

@{first(split(triggerOutputs()?['body/{Path}'],'/'))}/@{triggerOutputs()?['body/{Name}']}

The full path looks something like this for a Document library called Lib1 and a new folder called Folder2: Lib1/Folder2 .

We split this text (Lib1/Folder2) at the '/' character then take the first part of the string which is Lib1, the name of the Document Library.  We then add / character followed by the new folder name. This compose variable holds path to where we expect the new folder to have been created i.e. under the root of the document library.  We will check to see if the folder was indeed created under the root of the document library in the next step.

4. CHECK THAT THE NEW FOLDER WAS CREATED UNDER THE ROOT

Add a condition action. We will check to see if the new folder (which triggered the flow) was created under the root of the document library.

 

If the new folder was created under the root of the document library, then create the sub folders "Breakfast",
"Brunch","Lunch","Teatime" and "Dinner"

 

You can paste the following directly into the Folder Path:

@{triggerOutputs()?['body/{Name}']}/@{items('Apply_to_each')}

Here is some sample runtime output:

Hope this helps.

Ellis
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[N2P3]

Thank you very much!

[darknight123]

I would like something like this but to trigger under the 2nd level or a subfolder. Parent Folder>Subfolder2<Populate this subfolder with the 5 folders. I have it set up just cant connect the path back to the subfolder2. 

[Timmay313]

Maybe something changed since this was posted, can't seem to get it to work through. It triggers and creates the new folders but created them in <Library>/<Library>/Folder/subfolder. creating a new folder named the same as the document library.

[SPOLHE-C]

I've been getting a lot of errors on previously stable flows the past couple of weeks, so was pleasantly surprised when this didn't fail--but it also didn't create the subfolders. Run history shows the Apply to each as "skipped." Which is new to me!

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[ekarim2020]

@SPOLHE-C  and @Timmay313 

Luckily I still have a version of this flow. I tested it and it is still working.

Here the flow succeeded, as a folder was created under the root directory:

The skipped actions are due to a new folder being created, but it was not created under the root folder, so the flow doesn't need to take any further action. However, the flow also will be triggered by the flow itself(!) when creating the subfolders "Breakfast", "Brunch",  "Lunch",  "Teatime"  and "Dinner" - as the flow triggers each time a folder is created. However, as these folders are not created under the root folder, the condition check will be false so the  flow doesn't need to take any further action and so will skip the Apply to each loop:

The runtime output of the flow showing that the flow is being triggered by the flow itself when it creates each of the subfolders:

You can add a compose action to see what is going on:

The sub folders will only be created if the SubFolderPath = Full Path.

Hope this helps.

Ellis
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[SPOLHE-C]

Created as a folder directly beneath the library without sub-folders, and, yes, that works. I can get your inputs = false and Apply to each = skipped from here by adding a level, so you are correct about the reason for the earlier failure, and I shall mark this as solved. Now off to figure out an automated move to go with that delay-then-copy-file code block that used to work...  

[ekarim2020 · Accepted solution]

Hi @SPOLHE-C and @Timmay313 ,

Here is an updated version of the flow that I never posted. It is much simpler than the previous version:

1. THE TRIGGER

We start with the trigger When a file is created (properties only). Select the site and Library name:

The flow uses two trigger condutions for the When a file is created (properties only). We only want the flow to run if:

1. A new folder was created,
2. The folder was created under the root of the document library. 

We don't want the flow to trigger each time a new file is created and we don't want the flow to trigger each time a new folder is created that was NOT created under the root of the document library. We will control when the flow runs or triggers by using two trigger conditions:

@triggerOutputs()?['body/{IsFolder}']
@equals(length(split(triggerOutputs()?['body/{FullPath}'],'/')),2)

The second trigger condition is used to detect if a folder was created under the root. The split function is used to  split the FullPath prorerty. FullPath is where the new folder was just created. We split the FullPath at the '/' character, then we count, using the length() function, how many elements the split() function produced. A value of 2 means that the folder was created under the root of the document library:

This trigger condition should prevent the flow from triggering itself again when the flow creates the subfolders "Breakfast", "Brunch", "Lunch", "Teatime" and "Dinner". The flow should only trigger if a folder was created under the root of the document library. 

2. THE LIST OF SUBFOLDER NAMES

Initialize an array variable to store the list of subfolder names that need to be created:

 

3. APPLY TO EACH LOOP - TO CREATE EACH SUBFOLDER

The subfolders will be created under the new Folder that triggered the flow in the When a file is created (properties only) action. The subfolders will be created using the path Folder Name/Subfolder Name:

Here is a sample runtime output:

 

Hope this helps.

Ellis

[Timmay313]

That is simpler, doesn't accomplish what I am trying to do though. We use Teams along with SharePoint so all the sites are setup with the structure <Library>/<teams Channel>/<subfolders>. This allows the creation of subfolders within document library but not within the teams channel folders. 

Is it possible to create the array of folders when a folder is create in the 3rd level of the structure? 

Here is what i tried to do:

This triggers when a new folder is created in the 3rd level, DocLib/Channel/Folder/ but will recreate the folder as DocLib/Folder/subfolders.

Triggered by creation of this folder 

This is the output i get from the flow running. 

[ekarim2020]

Try the following and let me know how you get on:

 

 

Hope this helps.

Ellis
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[Timmay313]

Well, it didnt like the 3rd condition added to the trigger settings. removed that and left the rest. it ran and added subfolders to the trigger folder.

[jameela1]

Thanks Ekarim2020,

It solved my solution Thank lot. Only problem I am seeing its taking 30 seconds to 50 seconds to create sub folders, I am creating just 5 folders. But it taking time. Any solution bro please advise.

Thanks

Jameel

[ekarim2020]

Hi @jameela1 ,

30 -50 seconds is actually very responsive! A wait time is to be expected due to the nature of cloud services; it will never be instant. In my development environment the flow took about 50 seconds before it was triggered.

You can see how often this flow is configured to trigger by Microsoft:

 

In the above case, the flow is triggered to run every 3 minutes.  Therefore, sometimes you may need to wait for up to three minutes before the flow triggered again - but there are other always factors involved too.  Your licensing plan for Power Automate will affect how frequently flows triggered along with other limits or entitlements. See Microsoft Power Apps, Microsoft Power Automate and Microsoft Power Virtual Agents Licensing Guide (P... 

Ellis

[jameela1]

ok I understand, Thanks for your quick reply.

[MathewM]

@ekarim2020 

Thank you very much for such a detailed breakdown on this process, it works perfectly and saved me a bunch of time trying to figured how to check if a folder was created under the root.

[jameela1]

Hi @ekarim2020

I have doubt what is the syntex for creating multilevel sub folders for example you are creating 5 folders in that first one is Breakfast in side that folder i need to create two sub folders like "Coffee", "Tea", in that what is the syntex for array. Please advise.

Thanks

[ekarim2020]

HI @jameela1 ,

Just add any subfolders to the array using the following format:

[
"Breakfast",

"Breakfast/Coffee",

"Breakfast/Coffee/Nestle",

"Breakfast/Tea",

"Brunch",
"Lunch",
"Teatime",
"Dinner"
]

Note that if you only had the following path in the array:

"Breakfast/Coffee/Nestle"

SharePoint would create Breasfast, Coffee and Nestle folders in one action.

So in theory you could just have:

[

"Breakfast/Coffee/Nestle",

"Breakfast/Tea",

"Brunch",
"Lunch",
"Teatime",
"Dinner"
]

But the first array example may be far more readable.

Ellis
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[jameela1]

Thanks @ekarim2020 This is working perfectly..Thanks lot!!!

Is there is any possibility to setup security for example folder "Breakfast" should be access by Peter or GroupMembers other should not permit. Please advise.

Thanks