cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
nana001
Advocate I
Advocate I

Number of pages in a PDF file

In a Flow I am building I would like to obtain the number of pages in a PDF document. Is there anyway?

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

@nana001  You can do this in a cloud flow quite easily:

CountPDFPages.png

Simply get the file content of a PDF file. And then create a compose action with the following expression:

sub(length(split(replace(base64ToString(outputs('Get_file_content')?['body']['$content']), 'Type/Pages', ''), 'Type/Page')),1)

This will return you the count of pages within the PDF file.

View solution in original post

32 REPLIES 32
abm
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

Hi @nana001 

 

Unfortunately using Power Automate this won't be possible to do.

 

Thanks



Did I answer your question? Mark my post as a solution!

If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up


Proud to be a Flownaut!

Learn more from my blog
Power Automate Video Tutorials

Abm, thanks for your message. 

 

The only other potential solution that I could find is reading the PDF file in plain text as suggested here: Solved: Re: Extracting PDF meta data and document info - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

 

However, I cannot seem to decipher the "/Pages" metadata for a PDF file. I looked through the ISO reference. Any idea how to potentially read a PDF file in plain text to get the total number of pages in it?

seewo
Advocate I
Advocate I

Dear @abm @nana001 

         I found an imperfect solution for counting pdf pages in Power Automate: Here is the procedure for your reference:

1: extract your pdf file and set "the index numbers of the pages " to large quantity which is clearly pages out of bounds to make error-"Page out of bounds"  happen .  😀

2: Make sure continue flow run in Advanced: Page out of bounds and set " Go to next action" only.

3: Get the last error and capture the error message, then split text by "," and get the textlist[1],  Convert to number, then -2 and get the right page number now.😀

 

PIC_2021-05-26_15-45-13.pngPIC_2021-05-26_15-54-16.png

@nana001  You can do this in a cloud flow quite easily:

CountPDFPages.png

Simply get the file content of a PDF file. And then create a compose action with the following expression:

sub(length(split(replace(base64ToString(outputs('Get_file_content')?['body']['$content']), 'Type/Pages', ''), 'Type/Page')),1)

This will return you the count of pages within the PDF file.

Anonymous
Not applicable

It works. Thank you.

@seewo Couldn't get the proposed solution using regex running. Thanks for the imperfect alternative, which works perfectly for my need.

I like the approach of @Paulie78 , and I'm trying to use it to solve my problem as well. I need to insert a page number at the bottom of my pdfs pages. 

 

Is there a way (without using the enconde connector) to insert the pages number (and be incremental as word does) in a pdf or a HTML file using Power Automate?

 

The following is my current flow (canvas app send to the flow a HTML code --> flow creates a file with the HTML ---> convert this file to pdf

Frederico_0-1632412811501.png

 

Thanks

Thank you, this was a lifesaver!
For those unfamiliar, in Step 5  - Set Variable, you can expand the variable name to get 'Message.Trimmed.Trimmed' as shown below
For Step 7 - Set Variable I manually modified the variable to add "[1]" to get textlist[1]

JimJ_0-1639174171130.png

 

This one is not work for some types of pdf . For ex, Pdf which was built from scan to pdf ( scan from machine)  anyone has ideas ?  

minhvo
Frequent Visitor

I found a solution when using AI model for extracting information.

From AI model, 'predictionOutput' variable contains the "pageCount".

For example, my pdf file has 2 pages. So, 'predictionOutput' value likes this:

{"@odata.type":"#Microsoft.Dynamics.CRM.expando","pageCount":2,"layoutName",....}

 

My idea is to create a variable 'predOutput' and assign its values from AI model. 

Then the number of page will be equal to:

split(split(variables('predOutput'),',"layoutName"')[0],'pageCount":')[1]

 

Best,

Hi there. What changes would need to be made in your expression to personalize it for my library? I'm getting an error saying:  "cannot be evaluated because property '$content' cannot be selected." What am I doing wrong? Thanks in advance!

Worked for me as well! Thanks.

Thanks for the response. This doesn't seem to work for me, and I'm not sure why. The output consistently shows as "0". 

 

Here is a screenshot of my flow: 

Web capture_4-9-2022_192922_make.powerautomate.com.jpeg

 

Whereas the Compose input formula is: 

sub(length(split(replace(base64ToString(outputs('Get_file_content')?['body']['$content']), 'Type/Pages', ''), 'Type/Page')),1)

 

Perhaps I'm doing something wrong?

While trying to get to the bottom of this, I also created a Compose step to only convert base64toString and pointed it to the same Get File Content/body/content. When the automation was triggered, I searched the results and could not find "Type/Pages" anywhere in the output. I only found one occasion of "Page" in the output.

Thank you, this worked for most (but not all) of my PDFs 🙂

@nana001 , I agree. I tested this on a number of PDFs. Some worked and some did not.

 

I would be interested if anyone has some insight into any additional document processing that might need to happen to make this work more consistently. I think the issue is that not every PDF has "Type/Pages" in the file content.

Smart solution, it is also pitty that PAD has no direct solution for this question

Hi @Frederico  
Did you find a solution for that?
Thanks

Hi @Paulie78 , I tried using the expression above but it's not working for me. Is there anything that need to be changed in the expression? Otherwise, the number of pages that the compose action it's giving me back all the time is 0. Has anything changed about the expression or something like that,  since I see that this is a accepted solution for this case.
Thank you

Helpful resources

Announcements

Community will be READ ONLY July 16th, 5p PDT -July 22nd

Dear Community Members,   We'd like to let you know of an upcoming change to the community platform: starting July 16th, the platform will transition to a READ ONLY mode until July 22nd.   During this period, members will not be able to Kudo, Comment, or Reply to any posts.   On July 22nd, please be on the lookout for a message sent to the email address registered on your community profile. This email is crucial as it will contain your unique code and link to register for the new platform encompassing all of the communities.   What to Expect in the New Community: A more unified experience where all products, including Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio, and Power Pages, will be accessible from one community.Community Blogs that you can syndicate and link to for automatic updates. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this transition. Stay tuned for the exciting new features and a seamless community experience ahead!

Summer of Solutions | Week 4 Results | Winners will be posted on July 24th

We are excited to announce the Summer of Solutions Challenge!    This challenge is kicking off on Monday, June 17th and will run for (4) weeks.  The challenge is open to all Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, Copilot Studio & Power Pages) community members. We invite you to participate in a quest to provide solutions to as many questions as you can. Answers can be provided in all the communities.    Entry Period: This Challenge will consist of four weekly Entry Periods as follows (each an “Entry Period”)   - 12:00 a.m. PT on June 17, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on June 23, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on June 24, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on June 30, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on July 1, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on July 7, 2024 - 12:00 a.m. PT on July 8, 2024 – 11:59 p.m. PT on July 14, 2024   Entries will be eligible for the Entry Period in which they are received and will not carryover to subsequent weekly entry periods.  You must enter into each weekly Entry Period separately.   How to Enter: We invite you to participate in a quest to provide "Accepted Solutions" to as many questions as you can. Answers can be provided in all the communities. Users must provide a solution which can be an “Accepted Solution” in the Forums in all of the communities and there are no limits to the number of “Accepted Solutions” that a member can provide for entries in this challenge, but each entry must be substantially unique and different.    Winner Selection and Prizes: At the end of each week, we will list the top ten (10) Community users which will consist of: 5 Community Members & 5 Super Users and they will advance to the final drawing. We will post each week in the News & Announcements the top 10 Solution providers.  At the end of the challenge, we will add all of the top 10 weekly names and enter them into a random drawing.  Then we will randomly select ten (10) winners (5 Community Members & 5 Super Users) from among all eligible entrants received across all weekly Entry Periods to receive the prize listed below. If a winner declines, we will draw again at random for the next winner.  A user will only be able to win once overall. If they are drawn multiple times, another user will be drawn at random.  Individuals will be contacted before the announcement with the opportunity to claim or deny the prize.  Once all of the winners have been notified, we will post in the News & Announcements of each community with the list of winners.   Each winner will receive one (1) Pass to the Power Platform Conference in Las Vegas, Sep. 18-20, 2024 ($1800 value). NOTE: Prize is for conference attendance only and any other costs such as airfare, lodging, transportation, and food are the sole responsibility of the winner. Tickets are not transferable to any other party or to next year’s event.   ** PLEASE SEE THE ATTACHED RULES for this CHALLENGE**   Week 1 Results: Congratulations to the Week 1 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge.   Community MembersNumber SolutionsSuper UsersNumber Solutions Deenuji 9 @NathanAlvares24  17 @Anil_g  7 @ManishSolanki  13 @eetuRobo  5 @David_MA  10 @VishnuReddy1997  5 @SpongYe  9JhonatanOB19932 (tie) @Nived_Nambiar  8 @maltie  2 (tie)   @PA-Noob  2 (tie)   @LukeMcG  2 (tie)   @tgut03  2 (tie)       Week 2 Results: Congratulations to the Week 2 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 2: Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate  @Deenuji  12@ManishSolanki 19 @Anil_g  10 @NathanAlvares24  17 @VishnuReddy1997  6 @Expiscornovus  10 @Tjan  5 @Nived_Nambiar  10 @eetuRobo  3 @SudeepGhatakNZ 8     Week 3 Results: Congratulations to the Week 3 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 3:Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate Deenuji32ManishSolanki55VishnuReddy199724NathanAlvares2444Anil_g22SudeepGhatakNZ40eetuRobo18Nived_Nambiar28Tjan8David_MA22   Week 4 Results: Congratulations to the Week 4 qualifiers, you are being entered in the random drawing that will take place at the end of the challenge. Week 4:Community MembersSolutionsSuper UsersSolutionsPower Automate Deenuji11FLMike31Sayan11ManishSolanki16VishnuReddy199710creativeopinion14Akshansh-Sharma3SudeepGhatakNZ7claudiovc2CFernandes5 misc2Nived_Nambiar5 Usernametwice232rzaneti5 eetuRobo2   Anil_g2   SharonS2  

Check Out | 2024 Release Wave 2 Plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform

On July 16, 2024, we published the 2024 release wave 2 plans for Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Microsoft Power Platform. These plans are a compilation of the new capabilities planned to be released between October 2024 to March 2025. This release introduces a wealth of new features designed to enhance customer understanding and improve overall user experience, showcasing our dedication to driving digital transformation for our customers and partners.    The upcoming wave is centered around utilizing advanced AI and Microsoft Copilot technologies to enhance user productivity and streamline operations across diverse business applications. These enhancements include intelligent automation, AI-powered insights, and immersive user experiences that are designed to break down barriers between data, insights, and individuals. Watch a summary of the release highlights.    Discover the latest features that empower organizations to operate more efficiently and adaptively. From AI-driven sales insights and customer service enhancements to predictive analytics in supply chain management and autonomous financial processes, the new capabilities enable businesses to proactively address challenges and capitalize on opportunities.    

Updates to Transitions in the Power Platform Communities

We're embarking on a journey to enhance your experience by transitioning to a new community platform. Our team has been diligently working to create a fresh community site, leveraging the very Dynamics 365 and Power Platform tools our community advocates for.  We started this journey with transitioning Copilot Studio forums and blogs in June. The move marks the beginning of a new chapter, and we're eager for you to be a part of it. The rest of the Power Platform product sites will be moving over this summer.   Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the launch. We can't wait to welcome you to our new community space, designed with you in mind. Let's connect, learn, and grow together.   Here's to new beginnings and endless possibilities!   If you have any questions, observations or concerns throughout this process please go to https://aka.ms/PPCommSupport.   To stay up to date on the latest details of this migration and other important Community updates subscribe to our News and Announcements forums: Copilot Studio, Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages