Send SharePoint Online folder contents as attachments

[steveg01]

Hi, I'm trying to follow this guide, only slightly modified for our environment. It seems to succeed, but I don't get any emails through.

Screenshots below - I've stripped out the additional inputs on the trigger step for now just to get it working. Looking when a flow has run, it does seem to be selecting the correct folder and passing the folder details all the way through.

 

 

 

 When the flow has "succeeded" the apply to each section is greyed out when reviewing

 Any help would be appreciated.

[eliotcole]

Hi, @steveg01 , when the Apply to each is greyed out like that it tends to mean that there is nothing in the array that it is iterating over.

Incident Cause

What I think that you have done is that you have your Apply to each running just fine, but when it is a single item which then in reading the array it won't find anything.

Potential Solution

My advice would be in the 'No' branch to add the single file to the AttachmentsArray array variable, then after either branch you will have value in the array to work with in the Apply to each control action.

[steveg01]

Thanks @eliotcole 

I think there must be an error elsewhere then because the folder I'm testing this on has multiple files within, so it should run through the Apply to each.

Unless I'm not understanding you correctly?

[creativeopinion]

@steveg01 

Get the Files from Selected Folder

Add a Compose action to store the Folder Name. This Compose action is optional, however it can help you to better understand what's going on in your flow. Insert the filename dynamic content from the flow trigger.

Add a Get files (properties only) action to your flow. Select your Site Address and Library Name. Insert the output from the Compose action above into the Limit Entries to Folder field. 

Fun fact. The Get Files (properties only) returns folders as well. You need to use a Filter Query to return Files only. Refer to this YT Short.

Get Count of Items

Whenever I use a Get files (properties only) action, I always like to return the count of items returned in a Compose action. This is helpful when building a flow and can also be used to troubleshoot your flow. 

Insert a Compose action.

Add an Expression.

 

Use the length() function.

Select the Dynamic content tab.

 

Insert the value dynamic content from the Get Items action into the length() function.

  

Click OK.

I have 6 files in my folder.

Run a test.

 

 

Select your last flow run and review the outputs.

 

Initialize an Array Variable.

Add an Initialize an Array variable to your flow.

Loop through Each Item Returned

Add an Apply to Each action. You'll use this action to loop through each item returned from the Get files (properties only) action.

Add a Get file content action inside the Apply to Each action.

Insert the Identifier dynamic content from the Get files (properties only) action into the File Identifier field.

Compose the Array just as you have in your original flow using the dynamic content from the Get Files (properties only) and Get file content actions.

Compose the Email

Add a Send an email (V2) action outside of the Apply to Each action. In your original flow, you had this action inside the Apply to Each loop. This would have sent a single email with one attachment.
By pulling it outside of the loop you will be sending a single email with all attachments.

 

Click on this icon to change to input the attachment array.

Run a test. You should receive a single email with all items attached.

Hope this helps!

If you are looking for a way to send multiple SharePoint List items that have been assigned to a user in an email—check out this YT Tutorial: How to Send a SINGLE EMAIL ✉️ with multiple SharePoint list items | Build THIS Power Automate Flow

In this tutorial I cover:

✅ How to send multiple list items in a single email with a Power Automate Flow

✅ How to create a dynamic date range

✅ How to use the Convert Time Zone action

✅ How to use a Filter Query in the Get Items action

✅ How to count number of items in an array

✅ How to use the Select action to extract a users display name and email address

✅ How to create a unique list of email addresses

✅ How to use the Create HTML Table action

✅ How to customize the HTML Table with CSS styles

✅ How to use the Send an email (V2) action

✅ How to use the Append to String Variable action

✅ How to create a custom list of items for an email

✅ How to use the Send an email (V2) action

✅ How to display singular or plural text based on the number of items returned

If I helped you solve your problem—please mark my post as a solution ✅.
Consider giving me a 👍 if you liked my response!

👉Watch my tutorials on YouTube
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[eliotcole]

Hiya, @steveg01, thanks for the reply. 🙂 I think maybe I didn't explain it properly, perhaps that is it. 😅

Aha ... I think I just saw your issue ...

In your Get files (properties only) action you might have your Limit entries to folder value wrong there.

Play with that a bit, and it should give you results.

( it's probably just missing a slash, or you need to drop one or the other value that you currently have in there )

[steveg01]

Hi @eliotcole ,

I've changed the Include Nested Items property of Get files (properties only) to No and it's now passing the files through. 

The problem I now have is that I'm getting multiple emails instead of one - for example with a folder containing 5 files, I get five emails - 

One email with one attachment

one email with two attachments

one email with three attachments

4

5

So, it's obviously iterating through the files, but can you spot where I'm going wrong to get 5 emails instead of one?

[creativeopinion · Accepted solution]

@steveg01 I've outlined steps in my response from earlier. Your Send an Email (V2) action needs to be pulled outside of the Apply to Each action loop. The steps are listed under the Compose the Email heading.

Hope this helps!

[steveg01]

Thanks @creativeopinion I just figured that as I you replied.

All working now. Thanks so much for you help.