URGENT- Sending email with PDF attachment

[jaimeS]

Hello! I have a flow that reads a code from a PDF, matches that code to an email address, and sends the email with the corresponding PDF attachment. So far, I have been moderately successful. However, on all of my test runs and regular runs, the flow will not generate all of the emails. In a Doc library of 8 PDFs, it only generated 6 emails. My Document folder contains 8 PDFs, my List contains 777 email addresses. I am unsure what may be causing the flow to not generate some emails. Many thanks in advance!

Document Library:

List:

Flow:

   I used Get Items from my list and Get Files (properties only) from my Doc library 

  I used Get Metadata to pull the file name from the PDF and then have a                                                                                                 condition that if the name contains the Code it creates the email.

  The "To" section pulls from my List, the Attachments Name pulls from the                                                                                               Metadata, and the Attachments Content pulls from Get File Content

[creativeopinion]

@jaimeS Have you turned on pagination and set a threshold in your Get Items action?

If you don't turn on pagination and set a threshold, the Get Items action will not return all items.

You should also consider using a Filter Array action instead of nesting Apply to Each actions within each other. It would help your flow to run more efficiently. To learn more about how to use the Filter Array action, please refer to this recent YT Tutorial I uploaded.

Hope this helps!

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[jaimeS]

Good afternoon creativeopinion, thank you for your response. I turned on pagination for the Get Items and even for the Get Files, but I am still not getting all of the emails that should be generated. I just ran a test of 10 PDFs and it only generated 5 emails. 

[creativeopinion · Accepted solution]

@jaimeS The logic in your flow needs to be corrected. Your issue lies within these actions. 

The first Apply to Each action is looping through every file and you are using the Get File Metadata action—this action isn't necessary because you already have all the metadata from the Get Files (properties only) action. 

Within the first Apply to each action loop you have another Apply to Each action looping through the value returned from the Get File Metadata action. 

---

Tip: Always rename your actions to keep things organized in your flow.

Filter Items/Files

If possible I would recommend you utilize the Filter Query in the Get Items and Get Files actions to reduce the number of items returned. I'm not sure if you have any parameters for the files that are returned. This would help ensure your flow is efficient.

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.

Item Count

Whenever you use the Filter Query in your flow, I recommend adding a Compose action to count the number of items returned to ensure that the number of items returned is what you are expecting. This can help with troubleshooting.

Add a Compose action to store the count of items returned. Insert an expression. Use the length() function.

Click on the Dynamic content tab and insert the outputs from the Get files (properties only) action) above.

If you are using a Filter Query for the Get Items action, I'd recommend returning an item count for that action as well.

Run a test. Tip: Always run tests at each stage of your flow. This will help you to troubleshoot problems early on. 

Top Count

Depending on how many files you have in your Doc Library, I would recommend limiting the Top Count to a smaller number than the total number of files in your Doc Library. This will increase the speed of your flow runs. Instead of returning all files—it'll limit the Get Files (properties only) action to the number entered here.

Loop through each File

Use an Apply to Each action to loop through each file returned from the Get Files (properties only) action. 

As mentioned at the start of this post the Get file metadata action is not required—it's redundant. 

Add a Compose action to store the name of the file. 

Run a test. The Compose action should output the filename. 

Compose Search String

You need to extract the text string from your file name that you are going to be using to cross-refrence with your SharePoint list.

Add a Compose action.

Insert an expression. Use the split() function. 

Select the dynamic content tab and insert the outputs from the Compose action above that contain your file name.

Add a comma and an underscore between single quotes. 

Run a test. The split() function will split the string of text by the delimiter you've specified—in this case an underscore. The Compose action will return an array of items. The first position of an array is [0], second is [1]... etc. 

To return the second item you will need to make an adjustment to the expression. Append a [1] to the end of the expression. This will return the second item in the array.

Run a test.

Filter Out List Items

At the start of your flow you've already used the Get Items action to return the list of items from your SP list. Using a Condition action and an apply to each action to loop through each item returned from that action is not efficient and will take a long time for your flow to run. Instead you'll need to use a Filter Array action. To learn more about how to use the Filter Array action, please refer to this recent YT Tutorial I uploaded.

Add a Filter Array action into the Apply to Each action. In the From field insert the value dynamic content from the Get Items action.

In the first value field, insert the Title dynamic content from the Get Items action.

Change the operator to contains and in the second value field insert the outputs from the Compose action above. 

The Filter Array action will filter out the items from your SharePoint list where the title contains the text from the Compose action above.

Add an Item Count. Add a Compose action to store the count of items returned from your Filter Array action.

Run a test. 

Add Condition

Add a Condition action to check if the Filter Array returns any items. This will prevent the flow from failing if items aren't returned. You can change the condition to suit your needs. Ideally the Filter Array action should only return 1 item or none. 

Keep in mind, your Filter Array action is checking to see if the SP list title contains the string of text from the file name. It's not an exact match—unsure if there might be a chance that more than one SP item is returned. You'll have to troubleshoot and adjust your flow (if that occurs).

In the first value field I've inserted the outputs from the Compose action that is storing the length of items returned. I changed the operator to is not equal to and entered 0 into the second value field. 

All my actions will go into the YES branch. You can adjust this to suit your requirements/preferences.

Get Dynamic Content from Filter Array

Take a look at the outputs from your Filter Array action. All dynamic content can be returned with an expression. You will need to know key for the content. The key is the text in red between the double quotes. Refer to this section of a YT Tutorial I uploaded on how to get dynamic content from a Filter Array action

Add a Compose action and insert an expression. Start off with:

?[0]['']

The Filter Array will always return an array of items (even if there is a single item). You need to select that item by entering the key. The [0] will select the FIRST item in the array (assuming there is always a single item). If more than one item is returned in the Filter Array action—it'll only select the first item.

Insert the dynamic content key for the email column in between the single quotes. In my case it's

EmailAddress.

Press the UP arrow key to go to the start of your expression and select the Dynamic Content tab. Insert the body dynamic content from the Filter Array action. 

Run a test. Confirm the Compose action is returning the email address(es). 

Get File Content

Add a Get file Content action and in the File Identifier field, insert the Identifier dynamic content from the Get Files (properties only) action.

Send an Email

Add a Send an Email (V2) action to your flow. Tip: When building and testing a flow that involves sending an Email or posting a message in Teams, always send it to yourself—until you've confirmed the flow is working the way you intended it to work. 

I do like to add a line of text in the body of the email (or Teams message) that confirms who the email will be sent to. This is optional (not necessary).

You can customize the subject line to include dynamic content (if you'd like). For the Attachment Name, insert the File name with extension dynamic content from the Get files (properties only) action. 

In the Attachment Content field, insert the body dynamic content from the Get File content action. The from email address isn't necessary unless you are sending the email form a Shared mailbox.

Run a test. Once you've confirmed everything works you can adjust the trigger if you want and replace the recipient with the Compose action outputs that is storing the email addresses.

Hope this helps!

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

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[jaimeS]

So far so good. I can see the logic in creating the flow this way. Thank you for your time! Is this ready to send email or are there more steps? 

[creativeopinion]

@jaimeS There is more. I've just added to the original post. Hope this helps.

[jaimeS]

This is great! But apparently I am not understanding the logic behind Get Items. I am getting Items from a List of codes with corresponding email addresses. The List is 777 unique rows. I thought I would then set the pagination for 800 to accommodate for additions. But even with the Top Count set at 10 I get an Item Count of 150. So it is emailing 150 of each file in my folder. What am I missing?

[creativeopinion]

@jaimeS Setting the top count was to help speed up your flow runs while testing. In your case, because you need to look up the items in your SP list, you would only be setting the top count on the Get Files (properties only) action. This way you run the automation on a few files.. (while testing) rather than ALL the files. 

Hope that helps.

[jaimeS]

Okay, thank you. I'm sorry but I am not understanding this very well. I only have 10 files in my Document library. My Compose File Count shows 10 for the Output. But when I just ran another test, I am getting hundreds of emails. My Get Items is paginated at 800 with no top count now but my Compose Item Count shows an Output of 150. I know I'm doing something stupid but I'm not sure what. Thank you for your patience!

[creativeopinion]

@jaimeS No worries. From what it sounds like, you must be looping through the SP items and not your files returned. 

You need to ensure that value dynamic content you've inserted into the Apply to Each action is from the Get files (properties only) action.

[jaimeS]

I see what I was doing wrong. In the To section of my email I had used the wrong dynamic content and it had created a second Apply To so it was creating the mass emails. I have however, discovered another issue. So far everything runs great but there are certain files that pass all the way to Compose File Name and the Outputs are correct. But certain ones are not passing the Filter array Items. The Outputs are Body [ ]. So I get a "ActionBranchingConditionNotSatisfied" error at Compose Email Addresses. I don't see any difference in the File Name as all of the PDFs are structured exactly the same. My Filter array Items has From = outputs('Get Items')?['body/value'] Value= item()?['Title'] contains outputs('Compose_Client_Name'). I'm just not sure why it is rejecting some files. If this an issues with the files, can I have something in the If no part of my condition that will identify these and skip them so that the flow doesn't break?

[jaimeS]

Lol! Sorry...I figured it out. I had the Filter array wrong. It all works like a charm! Thank you so much!! If I may please. beg one more favor...once a PDF emails, how would I move it from the source folder to a "processed" folder?

[jaimeS · Accepted solution]

Sorry again! It was not as I thought it would be. I was afraid it would try to move the PDFs before they had been sent but I have it figured out. Thank you again so much for all of your help. This flow is saving a lot of people a lot of time and it is greatly appreciated!