how to attach attachments in start and wait for flow approval email

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I have a simple expesne form added with few drop-downs, text and date columns using a custom SP list. Also, I have a simple flow setup which triggers on item created and sends an approval email out to the supervisor using 'Start and Wait for an approval' action.

Users attach attachments when they submit an expense using the form. Is there a way to read these attachments and include them with the approval action email sent out to Supervisor so that way supervisor does not have to go into SharePoint to look for attachments on display form of this submission.

P.S: the goal is to include attachments for flow approval "Start and wait for an approval" action not a regular send an email action. 

Can someone assist if its doable, thanks.

[ScottShearer · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous :

You cannot attach files to an approval.  My suggestion is to include a link to SharePoint list item (available in Dynamic properties).  From there, the approver can click on each attachment to open.

If this answers your question, please mark your post as Solved.

If you like my solution, please give it a Thumbs Up.

Scott

[sxt173]

How would you insert direct links to attachments as you suggested? I know I can add a link to the item which takes the approver to Sharepoint, they would scroll down and see the attachments listed. But how do I get those links into the Approvals detail field so the approver doesn't have to jump over to Sharepoint? And assume I don't know how many attachments there will be.

[ScottShearer]

@sxt173 

My suggestion is to include a link to the SharePoint list item and not the attachments.  If you provide a link to the item, the attachments will be list and can be accessed with one mouse click.  The details section can be formatted using Markdown.

The syntax for adding a link is:

[Link Text](Link URL) 

 Additional info on Markdown can be found here.

[MP23]

Just a note of caution when using a parallel approval flow using links to a document. I have encountered numerous fails due to the fact that once the link is used, it locks the document for all the other members of the approval stream and causes the flow to either repeatedly loop back to the approver if the document is open or fail completely due to the locked document issue. If anyone else has experienced the same and knows how to overcome this issue it would be much appreciated. 

[RodriCharni]

Hi @ScottShearer 

There is a solution for attaching files to an approval.

Test and Submit the form:

Details – Show RAW OUTPUTS 

You can see all the records:

You can use VSC:

This is Get Response Forms structure

Getting the attachment’s string:

Use an Expression: json()

Click on Dynamic content:

Pick Forms Attachment element:

If you want to see the code: Click on 3 dots and ‘Peek code’

You can see this id:

ra58967ac0f974b2b93ac8dd664e47cdc

It’s the same id in:

It could be different from yours.

Let’s look through all the documents (attachments):

We need the ‘id’:

Use the expression.

Sending it in a specific format to Approval Action:

Insert an action after ‘Compose’:

Initialize Variable:

Back to Apply to each / Insert an action after ‘Get file content’:

Append to array variable

Put the name property

New Step: Approval Action

Add a condition:

Test it and submit a form with attachments:

Got it!

[Anonymous]

Hi @RodriCharni ,

I am trying to create a similar flow to yours but I am having a lot of trouble with the flow.

So my main objective is:

When creating adding invoices to a file, I wont those to be sent for approval to my supervisor and I want to post a message in teams advising about it too.

However, when I am testing it, instead of sending one email with all the attachments, it is sending a lot of emails with the different file names and attaching all the docs in each email. Do you know why that happens? Also, I see the attachment in weird format instead of PDF. 

Any idea of how I can fix this?

Heaps thanks!!