save email as pdf

[Qwertworks]

Let us save an email as PDF document when using outlook.com or 365.

For example I would like to set up a flow that lets me archive all emails that come are put into a certain folder as PDFs to my OneDrive. From what I see this does not seem to be possible as of right now.

[v-xida-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @Qwertworks,

Do you want to save the incoming emails as PDF documents into your OneDrive folder?

I have made a test on my side and please take a try with the following workaround:

• Add a "When a new email arrives" trigger.
• Add a "Export email" action, Message Id field set to Message Id dynamic content of the trigger.
• Add a "Create file" action of OneDrive connector, specify Folder Path, File Name field set to Received Time dynamic content.eml, File Content field set to output of "Export email" action.
• Add a "Convert file" action, File field set to Id dynamic content of the "Create file" action, Target type set to PDF.
• Add a "Create file 2" action, specify Folder Path, File Name field set to Received Time dynamic content.pdf, File Content field set to File content dynamic content of the "Convert file" action.
• Add a "Delete file" action, File field set to Id dynamic content of the "Create file" action.

Image reference:

The flow works successfully as below:

The PDF file opens well as below:

More details about creating a email message (.eml or .msg) file, please check the following article:

https://flow.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/outlook-connector-more/

Best regards,

kris

[BSWatkins]

I've got this working except the last step. Instead of deleting the .eml file, it deletes the .pdf file and retains the .eml.

Any thoughts?

[creightons]

When you select the Id for the file to delete in the last step, it needs to be from the original Create file step in the Flow (which creates the .eml file) NOT the Create file 2 step (which creates the .pdf file). When you create the Delete file step, the dynamic content starts with Create file 2 since that was the most recent step:

List of dynamic content from Create file 2 step

But if you scroll down further, you should be able to select the file ID from the original Create file step and delete that file instead.

Dynamic content from the original Create file step

[JAH313]

I get this to work perfectly when testing it with messages already in Office356, but it will not run automatically when I send a test message to the inbox. I do have the flow set to "When New Email Arrives" and the inbox. 

Any ideas?

[Dorul]

Hi @v-xida-msft

Works great, flow succeeded but it doesnt delete the .eml file at last step.

Any idea why? I also tried to insert the ID from pdf file, which works but with the ID from step Create file, it doesnt delete the saved mail.

Thank you

EDIT: actually it works, but only if someone else is sending the emails to me. I was testing sending mails to myself, in that case it doesnt delete the .eml files

[MWISE]

Hello,

I was able to get the flow to work and have the files delete as they should. I ran into an issue when trying emails like those from Uber or Lyft. The images are not being converted in the PDF. Any idea of what can be done?

Thanks

[danjonwig17]

I’m having exactly the same issue, embedded graphics aren’t being saved. I tried sending an email from outlook mobile on iOS with a single photo embedded, got only a little red x in the PDF file. Anyone fine a solution?

[MWISE]

I opened a ticket with Microsoft and was told that the Flow is working as expected and that the images aren't supported at this time. 

[teqs]

---

@MWISE wrote:

I opened a ticket with Microsoft and was told that the Flow is working as expected and that the images aren't supported at this time. 

---

I am not sure if this answer of MS makes sense. If embedded images and HTML is not included in the email export, then it is no full email export. Everything in the email, has to be in the email pdf export of course. I tried to export some HTML Emails with this method and after converting HTML elements and images are missing. Nowadays many emails use HTML and embedded image.

I will open a new flow idea to get a connector which can handle Emails to PDF Exports.

[teqs]

---

@teqs wrote:I will open a new flow idea to get a connector which can handle Emails to PDF Exports.

---

Here it is:

Export Mail to PDF format or convert .eml file to PDF including embedded images and HTML visualizati...

[jaker12]

My converted email is cutoff. Anyone else experience this?

[teqs]

It seems that the actual buit-in "convert file" node is not capable of rendering an Email correctly and then export it to PDF.

Of course, this is not very simple, because the "convert file" connector needs some good and intelligent renderer. To render a email like a Email program and show most important peaces of the header.

Also convert file lacks some options, like "load embedded images", "page size", etc.

I updated the flow idea with some details:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Ideas/Export-Email-to-PDF-format-or-convert-eml-file-to-PDF...

[Scott0044]

Thanks, great post!  I want to do this exact same thing except in a SharePoint Online library.  Can this be done?  I'm getting a 'bad request' error at the conversion step.  Any help would be appreciated.

{

"status": 400,

  "message": "The file id '%252fPNC%252fReport%2bFrom%2bEmployer_%2bscott%2bsmith.eml' is not valid.",

  "source": "api.connectorp.svc.ms"

}

[davesh0e]

This is great!  Is it possible to only create the pdf using the Body of the email.  I don't require the header. Thx!

[Col5anders]

Did you ever get this fixed?  I have the email populating with two columns, and the cells wrap in Outlook, but not when exporting to PDF.  It centers everything and pushes words off the left and right side of the page.

[ashiqf]

I've written a blog post to which shows how to actually include the embedded images on the PDF with PowerAutomate using API conversion service from ConvertAPI. If you have resources & skillset, you can write your own conversion service in Azure which can then be called in PowerAutomate, have provided insights on the blog post. Find below the link to the blog post:

https://ashiqf.com/2020/06/19/convert-outlook-email-with-embedded-images-to-pdf-using-powerautomate/

Hope this helps someone.

[teqs]

@ashiqf :
Thank you. I would love to do this with existing original MS Flow Actions, but as we know, they are to limited. I hope MS will bring a solution by itself in the feature.

Nevertheless, a very nice Blogpost from you! Do you have a rough estimation, how many "average sized emails with an image" you can convert with a free 1500 seconds plan? How many seconds you consumed for one PDF?

And do they have some possible options, for example to set higher or lower compression? 

There are two possibilities to have images in an Email. The image can be embedded directly. Or the image can be a link to a image hosted outside. Do you know if the service handles both situations fine?
HTML is rendered fine?

Thanks a lot!

[ScottP]

I have the exact flow and am getting "Conversion of this file to PDF is not Supported"

[jpwplc]

Is there a way to have either the PDF (or preferably) the .eml or .msg format of the outlook mail be printed/attached as a page in a section of OneNote? Storage on the OneDrive folder is good, but even better would for my workflow would be to have each e-mail be printed/pasted into its own page within a section of a OneNote notebook.