Flow keeps losing Excel Table Name

[vincetaylor]

I have several scheduled flows that take data from a Excel Table and use it to update a SharePoint List.

One of the flows keeps losing the Table name. When I set up the flow, I enter the table name. I then manually test it and the flow is able to get data from the flow and update SharePoint.

However when it runs on schedule ( as opposed to manual), it fails. Somehow the table name changes from Table1 to a series of hexadecimal characters. See below. Each time I change the table name back to Table1 and test it, it works when manually tested and fails when it runs on schedule.

Figure1: Correct Excel Table Name is set up

Figure 2: Excel Table Name has been changed to a series of Hex characters

Figure 3: The flow can't find the Table name

Figure 4:  Dynamic action fail error message

[DamoBird365]

HI @vincetaylor 

How are you populating that Table value?  When you get a random GUID like that it would suggest that it cannot find the table you have selected.  Are you supplying the table name dynamically OR have you manually typed it OR have you simply used the drop down to select the table1 (which is usually the default option)?

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here

[vincetaylor]

Hi @DamoBird365 
I usually use the dropdown to select the table. Could this be causing the problem?

[CFernandes]

Hey @vincetaylor ,

This is interesting. I see your action return a GUID and this happens if you are not adding any extra columns to the table and changing the worksheets manually. Can you please verify if the table has changed?

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!

[vincetaylor]

@CFernandes 
The excel file is deleted and recreated every day by an automatic process. However no new columns are added , no new tables are created. and the recreated excel file is identical to the old one except that a 1 or 2 rows are added each time it is deleted or recreated. 

[vincetaylor]

After it failed the first time, I added the correct table name back using the drop down, it ran succesfully on schedule twice and now it is failing again for the same reason

[DamoBird365 · Accepted solution]

Hi @vincetaylor 

You’ve just identified the problem right there. You are deleting and recreating the file, therefore the guid of the table will change as it is a new file and therefore a new table. You could use the action get tables and assume the first table in order to get the guid of the new table and populate the action dynamically. 

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here

[CFernandes]

If you delete and recreate the Excel file it will be a problem. I think each time you change the file Excel updates the internal GUID of the Excel(Table) and Excel Power Automate uses the GUID and not the Table Name. 

Perhaps you might want to use the Excel Script instead of List rows from action and pass data back to Power Automate- Something similar to my blog https://clavinfernandes.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/part-2-pass-data-from-script-to-power-automate/ 

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!

[vincetaylor]

@DamoBird365 You pointed me in the right direction. It turns out the excel file was being updated by two different programs, one running at 6am and one at 6pm. Thats why the Guid kept changing. Now that only one process is updating the excel file, there are no more failures. 

[DamoBird365]

Thanks @vincetaylor for coming back and letting me know - glad I was of help 🙂

Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here and like & subscribe to my YouTube Channel thanks 😉

[Microbes]

@DamoBird365 , @vincetaylor ,

I encountered this same issue, but in my case there is only one app/Flow updating Excel file. I have Flow picking file up from Outlook attachment when it comes in and deposits (recreates) file in SP folder. I understand the logic behind the GUID changing when "new" file created (or recreated). However, two aspects of this I don't get 1) why would PA have trigger "When file is created or modified" if the subsequent action failed due to GUID change and 2) I have another Flow that does exactly the same thing for a file that is "recreated" exactly the same way and it never fails.

[AJ71]

@DamoBird365  I too have same issue table name keeps dropping out.

I am wondering if you could assist with the next few steps after Get tables.

I am able to get tables. and the run a get rows which is outputing  the data i need but  but after that lose the get row data  inside an apply to each, when trying next steps.

[DamoBird365]

Hi @AJ71 

You might be best creating a new call for this. Something to try is create your own expression with current item. The column name needs added to the end of the expression. Power Automate won’t show the dynamic values because your table name is dynamic. So it doesn’t know your columns.

Try item()?[‘columnname’] for each of your columns.

Damien

[AJ71]

I  am a persistant bugger and learning as i go.. lol...

I moved the Get tables  further up the  Flow ahead of a few compose actions

I needed to get the Fields from the Get a row WHEN  I used the table name as the table. once I had the fields where I needed, I saved and then cam back in  changed the  table name  to the ID form get tables - That created the apply to each and then it worked because it kept the fields. but if you try to do it with the ID from Get tables   

Now seems to be working. 

[AJ71]

but if you try to do it with the ID from Get tables it did not work

[Sahara22]

Hello @DamoBird365 ,

I actually have the same problem. When i used the "get table function"  I then can't populate anything in the "create item" section because when you go to the next step and "list rows" it changes to a "apply to each" function.  I know you mentioned to write the action dynamically, how would I do this? 

Thank you, 

[dtremmel96]

Hi @DamoBird365 

I appreciate all of the help you've given thus far.

I just ran into this issue with Power Automate and I'm trying to follow along with the suggestions you've made, but I'm stuck on this step. I'm currently doing the following:

1. Get my Table

2. Get a row from my table

3. Set a variable to the specific cell that I care about

Here is a screenshot to further explain what I'm dealing with...

I'm not sure how to implement the item()?['columnname'] expression that you mentioned. As far as I understand it, the Key Column field represents the column I'm looking at, and the key value represents that value I'm looking for to choose the correct row. Would I have to just replace the MRP Controller field with the expression item()?['MRP Controller'] ?

(Also, the reason that my variable value is blank is because my original method of getting the variable no longer works with the new changes that I needed to do because of the changing GUID issue.)

If I can explain anything else, I will try my best. I'm still not a master of power automate yet, but I feel like I'm right on the cusp of the solution, I just can't figure out where to implement that change you suggested.

Any further help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

- Dylan

[amulhearn0207]

Hi @DamoBird365 - I am having the same problem. Mine runs off of a table that deletes and recreates itself daily.
I was using a scheduled flow to get rows in table, and the table name wasn't matching.

I replaced the step "get rows in table" to "get tables." 
Is there another step I need to add to identify the first table? I'm not sure what "assume the first table" means.

The flow uses Excel data to update values in a SharePoint list.

THANK YOU!

[skylitedave]

I also faced this issue - here is the fix

When you specify the table within the "List Rows Present In Table" action in Flow, select the Custom option in the Table property and just type in the exact name of the table in excel - this forces the action to uses the table name not the GUID for the table name.

If you delete and replace the excel file, the flow will still work as long as you have the same table name within Excel

DO NOT SELECT THE NAME FROM THE TABLE DROPDOWN or it wont work (it will use a guid rather than the table name)

I lost countless hours of sleep before I discovered this trick

Give me a thumbs up if this works for you 

[Bartek97]

This is the perfect solution- if you just manually input the table's name it will force PA to use the actual name instead of ID.

Thanks for sharing this