How to generate a PDF from Microsoft Forms and get it sent to an email address

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,

Does someone know the flow to generate a PDF file from a Microsoft Forms form's responses and get that file sent to an email?

[v-bacao-msft]

Hi @Anonymous,

You could use OneDrive-Create file to generate a pdf file with the file name suffix ".pdf".

Then use Get file content to get the file content and send it as an attachment to the message.

You could consider configuring Delete file action at the end, because the process of creating file is just a transition here, you could delete the previously created file.

I have made a test on my side and the flow works well.

Image reference:

The contents of the attachment are as follows:

Please take a try.

Best Regards,

Barry

[GregorS]

Hi,

I have a problem with this soluition. I exectly build it like you did. But everytime I recieve the E-Mail it is only 1kb big and it is not possible to open it with Adobe Acrobat Reader or the browser. Do you know what the problem could be?

[Anonymous]

This solution didn't work for me, either, but I used it as a starting point for one that ultimately did. Rather than making the pdf with the "Create File" function, which wasn't able to generate a properly encoded PDF for me, I had it create an HTML file instead. That way I was able to format everyhting exatly the way I wanted using CSS. After that, I used the "Convert File Using Path" function to convert it to a PDF and attach it. That was able to make a pdf that opened fine in Acrobat reader, although at times it didn't play nicely with previewing in Outlook.

[luc0ne]

ciao, can you post the solution with screenshot.. i have the same problem and i cannot create pdf from microsoft forms

thank you.

[Jay-Encodian]

There are quite a few options for this. I'd recommend using our 'Populate Word' action to add the Microsoft Form data into a word template and then convert the document to PDF with the 'Convert Word' action, a good example is provided here: https://www.encodian.com/blog/mail-merge-a-word-document-with-a-microsoft-forms-response/

This following article details how to convert a Microsoft Form response direct to a PDF (or Word Document) using the 'Convert HTML to PDF' or 'Convert HTML to Word' actions, but you will need HTML skills to do this: Convert Microsoft Forms Responses to Word or PDF Documents

Finally, if you need to also add any files submitted along with the Microsoft Form response to the PDF document then check out: Handling files provided in a Microsoft Forms response

HTH

Jay

[Anonymous]

Can you please share with me how you made the CSS work ? I have tried but it does not apply the CSS rules. It even removes some text formatted with CSS.

[Jay-Encodian]

@Anonymous 

I assume you're using the OneDrive approach? The OneDrive connector doesn't provide full CSS support... can you share your HTML and I'll take a look

HTH

Jay

[ashleylcruz]

Do you have a screenshot for your flow, you can provide for this?

[AndyElliott]

I've done it a slightly different way. Not very sophisticated but it's worked for me.

I completed my form myself.

Then I went back in and went to review it and then selected print response.

Rather than print, I saved it as a PDF

Annoyingly, this gives you all the answers so I then had to highlight all, copy and paste into word and then go through and delete the irrelevant info before re-saving it.  

[CFernandes]

You can use Muhimbi PDF Converter to Convert responses from Microsoft Form to PDF - For details see: https://clavinfernandes.wordpress.com/2019/01/29/convert-response-from-microsoft-form-to-pdf/

Muhimbi PDF Converter also support Print Specific CSS, so you can also create\mimic you form layout, for details see: https://clavinfernandes.wordpress.com/2020/08/04/convert-microsoft-forms-responses-to-pdf-using-powe...

[shanebart]

You can also do this using the out-of-the-box OneDrive connector, without the need for any third-party connectors in your Power Automate workflow.

The OneDrive connector allows you to create a HTML file containing your MS Forms responses and then convert it to PDF.

If you want more info, the steps are documented in more detail at the below link.

https://www.shanebart.com/power-automate-send-pdf-email/

[NiallofService]

1. CTRL + P to open the Printer dialog box.

2. Scroll left in the "Select Printer" window and select "Microsoft Print to PDF".

3. Click Print.

4. Type the filename.

5. Save

[AnjelikaCh]

Hi everyone,

it seems to me that Convert Microsoft Forms to PDF or Create a PDF file from Microsoft Forms responses are quite wide-spread issues. There is one more way how to do that with the help of the Plumsail Documents connector for Power Automate Flow. 

There are detailed instructions for various scenarios on the Plumsail site:

1) Create PDF Documents from Microsoft Forms in Power Automate

2) Convert Microsoft Forms with attachments to PDF in Power Automate

Note: this is a paid solution. But there is a free one-month trial.

[Dhayter]

Hi, I am trying this but whenever I run the flow, it errors saying that the file content cannot be null or empty. Any idea what is causing that? I followed your guide on your link.

[cassiefrisco]

Hi everyone,

I spent about an hour getting a flow based on the top solution on this thread, I thought I might post my solution here for anyone who is trying to do the same thing. I have omitted the Send Email step for privacy reasons but it is the same as the OG solution, just ensure you are also deleting BOTH files at the end (HTML and PDF).

For anyone who is also an amateur (like myself), pay attention to where the Dynamic content is being pulled from - make sure you are pulling from the correct step (e.g. Create File 1 or Create File 2 as required).

Hope this helps someone!

[ErnieCD]

Hi Jay, is there anyway to export pdf as if you would save response as pdf and then automate to send as attachment? I’m trying to capture all form question and answers into one pdf. No luck yet, any help is greatly appreciated 

[ErnieCD]

Thanks, Cassie. Would this generate pdf as if you would save pdf directly from the responses?

[Fanuswallace]

Can you not just simply create a Mail merge in Word and then email that?  

[genepine]

Hi
Use "Encodian - convert PDF" connector, write HTML with Inline CSS to File Content.
Use "Make File" connector, Assign the value to File Content.
Attach the assigned file using the Send Email v2 connector.
*Sorry that the connector is in Japanese.