Attaching a PDF document that has a new file name each month

[Anonymous]

Hi guys

I hope this post/ thread is okay. I want to find out if it is possible to automate a Outlook process whereby a file is attached, but the file name changes each month. In my scenario, I want to send an invoice, but the filename is not going to be the same each month. How do I go about successfully implementing this, if it is possible?

[Pstork1]

Have you considered doing this in regular Power Automate instead?  Then you can create a variable with the filename for that month (depending on what naming convention you use) and then give the attachment that name when you attach it to Outlook.  

[VJR]

Hi @Anonymous 

Both Power Automate and Power Automate Desktop has the provision to pass the changing name variables while sending an email.

But is there a pattern in the changing file name each month?

[Anonymous]

Hi @VJR 

Yes, there is a pattern. The client/ company initials as text is first followed by the date of invoice generation. E.g. ABC301121.

So each month the first 4 digits will vary. Would it be possible to automate such task in the first place, as the task would have to look at the current month and then send that file associated with it.

I hope this makes sense...

[Anonymous]

Hi @Pstork1 

You are referring to the Power Automate web app? Yeah it doesn't really matter where it happens, I just can't seem to get to the point where I can attach a file that has a ever-changing name. My naming convention is rather simple, it is client initials followed by date of invoice creation, i.e. ABCDddmmyy e.g ABCD301121

[VJR]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Would it be possible to automate such task in the first place, as the task would have to look at the current month and then send that file associated with it.

Yes, that's possible.

Your flow would look like this.

As example I have taken the client name and the folder path in variable.

The line number 4 above will display the complete path of the file that you want to attach.

Then use that variable in your Email action

You can copy paste the below code in a new PAD editor and check the same.

Make sure to add those variables shown in the right.

DateTime.Local DateTimeFormat: DateTime.DateTimeFormat.DateOnly CurrentDateTime=> CurrentDate
Text.FromCustomDateTime DateTime: CurrentDate CustomFormat: $'''ddMMyy''' Result=> FormattedDate
SET FileToAttach TO $'''%MyFolder%\\%ClientName%%FormattedDate%.txt'''
Display.ShowMessage Message: FileToAttach Icon: Display.Icon.None Buttons: Display.Buttons.OK DefaultButton: Display.DefaultButton.Button1 IsTopMost: False ButtonPressed=> ButtonPressed
Outlook.SendEmail Instance: `` Account: `` SendTo: `` IsBodyHtml: False Attachments: FileToAttach

PS: I have used txt as an example. You need to change it to pdf in line number 3.

[Anonymous]

Thanks @VJR . I will give it a shot later and let you know. The clientname and myfolder variables, did you make then input variables?

[Pstork1]

As long as the client initials are available creating the filename using that convention should be fairly easy in regular Power Automate using the Concat() and FormatDateTime() functions.  You may be able to do it in PAD as well, but I find the string manipulation functions to be much more limited in PAD.

[Anonymous]

Hi @VJR 

how did you create the flow variable FileToAttach? I have created the two standalone input variables ClientName and MyFolder.

[Anonymous]

Hi again @VJR 

So I was able to get it to work, somehow. The only issue I have is that the process attaches ALL the files. I have created a flow variable that sorts all the files in the specified order, but I need to select only the most recent file in that folder. There are multiple files that start with ABC, but each is for a different month. So close yet so far.

[MichaelAnnis]

Since you told it how to write the filename, you should be able to tell it which file you want to attach.

If you are getting a list of files and trying to attach from there, in "Get Files" make sure it is sorted by Date Modified Descending in the drop down options of Get Files, then, you can use %Files[0]% to reference the latest file.

[VJR]

Hi @Anonymous 

I need to select only the most recent file in that folder. There are multiple files that start with ABC

If you can see in my post the FileToAttach is pointing to only 1 single file and not to multiple files that start with ABC.

So, it should work unless you are doing something incorrectly.

If you can share all possible screenshots like your flow, which value goes into which variable, then the issue can be figured out.