People Picker all I need is the display name

[Mikey_01]

I feel like this should not be so hard, but I have watched numerous videos and read many posts and still can't get something to work.  

Here is what I want to do:

We have a share point list that tracks customers coming to our company including.  I need to pull 3 fields from this list.  Name of company (easy), Date they are going live (easy), and the name of the primary contact within our department who will help them (people pickers are the worst).    

The other issue is the list comes in and is flited to current year - which yields about 191 records, I have a Filter Array to pull a specific type of customer and a certain platform they are on - yielding about 25 records currently.  I have tried to add that to my initial filter on my get items and that has failed.  

The people picker is set to allow multiple records, in my case it won't hold multiple but for other filters of the list (different platform) it could.  I know that doesn't change how we need to work with the data, but it is just not an option to take that ability away and make this simpler.  

So here is what does work 
My Get items - filtered to this year 

My Filter array to add my additional two conditions 

I then have 2 selects currently - the first one pull the company and date field I need 

My second pull the name picker 

I can't go back to the get items because it will run though all 191 records. 

I have a compose for a count (no issues here) and I have a parse JSON off the Select 1 

This all works nicely.  The issue is getting the Display Name from here to them add to my Company and Date fields. 

I am not getting nice fields anytime I try to make that connection.  I have had multiple errors from the array standpoint. I also have had were I get a list of all names in that field and not the one that goes with each applicable record.  

In the end I want to send a email with a nice HTML table for the next week when these customers go live with us.  I am at a loss lately with what else to do.  

Thanks! 

[creativeopinion]

@Mikey_01  You should be able to Compose a Filter Query with your conditions you have in your Filter Array action. This would reduce your flow by one action. I'd recommend using the Classic Designer (toggle off the new one) as it's still buggy.

Create a New Flow for testing purposes.

You should be able to include the conditions below into your Filter Query field. Can you confirm the type of columns you are filtering by? 

 

The filter query syntax is a bit different and you'll need to use the eq operator. You will need to use the internal column name of your columns. Keep in mind that the internal column name may not always match the name displayed in your Sharepoint list. If you aren't sure how to get the Internal Column name, you can refer to this section of one of my YT Tutorials.

The filter query should look something like this. Keep in mind that the equals to (eq) operator is looking for an exact match. 

It isn't necessary to fill in the top count field, unless you want to limit the number of items returned. Tip: While testing and building your flow, (when possible) you can limit the number of items to a smaller number to speed up your flow run (by reducing the number of items returned). This may not be possible in some cases.

If your SP list contains more than 100 items you will need to toggle on pagination and set a threshold in the Settings of the Get Items action.

 

Return Item Count

Whenever I use a Filter Query in a Get Items action, I always like to return the count of items returned in a Compose action. This is helpful when building a flow and can also be used to troubleshoot your flow.

Insert a Compose action. Add an Expression. Use the length() function.

 

Select the Dynamic content tab and insert the value dynamic content from the Get Items action into the length() function.

 

Run a test. It's always best to run tests at each major section of your flow as it's easier to troubleshoot as you are building rather than trying to troubleshoot after you've "completed" your flow. 

Let's try to get the Filter Query working so it filters out all the items as expected from your SP List first.

... more to come.

In the meantime you may find these YT Tutorials helpful:

Are you using the Microsoft Power Automate Filter Array Action wrong?

In this video tutorial I’ll show you 3 practical ways to use the Filter Array action and how to use it properly.

1️⃣ Cross-Referencing Data

2️⃣ Filtering by Key

3️⃣ Substring Matching

Did you know that the Condition action has a limit of 10 conditions? Although it might look like the Filter Array action can only accept one condition—this is not true. By using the advanced mode you can enter multiple conditions into a Filter Array action with an expression.

IN THIS VIDEO:

✅ 3 Ways to Use the Filter Array Action

✅ How to use the Scope Action to Group Actions

✅ How to Check the Number of Items returned from a Filter Array Action

✅ How to Cross-Reference Data in Excel with a SharePoint List

✅ How the Filter Array Action Works

✅ How to Access the Dynamic Content from a Filter Array Action

✅ How to Filter Items by a Key

✅ How to Filter Items by Matching a Substring

✅ How to Use Multiple Conditions in a Filter Array Action

----

How to Handle Multi-Person SharePoint Item Notifications in Outlook and MS Teams with Power Automate

Do you want to know how to send an email to all users assigned to a SharePoint item? If so—this Power Automate tutorial is for YOU 🫵.

In a previous YouTube tutorial I covered how to build a Power Automate flow that sends a single email to ...

However, that tutorial only covered a scenario where each task is assigned to a single user. What if your task is assigned to more than one user?

In this Microsoft Power Automate tutorial I’ll cover how to create a flow that is triggered by selecting an item. This automation will send an email to all assigned users for the selected task. I’ll also show you how to adjust your flow so that you can send a message in Teams. Then I’ll show you how to collect a list of unique users that have been assigned to multi-person tasks. Using this concept, we’ll edit the flow from the previous tutorial so that it works with a multi-person column.

IN THIS VIDEO:

✅  How to trigger a flow from a selected file

✅  How the multi-person column data outputs

✅  How to use the Select action to get all assigned to users of a SharePoint item

✅  How to use the Join action to convert an array of email addresses into a string

✅  How to send a single email to all assigned to users of a SharePoint item

✅  How to send an email to each assigned to user of a SharePoint item

✅  How to send a Teams message to each user assigned to a SharePoint item

✅  How to return a list of unique users from the multi-person column in a SharePoint list

✅  How to use a Filter Array action to return all SharePoint list items assigned to each user

✅  How to group Power Automate actions together with the Scope action

✅  How to edit a previous flow

---

For more flow troubleshooting tips—check out this YT Tutorial: 5 Power Automate Troubleshooting FAQs and Helpful Tips for Creating Better Flows

In this Power Automate tutorial, I explore 5 frequently asked questions that pop up when troubleshooting a flow. If you’d like to to level up your Power Automate flow skills and learn how to troubleshoot your Power Automate flow—this tutorial is for you!

IN THIS VIDEO:

✅ How to troubleshoot a false Condition action result

✅ How to get dynamic content when it isn’t selectable from the list of dynamic content

✅ How to troubleshoot an Apply to Each action that isn’t looping through

✅ How to troubleshoot a skipped Apply to Each action

✅ How to troubleshoot a Filter Query

✅ How to use a SharePoint yes/no column in a Filter Query

✅ How to use Compose actions to troubleshoot a Power Automate flow

✅ How to troubleshoot multiple emails being sent

✅ How to troubleshoot multiple Teams messages being sent

---

How to Work with 📆 Dates in Power Automate | Example Scenarios and Tips & Tricks

Are you easily stumped when working with Dates in Power Automate? In this Power Automate tutorial, I’ll show you how to compose an expression that will return a future date, a past date, how to count the number of days between two dates, how to check for a birthdate and anniversary date as well as tips and tricks when working with dates in Power Automate.

I’ll cover some common use cases and concepts that can help you to build better Power Automate flows. Feel free to skip ahead using the timestamps listed below. I’ve also linked a few other tutorials that you might be interested in as well.

IN THIS VIDEO:

✅ 4 Date Functions You Need to Know

✅ How to use the Convert Time Zone Action

✅ How to Get a Future Date

✅ How to Get a Past Date

✅ How to Return SharePoint Items Due in a Number of Days

✅ How to Return SharePoint Items Due within a Date Range

✅ How to write a Filter Query for SharePoint Items Due in 30, 60 and 90 Days

✅ How to Calculate the Number of Days between Two Dates

✅ How to Check for a Birthdate and Anniversary Date

✅ How to work with Dates and Times in Excel

✅ How to use a Manual Trigger with Date Input

✅ How to Output Dynamic Text with an Expression

✅ How to Check if a Date Falls on a Weekend

Hope this helps!

If I helped you solve your problem—please mark my post as a solution ✅.
Consider giving me a 👍 if you liked my response!

👉 Level up your Power Automate skills by checking out my tutorials on YouTube
👉 Tips and Tricks on TikTok and Instagram

[Mikey_01]

Hello @creativeopinion , 

So, the issue I ran into before was these are two selector values and they don't seem to play nice in the get items.  One is a Software type selector and customer type designation selection.  I finally got the fields to line up but then I get no results. 

Compose Action expression 

length(outputs('Get_Current_Year_Customers')?['body/value'])

I can confirm when I use my filter array setup that I do get 25 records 

[creativeopinion]

@Mikey_01 You didn't confirm what type of columns these are. Are they single choice? Multi-choice? Text? Look Up?

To troubleshoot your filter query, I would recommend adding a condition at a time. First, run a test with the first condition—check the Compose action output.

Add another condition in. Run a test—check the output.

If the filter query above doesn't output any items, try replacing the second condition with the third one. 

You can also remove the parenthesis from the first condition (not necessary). 

[Mikey_01]

@creativeopinion 

The fields are single-select values 

I can get the POType ='New Customer' to work no issue.  

My STU_x002f_BUS is the trouble spot.  It is called System in the list screen.  I have used the following options:

System

System_Value

STU_x002f_BUS

STU_x002f_BUS Value

STU_x002f_BUS_Value

STU_x002f_BUS/Value 

So I am at a loss on that one.  I either get the field can't be found or it has been deleted. 

[creativeopinion]

@Mikey_01 You will need to use the internal column name of your column. Keep in mind that the internal column name may not always match the name displayed in your Sharepoint list. If you aren't sure how to get the Internal Column name, you can refer to this section of one of my YT Tutorials.

Hope this helps!

If I helped you solve your problem—please mark my post as a solution ✅.
Consider giving me a 👍 if you liked my response!

👉 Level up your Power Automate skills by checking out my tutorials on YouTube
👉 Tips and Tricks on TikTok and Instagram

[Mikey_01]

@creativeopinion 

Okay, even though I had the STU_x002f_BUS multiple times as the field name, this time, copying it from the web address was the trick.  I am Filtered to my 25 records.  

I am so turned around now on what my next steps should be. 

[Mikey_01]

Does anyone know how to get my display name from my people picker and combine it with data from the record to then create an HTML table of possibly multiple records?  

Basically I want a table that has Customer Name / A go live Date / and just the display name of their consultant (the people picker allows multiple). 

[creativeopinion · Accepted solution]

@Mikey_01 If you try to use the multi-person column dynamic content in your Create an HTML table action, it'll output an array of items.

You'll need to use an expression to extract and join the display names without using an Apply to Each action. Before you delete the dynamic content, hover over it to get the dynamic content key which is the text between the square brackets.

The expression you'll need to use is below. 

join(xpath(xml(json(concat('{"body":{"value":', item()?['YourColumn'] , '}}'))), '/body/value/DynamicContentKey/text()'), '[separator] ')

• item()?['YourColumn']: Get the multi-choice people column.
• concat: This concatenates the static strings {"body":{"value": and }} with the dynamic content from item()?['YourColumn'].
• json: This converts the concatenated string into a JSON object.
• xml: This converts the JSON object into an XML format.
• xpath: Extract DyanmicContentKey text values.
• join: Join the names into a single string with a separator

Copy/paste the function into the Expression field. Locate this part of the expression: item()?['YourColumn']

Replace the text between the single quotes with the text for your dynamic content key. In my case it's Multi_x002d_Person.

Press OK.

Run a test and review the outputs.

You can replace DisplayName in the expression with Email and the comma with a semi-colon if you'd like to output a string of email addresses with a semi-colon as a separator.

Hope this helps!

If I helped you solve your problem—please mark my post as a solution ✅.
Consider giving me a 👍 if you liked my response!

👉 Level up your Power Automate skills by checking out my tutorials on YouTube
👉 Tips and Tricks on TikTok and Instagram

[Mikey_01]

@creativeopinion 

YES!  Thank you!!  

[adedapo]

@creativeopinion I want to appreciate how you solved this issue: from recommending a better filter method to the final solution.
Your final solution essentially uses XPath as an inline select action 🤯. This opens a lot of possibilities. XPath already provides a way to do lookups, inline filters.