populate word template without using the new PREMIUM connector

(0) Share

Report

Posted on by gazzo1967

1,151

Hi all

Can some one help with populating a word template with out using the new premium connector?

Gary

Categories:

Building flows

I have the same question (0)

All responses (28)

Answers (1)

Pstork1 68,697 Most Valuable Professional on at

Like (1)

Report

Unfortunately, that functionality requries the use of WordOnline and Microsoft has decided that is a premium features. I am not aware of any way to populate a word template without using a premium feature.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
v-alzhan-msft on at

Like (0)

Report

Hi @gazzo1967 ,

The action "Populate a Microsoft Word template" is a PREMIUM action and there is no any other action in microsoft could populate word template.

Best regards,
Alice

Community Support Team _ Alice Zhang
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
gazzo1967 1,151 on at

Like (0)

Report

@v-alzhan-msft
is or isnt?
And if i upgrade my licience to include this does it mean all users in my organisation need to be upgraded?
And if i use it in a power app does that mean all users have to have a premium Powerapp licience?

Gary

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
v-alzhan-msft on at

Like (0)

Report

Hi @gazzo1967 ,

The action "Populate a Microsoft Word template" is a PREMIUM action and there is no any other action in microsoft could populate word template.

And yes, if you upgrade your licience to include this , all users in your organisation need to be upgraded,
if you use it in a power app, all users have to have a premium Powerapp licience.

Best regards,
Alice

Community Support Team _ Alice Zhang
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
gazzo1967 1,151 on at

Like (0)

Report

@v-alzhan-msft
Thank you for the response.
So for clarity.
Using the connector triggered by a Power app means that everyone has to have a premium licience.
If i trigger the connector through sharepoint and not powerapps does that mean veryone still needs a premium powerapp licience?

Also if i upgrade my flow licience i can use the connector in my flows but everyone else would need to have the upgraded flow licience too?

GAry

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Verified answer

Pstork1 68,697 Most Valuable Professional on at

Like (1)

Report

Let me clarify a bit.

If you use a Premium feature in a Flow it depends on how the Flow is used whether all users need to have the premium license or not. In the case of a Flow that is started from a PowerApp, then the Flow runs in the context of the user who is running the PowerApp. That user will need to have a Premium license. But that doesn't mean you need to upgrade all your users to a premium license. Only the users who use the app will need the Premium license. But any user who uses a PowerApp that starts a Flow that uses a Premium feature will need a Premium license. Users who don't use the App, ie for whom the app has not been shared, will not need a Premium license.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
gazzo1967 1,151 on at

Like (3)

Report

@Pstork1
Thank you for the response.
Unfortunately most of my organisation (1300 approx) would need to use it which now makes it unaffordable.
i was hoping that a small number of us would have the upgrade (the ones who build the flows) and the rest would use them..
its unfortunate its a good connector/trigger but as per usual MS has priced it out of the reach of organisation (public/government).
It would have been useful if it was done on the developer account.
Ah well having to look at another solution to do a workarund using html

Again Thank you

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Community Power Pla... on at

Like (3)

Report
Hm...

There are DEFINITELY ways around the Word Premium connectors

Requires Sharepoint

Add .docx file to Sharepoint content types

Add every field in the .docx as a column in the Sharepoint list

Etc.

There are also some low cost options for Flows

Rather than trigger FROM PowerApps, why not just trigger "When a record is created" in Sharepoint?

Then the Flow runs under a single person's context

Am I mistaken here @Pstork1?

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Pstork1 68,697 Most Valuable Professional on at

Like (0)

Report

@ericonline

1) Adding the fields as metadata and then using them as document properties might be possible. But I'm not sure it will populate correctly in an automated system, because it usually populates when you open the Doc in the client and that would bring us back to the Word online connector again.

2) Doing it with a trigger on the List item or document that starts a Flow might also work, at least technically. The issue is whether it violates the spirit of the licensing. You could still have a problem when true up time comes for the enterprise agreement since its clearly designed to go around the licensing restrictions.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Community Power Pla... on at

Like (2)

Report

Hi @Pstork1

1. I have old Flows (pre-Premium Word Connector) running that take items from a Sharepoint list and convert to PDF using this method. Maybe I'll post the How-to here.

- There are limitations (each field in the .docx MUST have a corresponding column in the Document Library)

- Doesn't work well for variable numbers of items (1 or many images, etc.)

2. I don't think using a Sharepoint list item trigger is against any spirit of licensing. I certainly don't agree with your assertion that its "clearly designed to go around the licensing restrictions".

- Its simple and straightforward

- Its not a hack

- Its logical

- Once you exceed thresholds, you're charged accordingly

- Etc.

If I was suggesting some wild thing that edits a swagger file or in another way obviously skirts licensing thats one thing. If i'm using simple logic to create a solution, thats quite another.

If you have some licensing docs I can review to understand your point of view better, I'd like to see them.

Good discussion!

Was this reply helpful? Yes No