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Location of Append Variable adding on from previous apply to each

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Posted on by adriennevh

I have a flow which is pulling from a SharePoint Media Library. It is going to send the headshot proofs to all staff for their approval of the one they'd like to be their headshot.

I'm using base64 to encode the images, and then a variable to make multiple rows in a table for the images to be sent.
However the Append Variable is taking on the images from the other Employees being run in the previous Apply to Each as It's run concurrently.

As you can see in the email being sent, I should have only received the dog pictures, and the other person should have received the drawings. But we both got both (after I set to concurrent, before I set it only I was getting 4 images, the other person got 2).

Compose (making the base64 encoding from the Image)

Append varRows

<tr> <td>@{outputs('Get_file_properties')?['body/{Name}']}</td> <td>@{outputs('Compose_Image')} </td>

How can I change the input/location of the variable varRows so the output going into the email is unique for the Employee receiving an email, but still only sending 1 email per employee. Help!

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Building flows

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CU-18081211-6 9,270 Moderator on at

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@adriennevh ,

Can you repost the pictures ? Use large image please, so we can see them clearly.

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adriennevh 27 on at

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@gabibalaban
sorry about that i dragged them in from a post that was flagged as spam. Better i hope

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CU-18081211-6 9,270 Moderator on at

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@adriennevh ,

The next question is what do you do inside Scope - User Items ? I suppose that body from apply to each is linked to a compose/filter action inside Scope - User Items.

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adriennevh 27 on at

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Yes @gabibalaban you're correct, the body in that Apply to Each references the output within that Scope.
Here's what's inside all the actions. Scope - User Items is bolded:

1. Manual Trigger
2. Get Items - with filter query Status eq 'Ready for Review'
3. Initialize Variable - varCSS - for the table CSS to be included in the email at the end
4. Initialize Variable - varTitle - String - Value: <table> <tr> <th> File Name </th> <th> Headshot </th>
5. Initialize Variable - varRows - String - Value: blank
6. Select - Users - From: Value: outputs('Get_items')?['body/value']
Map
Name: item()?['Employee/DisplayName']
Email: item()?['Employee/Email']
7. Compose - Unique Users
Inputs: union(body('Select_-_Users'),body('Select_-_Users'))
8. Initialize Variable - ImageBase64 - String - Value: blank
9. Apply to each - User - Select an output: outputs('Compose_-_Unique_Users')
9a. Scope - User Info
9a1. Compose - Users Full Name - Inputs: items('Apply_to_each_-_User')?['Name']
9a2. Compose - Users First Name - Inputs: first(split(outputs('Compose_-_Users_Full_Name'),' '))
9a3. Compose - Users Email Address - Inputs: items('Apply_to_each_-_User')?['Email']
9b. Scope - User Items
9b1. Filter array - User Items
@equals(item()?['Employee/Email'], outputs('Compose_-_Users_Email_Address'))
9b2. Compose - User Item Count - Inputs: length(body('Filter_array_-_User_Items'))
9c. Apply to Each - Photo - Select an output: body('Filter_array_-_User_Items')
9c1. Get file properties - Id: items('Apply_to_each_-_Photo')?['ID']
9c2. Get file contents - File identifier: outputs('Get_file_properties')?['body/{Identifier}']
9c3. Compose base64 - Inputs: base64(body('Get_file_content'))
9c4. Compose ImageBase64 - Inputs: outputs('Compose_base64')
9c5. Compose Image - Inputs: <img src="data&colon;image/jpeg;base64,@{outputs('Compose_ImageBase64')}" />
9c6. Append varRows - <tr> <td>@{outputs('Get_file_properties')?['body/{Name}']}</td> <td>@{outputs('Compose_Image')} </td>
9c7. Update file properties
Id: items('Apply_to_each_-_Photo')['ID']
Status Value: Sent for review
9d. Select - List File Names
From: body('Filter_array_-_User_Items')
Map: concat(item()?['{Name}'])
9e. Compose - Option Names - Inputs: join(body('Select_-__List_File_Names'),',')
9f. Send email with Options
To: outputs('Compose_-_Users_Email_Address')
User Options: outputs('Compose_-_Option_Names')
Body: @{variables('varCSS')}@{variables('varTitle')}@{variables('varRows')}
Use only HTML message: Yes
9g. Apply to each - Name check
Condition - this part after the issue and doesn't seem to be affecting it

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adriennevh 27 on at

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Bump for visibility. Fingers crossed

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creativeopinion

10,502 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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@adriennevh Edit:

Sorry I just reread your original post. Because you need to send an image to each person, the Append to Variable action isn't necessary in your case. Instead, you should use a Compose actions to compose the CSS/HTML—setting variables isn't necessary.

You might also find this YT Tutorial helpful: 3 Mistakes YOU 🫵 are Making with the Apply to Each Action in your Microsoft Power Automate Flow

In this video tutorial I’ll go over how to avoid these common mistakes when using the Apply to Each action in a Power Automate flow:

1️⃣ Looping through a Single Item

2️⃣ Creating Unnecessary Nested Loops

3️⃣ Looping through an Unfiltered Array

At the end of the video I share a few helpful insights when it comes to using the Apply to Each action in your flow.

I'll also cover:

✅ How to avoid the Apply to Each action with a single item array

✅ How to use the item() function to access dynamic content in an array

✅ How to prevent unnecessary nested Apply to Each action loops

✅ How to use the Select action

✅ How to convert an array to a string with the Select action

✅How to use the Filter Query field

✅ How to count the number of items in an array

✅ How to use a condition control

✅ How to use the concurrency control

✅ How to set a top count

✅ How to use Compose actions for troubleshooting

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! If you're feeling generous— ☕️ Buy me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/acreativeopinion

👉 Watch my tutorials on YouTube
👉 Tips and Tricks on TikTok

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adriennevh 27 on at

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Thank you for the reply @creativeopinion
If I disable the concurrency, it seems like it will require the flow to be completed for that employee, ie to wait for their reply to the Email with Options, and because employees are inconsistent and slow... It'll never get through all of them.
I watched the video. Good content! However I'm not sure how to apply it to my situation.
Is there a way to move the Email with Options outside the Apply to Each loop, while still having it send 1 email to each employee with only their images?
Or maybe a way to branch the actions so they happen concurrently but append the variable uniquely for that branch?

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creativeopinion

10,502 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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@adriennevh In my first response (before editing) I had indicated that you would have to turn off your concurrency control because you were using the Append to String variable. If you use Compose actions instead of variables, you can leave the Concurrency control on.

In your case, because you are Composing HTML, you don't require a variable to hold any values.

Also, at the end of your flow you are using an Update Item action in both the YES and NO branch of your Condition action. I can't tell what value(s) you are setting based on the branch cause the actions aren't expanding. However, you could streamline this portion of your flow by using expressions instead of a Condition action and two Update Item actions.

I cover this concept in this section of a YT Tutorial where I show you how to get your MS Form responses into a SP list. You can apply this concept to your flow.

Hope this helps!

👉 Watch my tutorials on YouTube
👉 Tips and Tricks on TikTok

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adriennevh 27 on at

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Thank you for the help and info. With that information, I ended up completely rebuilding it using filter arrays rather than nested Apply to Each's.

For anyone in the future coming across this, using the Get Files with Filter arrays rather than variables allowed me to have the flows run concurrently, and not include each other's images.
I ended up adding a column and doing the base64 encoding as a value in that, and then pulling that value into my fields further down.

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creativeopinion 10,502 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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@adriennevh It looks great! One more recommendation I'd make is to rename your actions to keep your flow organized! It can come in handy especially when you have multiple instances of actions in your flow. It makes it easier to identify which dynamic content belongs to which action!

Just note that if you rename your actions after you've used the dynamic content in another action—you'll need to remove that dynamic content and re-add it (as it most likely points to the old action name). Occasionally it picks up the new name... but I haven't found that to be a consistent behaviour.

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