Example of power automate that finds files based on part of the name

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Posted on by ME-14102049-0

Does anyone have an example of a Power Automate that finds files in a folder based on part of the file name. I have a list of file names such as C1234. I need to find the corresponding file in a folder of files with names structured like "Applesauce_C1234_bbb123.pdf". So I need to scan the entire filename for the matching 5 characters.

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Ellis Karim 11,684 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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If your files are stored in OneDrive, then you can use the pattern matching feature in the "Find files in a folder path" action:

How to Find Files in OneDrive That Match a Naming Pattern using Power Automate – Ellis Karim's Blog

But I suspect you want to use SharePoint. Unfortunately the current SharePoint connectors don't provide the same functionality as the OneDrive "Find files in a folder path" connector. For SharePoint you would need to use a combination of "Get files (properties only)" action and the "Filter array" using it with functions like:

startsWith() endsWith() contains()

Another method is to use Power Automate and the SharePoint Search REST API endpoint as explained in this video:
🔎 Search File Content 📃 in Power Apps from SharePoint Document Libraries (youtube.com)

Ellis

Ellis Karim's Blog – IT doesn't have to be complicated!

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