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Create a workflow to analyse file in an email

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Posted on by DP-30090103-0

Hi,

I have a trigger to analyse an email schedule daily to my inbox. I want to analyse the file attached in the email using my organisation's copilot. Can you please help how to design the action such that when the email arrives, copilot analyses the attached excel spreadsheet based on a prompt.

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wolenberg_ 1,475 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello, there is a overview of your Power Automate workflow, let me know if you have questions:

Workflow Overview

You'll use Power Automate to:

1. Trigger on incoming email with attachment.
2. Extract the Excel file.
3. Pass the file and a prompt to Copilot for analysis.
4. Return or store the results.

Step-by-Step Setup

1. Trigger: When an Email Arrives

• Use the Outlook connector:
Trigger: When a new email arrives (V3)
• Set filters:
⁠◦ Folder: Inbox
⁠◦ Subject contains: “Scheduled Report” (or any keyword)
⁠◦ Has attachments: Yes

2. Get the Attachment

• Add action:
Get Attachment (V2)
• Use Message ID from the trigger to retrieve the file.

3. Save the File Temporarily

• Add action:
Create file (OneDrive or SharePoint)
• Save the Excel file so Copilot can access it.

4. Analyze with Copilot

• Use Microsoft Copilot Studio or Graph API (if your org has Copilot integrated):
⁠◦ Create a custom Copilot plugin or Power Automate custom connector that:
• Accepts the Excel file path or content.
• Accepts a prompt (e.g., “Summarize sales trends by region”).
• Returns the analysis.

5. Return or Store Results

• Options:
⁠◦ Send an email with the analysis.
⁠◦ Save results to SharePoint or OneDrive.
⁠◦ Post to Teams channel.

Final Notes

• Make sure your Copilot has access to the file location.
• If your org uses Microsoft 365 Copilot, you may need admin support to configure the plugin or connector.
• You can also schedule this flow to run daily using Recurrence trigger instead of email.

If this helped solve your issue or clarified things, feel free to give this answer a like or kudo — it not only supports me but also helps others in the community find useful solutions faster. Thanks for contributing! 💡👍

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DP-30090103-0 8 on at

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thanks for the detailed response @wolenberg_ Can you please elaborate on point number 4. I don't see the option Anlyze with Copilot in my powerautomate. I do have the enterprise copilot license from my organisation and I can use it with O365 etc. I am seeing limited options when i try to search for a trigger in automate for copilot e.g. Security copilot or copilot for sales.

Do I need Azure access to be able to perform step 4 that you have mentioned around Graph API or copilot studio?

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wolenberg_ 1,475 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Currently, Power Automate does not offer a native “Analyze with Copilot” action for Excel files. The generative AI capabilities in Power Automate are still evolving and are mostly focused on natural language flow creation, Copilot for Sales, Security Copilot, and AI Builder scenarios.
So yes — to perform custom Copilot-driven analysis of an Excel file, you’ll need to go beyond Power Automate’s built-in actions.

What You Need for Step 4 (Copilot + File Analysis)

Option 1: Microsoft Copilot Studio

• Copilot Studio lets you build custom copilots that can:
⁠◦ Accept file inputs (via SharePoint, OneDrive, or APIs)
⁠◦ Run analysis based on user prompts
• You’ll need:
⁠◦ Access to Copilot Studio (formerly Power Virtual Agents)
⁠◦ A way to pass the file from Power Automate to the Copilot (e.g., via SharePoint link or OneDrive path)
⁠◦ A custom plugin or topic that handles Excel parsing and prompt-based analysis

Option 2: Microsoft Graph API + Azure Logic

• If your organization allows it, you can:
⁠◦ Use Graph API to access the Excel file
⁠◦ Run analysis using Azure OpenAI or a custom Copilot endpoint
• You’ll need:
⁠◦ Azure access with permissions to use Graph API and Azure OpenAI
⁠◦ A registered app with delegated permissions to read files and invoke analysis
⁠◦ A Power Automate HTTP action to call your Azure endpoint

So in Summary you can do this:

If this helped solve your issue or clarified things, feel free to give this answer a like or kudo — it not only supports me but also helps others in the community find useful solutions faster. Thanks for contributing! 💡👍

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