Multiple Choice Answer on Forms Translate to Generate a Microsoft Word Doc

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Posted on by rkardos

Forms - Power Automate - Generate Word Document

I'm working in Microsoft Forms using Power Automate to generate a Microsoft Word Doc from a Microsoft Word Template. I have one question on the form that is a multiple choice question/answer, using Checkboxes, that translates as a response like this: "[\"Accounting\",\"Advertising\",\"Communications\",\"Contracts\"]",

However the Microsoft Word Template uses "Plain Text Content Control" as the merge field tag. If I attempt to use a "Rich Text Content Control" as the merge field tag, the Power Automate mapping tool won't recognize it.

I am using the "Populate a Microsoft Word Template" using Dynamic Content in Power Automate and the "Plain Text Content Control" in the Microsoft Word Template.

How can I translate the multiple answer array/list/string into values that can be passed to the Merge Template efficiently in Power Automate?

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SwatiSTW 741 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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1.After "Get Response Details," add a Compose action.

2. In the Compose action, use this expression
join(outputs('Get_response_details')?['body/FieldName'], ', ')

3. Replace FieldName with the name of the question in your form.

4. In "Populate a Microsoft Word Template," map the output of the Compose action to the corresponding Plain Text Content Control field in your Word template.

5. Continue with the remaining steps in your flow (Create file, Convert to PDF, Send an email).

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rkardos 3 on at

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@SwatiSTW Thank you.... this got me closer. However, I'm receiving this error: InvalidTemplate
Unable to process template language expressions in action 'Compose' inputs at line '0' and column '0': 'The template language function 'join' expects its first parameter to be an array. The provided value is of type 'String'. Please see https://aka.ms/logicexpressions#join for usage details.'.

Am I missing something else? I tried a "Split" instead and the merge document worked, but came out like the below screenshot. I have more than one question on the form, in the multiple choice question appears in the middle of the form.

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SwatiSTW 741 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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The issue you are facing happens because the response from your form is being treated as a single string (not an array) or improperly formatted JSON, which causes the join function to fail, try below steps.

1. After the Get Response Details action in your flow, add a Compose action.
2. In the Compose action, write this code:
json(outputs('Get_response_details')?['body/FieldName'])
Replace FieldName with the name of your multiple-choice question.
3. Add another Compose action below this one.
4. In the second Compose action, write this code:
join(outputs('Compose'), ', ')
5. Use the output of the second Compose action wherever you want to place the multiple-choice question in your Word template.
6. If you have more multiple-choice questions, repeat these steps for each one.

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