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Adding Filters to Categorize Outlook 365 Events for Excel Integration

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Posted on by snowflake_

I'm in the process of importing Outlook 365 events into Excel. I've made progress by following the steps outlined in this guide: https://www.enjoysharepoint.com/power-automate-get-events-into-excel/, and I've attached a screenshot of my current workflow.

However, I now need to include filters for these events. They're categorized by six different colors. My objective is to utilize Power Automate to sort each event by its corresponding color and then export them to distinct Excel worksheets based on their categories.

Could someone please assist me in categorizing events and organizing them into Excel?

截圖 2024-04-19 16.05.14.png

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creativeopinion 10,502 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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@snowflake_ Could you switch to the Classic Designer and expand your actions and upload a screenshot of that. It would help to provide more insights as to what you are using your variables for and how you have your Add a row to a table action set up.

In the meantime, you might 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.

IN THIS VIDEO:

✅ 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!

👉 Level up your Power Automate skills by checking out my tutorials on YouTube
👉 Tips and Tricks on TikTok and Instagram

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snowflake_ 20 on at

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Hello! I currently only have access to the "New Designer" mode. Attached are the screenshots as requested. Could you please advise me on where to apply the filter? Should it be within specific steps in the "Apply to Each" action in my flow, or would you recommend applying it after a certain step? Thank you for your guidance!

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creativeopinion 10,502 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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@snowflake_ What you attached is great (it's also the Classic Designer view)—what you attached in your original post was from the New Designer. I should have said "toggle off the New Designer".

To help you better understand how you will filter out events. I'd recommend creating a new flow and only add the following actions so you can see the output of the Categories dynamic content.

Run a test. The Compose action will output the category/categories of the current event it's looping through.

The output of the categories is an array.

I need a bit more information on your requirement:

My objective is to utilize Power Automate to sort each event by its corresponding color and then export them to distinct Excel worksheets based on their categories.

When you say sort each event by its corresponding color do you mean group?

Is there a separate Excel file for each colour or a separate table within a single file for each color

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snowflake_ 20 on at

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Thanks for asking! When I mention "sorting each event by its corresponding color," I'm referring to grouping events based on the colour categories assigned to them in the Outlook Calendar. For instance, if events linked with Company A are designated with a light purple category, these events would be grouped together. Similarly, events associated with Company B, marked with a red category, would also be grouped together. This process involves filtering six categories.

Regarding the Excel part, my initial idea was to perform copy-paste tasks from the overview worksheet (containing the six categories) to separate worksheets (each representing a category). However, I'm open to flexibility in exporting them to Excel worksheets. I prefer the easier and simpler approach. Specifically, I'm considering two options:
1. Separate Excel files: Each colour category would have its own Excel file containing the relevant events.
2. Single Excel file with separate sheets: Events of each colour category could be exported to separate sheets within a single Excel file, with each sheet representing a different category.

From your perspective, which option do you think would be better? These worksheets are used for invoices, so they contain tables within one sheet. This is why I initially viewed the calendar view of events as an overview and then distributed them into corresponding invoices.

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