Error in variable initialization: String variable must be initialized before it can be used inside action Set variable

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Posted on by amk1421

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1- Initialize a 'string' variable to "email@domain.com",

2- Append to variable with dynamic column email

3- Extract substring from created string to eliminate last extra comma ',' e.g.

"email1@xyz.com","email2@xyz.com","email3@xyz.com",

2023-09-06 18_47_30-Edit your flow _ Power Automate.png

Even though the variable is initialized in first step why then on save it gives error

"Flow save failed with code 'InvalidVariableOperation' and message 'The inputs of workflow run action 'Set_EmailRcptTo_variable' of type 'SetVariable' are not valid. The variable '{EmailRcptTo}' must be initialized before it can be used inside action 'Set_EmailRcptTo_variable'.'."

Please note I am doing following:

1- Initialize string variable

2- Append to string variable

3- Set string variable

Requirement:

1- Create a string initialize it with a sample email all quotes and comma separated "abc@xyz.com",

2- Add to the string dynamic email values from SP column, all enclosed values with quotes "" and a comma e.g. "email1@xyz.com","email2@xyz.com","email3@xyz.com",

3- Remove the last extra comma character

@trice602 @ManishSolanki @creativeopinion @wskinnermctc @Expiscornovus @abm @rzaneti @Pstork1 @Nived_Nambiar @Chriddle @Matthy79 @AlexEncodian @LinnZawWin @Ryan_B @ChristianAbata @SudeepGhatakNZ @Tim19943 @annetoal @tom_riha @Robotech12 @lbendlin

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Pstork1 68,697 Most Valuable Professional on at

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I suspect the problem is the use of double quotes in the first initialization. You are embedding quotes inside a string variable without escaping them. Try doing the same thing but without the double quotes.

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efialttes 14,756 on at

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@akg1421
Please also note just in case you have two 'Apply to each' nested (une inside the other), you cannot initialize variable inside an 'Apply to each'; you should initialize it before
Hope this helps
<----------------------------------------->

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amk1421 195 on at

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@Pstork1 @efialttes Double quotes are absolutely required in first initialization, the string must contain a value like "email1@xyz.com","email2@xyz.com","email3@xyz.com",

How should I escape the quote character?

Please note I am doing following:
1- Initialize string variable
2- Append to string variable
3- Set string variable

Requirement:
1- Create a string initialize it with a sample email all quotes and comma separated "abc@xyz.com",
2- Add to the string dynamic email values from SP column, all enclosed values with quotes "" and a comma e.g. "email1@xyz.com","email2@xyz.com","email3@xyz.com",
3- Remove the last extra comma character

Any other way to achieve the same?

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lbendlin 8,474 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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I got a nicer error message:

Flow save failed with code 'WorkflowRunActionInputsInvalidProperty' and message 'The inputs of workflow run action 'Set_variable' of type 'SetVariable' are not valid. Self reference is not supported when updating the value of variable 'Variable00'.'.

Use a second variable.

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amk1421 195 on at

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@lbendlin So I tried using second variable but it still gives the same error. Issue seems to be because the Initialized variable is getting used in substring function in Set Action

substring(variables('{EmailRcptTo}'), 0, sub(length(variables('{EmailRcptTo}')),1))

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trice602 15,402 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi @akg1421 ,

I didn't see any extra ","s and here is my test flow. Please review.

Let me know if this helps you resolve this please! I threw this in a compose at the end so you can see the format.

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lbendlin 8,474 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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I seem to be able to do this

Also with init/set

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Pstork1 68,697 Most Valuable Professional on at

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The point is that the double quotes are allready there around the value you put in the field because its a string. What you are trying to define in the variable is the equvalent of this.

""email1@xyz.com","email2@xyz.com","email3@xyz.com""

That's not a valid string and that's why you are getting the error. Why do you need the quotes? If you want to use the list of email addresses in something like the To: field of a mail action the quotes can't be there anyway.

If you insist on having the quotes then use a Compose and append to it using Conact(). The Compose won't strong type the value as a string.

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Chriddle 8,436 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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{EmailRcptTo} is not the name of your variable, it's EmailRcptTo

Therefore try variables('EmailRcptTo')

But you might have already noticed, that - since self referencing is not allowed - you can't use that in the Set variable action.

To circumvent this, you may put this into a Compose action and use that output in the Set variable.

However, I would try completely a different aprroach by using a Select action to create the array of emails and simply join its values.

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Matthy79 4,180 Super User 2024 Season 1 on at

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@akg1421

First of all. It’s not ok to tag the half community during topic creation.

You already got your reply why this can’t work (self reference)

What I don’t understand is why nobody mentioned the flow setup. Why do you need a variable? Why an apply to each. As far as I understand you have an array and want to use this array to create one single string. This is a classic requirement that can be solved by using select and join.

@Chriddle already mentioned it and that’s the way to go.

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