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Flow Removes Spaces from Text Fields (Excel Online-->SharePoint) -- How to Prevent This??

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Posted on by dfmaxwell

Hello! I'm developing a flow that reads an Excel Online worksheet and loads its contents into a SharePoint list. I've mapped all my fields to/from the correct sources and destinations, but now that I run the flow, all of my text fields in the SharePoint list have the spaces removed. For example in my Comments field, where my Excel reads "This is a comment," my result in SharePoint reads "Thisisacomment".

How can I prevent this? On my first try, I simply mapped the Excel fields using dynamic content, but encountered the error. Then I tried to map using the expression item()?['fieldname'] , but this did not help.

I'm doubly concerned because I have another field which is a lookup field in SharePoint. I get the lookup value by using a variable in my flow, but this method also removes the spaces from the text, and therefore I can't locate a matching value, so my result in SharePoint is blank for the lookup field.

How can I prevent this also?? Many thanks!

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dfmaxwell 56 on at

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Thanks very much for your expert assistance! I hope you have a happy and healthy new year.

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Nived_Nambiar 18,136 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Could you try that approach?

use compose action before creating the item action and place the dynamic content in that , run the flow and see what is the value of that ?

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Nived N 🚀

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dfmaxwell 56 on at

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No I don't believe the flow checks the value in the manner you described.

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Nived_Nambiar 18,136 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Before updating the SharePoint with that excel dynamic content, did you tried to check what is value present in that dynamic content by using compose action ?

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Nived N 🚀

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dfmaxwell 56 on at

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The flow does not use a Replace function. Thank you

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Nived_Nambiar 18,136 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Just wondering whether any replace operation has been done on field before updating it in create list ?

could you confirm that ?

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Nived N 🚀

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dfmaxwell 56 on at

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I will definitely try your suggested script! I may not be able to do it today, but I promise to mark this thread as resolved if and when it works.

To clarify, there is no error message. The flow succeeds, so the error I'm referring to is in the output when the spaces are removed from the text fields.

Many thanks again, I'm looking forward to trying out your proposal.

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Nived_Nambiar 18,136 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi @dfmaxwell

Ok got it now.

So coming back to this,

May i know few things ?

1. What error you got when you used excel's dynamic content ?

2. instead of item()?['fieldname'] could you try items('Apply_to_each_(MainOuter)')?['fieldname'] ?

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Nived N 🚀

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dfmaxwell 56 on at

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Of course, thank you for your reply.

The variables are used for the lookup fields. For example, let's say I'm looking for TeamName which is used as a drop-down value (lookup field) and the drop-downs are managed in the TeamNameList (SharePoint list). The flow takes the text value for TeamName in Excel, locates the matching value in the TeamNameList, and returns the TeamName ID from TeamNameList by entering it into the SharePoint list that I'm updating in the Create Item step.

As you can tell from the screenshot, I initialize the variables at the beginning of the flow. I SET the variables when a matching text value is found between Excel and TeamNameList. In the Create Items step, I map the variable using dynamic content.

I hope this explanation helps and I truly appreciate your assistance. I'm traveling right now and have a difficult time creating new screenshots.

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Nived_Nambiar 18,136 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi @dfmaxwell

for better clarification, could you explain me what is the condition you are looking and the variables values it is assigned in highlighted area as shown below?

That would help to find the error reason

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Nived N 🚀

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