split( '01/01/1901@@00:00:00', '@@' )[1] returns empty string, when it should return '00:00:00'

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Posted on by vllanso

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In a powerautomate flow I have the following formula that, I don't understand why, is returning an empty string.

Does it make sense the result ? Is it the expected result ? Any suggestion on how to change the formula to get the expected result ?

split( '01/01/1901@@00:00:00', '@@' )[1]

I have done some additional tests, and results still look "strange" or "non-consistant"

Formula	Result
split( '01/01/1901@@00:00:00', '@@' )[1]	empty string
split( '01/01/1901@@00:00:01', '@@' )[1]	empty string
split( '00:00:00@@01/01/1901', '@@' )[0]	00:00:00
split( '01/01/1901@@00:00:00@xxx', '@@' )[1]	empty string
split( '01/01/1901@@01:00:00', '@@' )[1]	01:00:00

Thanks for your help,

Victor.

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Building flows

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MS.Ragavendar 7,431 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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@vllanso,

Try this split(string('01/01/1901@@00:00:00'),'@@')[1].

✅If this helped, please Accept as Solution to help others ❤️ A Like is appreciated 🏷️ Tag @MS.Ragavendar for follow-ups.

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Valantis 6,735 on at

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Hi @vllanso,

The pattern makes sense once you see what's happening. Power Automate is auto-converting '01/01/1901@@00:00:00' to a DateTime value before the split runs, because it recognises the pattern as a date-time string. When it converts back to string for the split, midnight (00:00:00) gets dropped or represented differently, which is why you get empty string for [1].

Notice it works for 01:00:00 but not 00:00:00 — midnight is the edge case that triggers this implicit conversion behavior.

MS.Ragavendar's fix is correct. Wrap the input in string() to prevent the implicit type conversion:
split(string('01/01/1901@@00:00:00'), '@@')[1]
This forces Power Automate to treat the value as a plain string before splitting, bypassing the DateTime auto-detection.

Best regards,

Valantis

✅ If this helped solve your issue, please Accept as Solution so others can find it quickly.

❤️ If it didn’t fully solve it but was still useful, please click “Yes” on “Was this reply helpful?” or leave a Like :).

🏷️ For follow-ups @Valantis.

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vllanso 143 on at

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Thanks for all the answers ... and finally the problem was not related with the casting/conversion to string, but it was related with the split separator I was using:

in the examples I provided, for simplification, I mentioned that the separator I was using was '@@'

but in my flow, the separator is in a flow variable, and the value asigned was @ instead of @@

So if the separator is @ instead of @@, then the returned value of an empty string is the right answer.

If you are asking why my variable had @ when it should have @@, this is a "funny" feature of powerapp that you can see in an old post I wrote that explains this "funny" feature, that I forgot about it when reviewing my current problem (for some reason I don't understand, some times powerautomate changes @@ with @).

Again, thans for all your help.

Victor.

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MS.Ragavendar 7,431 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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@vllanso, glad it worked.

Can you please verify the solution @MS.Ragavendar / @Valantis which will close the thread.

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vllanso 143 on at

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Hello,

I can confirm that both solutions from@MS.Ragavendar / @Valantis work correctly.

thanks, Victor.

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MS.Ragavendar 7,431 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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@vllanso,

Glad both of the solutions worked, you will see the below option in @MS.Ragavendar (Mine) & @Valantis by clicking the checkbox the thread will be closed and it will be helpful for other users in the future if they encountered the similar issue

✅If this helped, please Accept as Solution to help others ❤️ A Like is appreciated 🏷️ Tag @MS.Ragavendar for follow-ups.

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