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Attachment Encoding Issue using Send an email from a shared mailbox (V2) action

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Posted on by Dave Cascades

Hello everyone,

Here's my user scenario:

1) A user upload files (mostly PDF) using a MS form.

2) When the form is submitted, my flow is triggered. (The files are stored on my OneDrive because I've created the form)

3) An email is send from a shared mailbox with all the files in attachments

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My flow is working successfully. The email gets send and the files attached.

But, when I open them, they are blank. They open, but nothing shows. I can see by the size of the files that they contain data though.

Testing:

I did copy the value corresponding to the file content returned from the raw output of Get file content using path action and paste it online into a Base64 to PDF and it generated my file perfectly!

I also did add a Create File action for testing the output of the Get file content using path body and it worked! The PDF files got generated on my OneDrive.

I strongly suspect it's an encoding file issue coming from the Append to array variable I need to use in my flow. I think my understanding of base64 is not clear enough.

I did a lot of testing. I mean A LOT of testing and search. But now I'm getting desperate. I guess I'm close to the solution, but I can't find it.

If anyone can help, it would be much appreciate!

Thanks in advance for your help!

I join screenshot of my flow. In the last action, I add my array in attachments field.

Categories:

Building flows

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creativeopinion 10,502 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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@DB-09011827-0 You might be interested in this YT Tutorial:

How to Get Microsoft Form File Uploads Attached to an Email 📧
Are you stumped when it comes to handling a response without any file uploads?

In this Microsoft Power Automate Tutorial I’m going to cover where file uploads from your Microsoft Forms are saved. I’ll also show you how attach the uploaded files to an email and how to dynamically name the files and customize the recipient of the email based on the selections made in your Microsoft Form. I will also cover how to handle responses that don’t include any file uploads.

IN THIS VIDEO:
✓ Two types of MS Forms
✓ Where Microsoft Personal (OneDrive) Form File Uploads are Saved
✓ Where Microsoft Group Form File Uploads are Saved
✓ How to Add a File Upload Question to an MS Form
✓ How to get a Microsoft Form ID
✓ How to get a Microsoft Form Response
✓ How to Get the Dynamic Content Microsoft Form File Upload Content
✓ How to handle Single and Multiple Microsoft Form File Uploads
✓ How to use a Scope action to Organize and Group Your Flow Actions
✓ How to Get the File Content from an MS Form File Upload
✓ How to Collect All Files Uploaded to a MS Form and Attach to an Email
✓ How to Handle MS Form Response When a File Isn’t Uploaded
✓ How to Create an Email Key
✓ How to Send an Email to a Specific Recipient Based on Form Selection
✓ How to Create a Dynamic Output Based on Form Selection

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Hope this helps!

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Michael E. Gernaey 53,433 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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Hi @DB-09011827-0

If I may mention, it can depend on the email recipients client.

You do not have to use Base64 to send it. (it depends).

Just as a test, if you are able to use outlook, do not use base64, just get the file content and send it just like that.

So here is an example without that.

Emailing File Attachments from Forms with Power Automate – What Me Pa..Panic?

Cheers

If this helps, please Mark our answers as answers and maybe likes

or come back with questions when you share your flow.

Cheers!

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Dave Cascades 2 on at

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@Michael E. Gernaey

I haven't tested it yet. I'll keep you posted as soon as I do.

But I have a question...

When you say "do not use base64", I understand that you mean only use the "Get File Content" action in my loop to get the attachments, but does it mean that the "Get File Content using path" vs "Get File Content" are not returning the same type of encoded result?

I've always thought that both actions were returning base64 encoded result...

If you look at my flow and the loop, passing the Get File Content using path output directly in the Create File action is working. The files get generated and open with content.

But into the loop, if I append the Get File Content using path in my varArrayAttachment, then pass it directly as value into Send an email from a shared mailbox (V2) action, the files that are sent to the recipient are blank when opening. This is what I don't understand.

Thanks for time on this!

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