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Uploading File Attachment to Attachment column in SharePoint List?

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Posted on by CU15040519-0

I have an existing Canvas PowerApp which I have been asked to add file attachment upload capability to.

The current app is a relatively simple collection of normal Canvas input controls, and a submit button - when the user clicks the submit button, a Patch statement creates a SharePoint List record.

I followed a tutorial to copy the Attachment control out of a Form control into my normal Vertical container, but I can't find anything that tells me how to include a file the User has uploaded in a Patch statement to add it to the Attachment column of my SharePoint List.

Can anyone help me with this step? Or, is there a preferred, different way to handle adding an attachment to a new SharePoint List record?

Many thanks in advance...:)

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Kalathiya 2,428 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hello @CU15040519-0,

Since Patch does not directly support the SharePoint attachment data structure, attachments cannot be uploaded using Patch by itself.

There have 3 workaround ways:

#1. Patch with a Form’s .Updates
If you must use Patch for most fields, you can still leverage the Form to submit attachments only:
After your Patch of other fields, use the form’s .Updates in your Patch. For example:

Patch( YourSharePointList, Defaults(YourSharePointList), { Column1: "Testing", Column2:Dropdown1.Selected.Value }, Form1.Updates ); ResetForm(Form1); //Make sure control name, column name and form name you replace with as per your configuration.

So in this case, your form control has the Attachments field, and by using Patch together with Form.Updates, it will store your attachment as well.

#2. Use Submit Form instead of Patching manually - This automatically saves the attachments along with other fields.

#3. User Power Automate for upload the attachment.

Reference link: https://www.matthewdevaney.com/power-apps-easiest-way-to-upload-files-to-a-sharepoint-document-library/#:~:text=Add%20a%20SharePoint%20action%20to,to%20be%20a%20required%20field.

If this response resolves your issue, please mark it as the Verified Answer so it can help other community members as well.

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CU15040519-0 6 on at

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Hi @Kalathiya, thank you for your reply! Hmmm, maybe I have my wires crossed...

I thought it was possible to have an attachment control on my Canvas screen WITHOUT being embedded in a Form control. I followed a tutorial which showed me how to add a form to the screen, copy the attachment control outside the form, then remove the form. However, as I said above, I can't find anything that tells me how to take the next step of including the attachment in the Patch statement...

Let me start from a different point:

- If you have an existing Canvas app with normal controls, and you were asked to add attachment upload to it - is there any way of doing this WITHOUT having to start from scratch and rebuild the whole app inside a form?

Thank you again!

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WarrenBelz 155,752 Most Valuable Professional on at

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@CU15040519-0,

Firstly @Kalathiya is completely correct in that the easiest and most logical way of doing this is a Form with an attachment control - even if it is a standalone form with only the control on it (so please mark that accordingly).

If you only have one attachment on the control to Patch (multiple do not work), there is a "hack" you can use. Create a Gallery with the Items
AttachmentControlName.Attachments

and put in an Image control with
ThisItem.Value

Then you can do this
With( {_Attach: First(YourGalleryName.AllItems)}, Patch( SPListName, Defaults(SPListName), { YourOtherFieldsHere, Attachments: Table( { DisplayName: _Attach.Name, AbsoluteUri: Blank(), Id: _Attach.YourImageName.Image, Value: _Attach.YourImageName.Image } ) } ) )

As I noted, a lot of effort when you can simply do a Form.

The idea of separating the Attachment control from a Form is generally used to capture a File that you can send the content to Power Automate or possibly an Image Field (although you would generally use an Add Image control for that one).

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