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Flow keeps losing Excel Table Name

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Posted on by vincetaylor

I have several scheduled flows that take data from a Excel Table and use it to update a SharePoint List.

One of the flows keeps losing the Table name. When I set up the flow, I enter the table name. I then manually test it and the flow is able to get data from the flow and update SharePoint.

However when it runs on schedule ( as opposed to manual), it fails. Somehow the table name changes from Table1 to a series of hexadecimal characters. See below. Each time I change the table name back to Table1 and test it, it works when manually tested and fails when it runs on schedule.

Figure1: Correct Excel Table Name is set up

Figure 2: Excel Table Name has been changed to a series of Hex characters

Figure 3: The flow can't find the Table name

Figure 4: Dynamic action fail error message

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DamoBird365 8,942 Microsoft Employee on at

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HI @vincetaylor

How are you populating that Table value? When you get a random GUID like that it would suggest that it cannot find the table you have selected. Are you supplying the table name dynamically OR have you manually typed it OR have you simply used the drop down to select the table1 (which is usually the default option)?

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here
vincetaylor 53 on at

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Hi @DamoBird365
I usually use the dropdown to select the table. Could this be causing the problem?
CFernandes 8,504 Most Valuable Professional on at

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Hey @vincetaylor ,

This is interesting. I see your action return a GUID and this happens if you are not adding any extra columns to the table and changing the worksheets manually. Can you please verify if the table has changed?

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!
vincetaylor 53 on at

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@CFernandes
The excel file is deleted and recreated every day by an automatic process. However no new columns are added , no new tables are created. and the recreated excel file is identical to the old one except that a 1 or 2 rows are added each time it is deleted or recreated.
vincetaylor 53 on at

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After it failed the first time, I added the correct table name back using the drop down, it ran succesfully on schedule twice and now it is failing again for the same reason
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DamoBird365 8,942 Microsoft Employee on at

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Hi @vincetaylor

You’ve just identified the problem right there. You are deleting and recreating the file, therefore the guid of the table will change as it is a new file and therefore a new table. You could use the action get tables and assume the first table in order to get the guid of the new table and populate the action dynamically.

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here
CFernandes 8,504 Most Valuable Professional on at

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If you delete and recreate the Excel file it will be a problem. I think each time you change the file Excel updates the internal GUID of the Excel(Table) and Excel Power Automate uses the GUID and not the Table Name.

Perhaps you might want to use the Excel Script instead of List rows from action and pass data back to Power Automate- Something similar to my blog https://clavinfernandes.wordpress.com/2021/03/07/part-2-pass-data-from-script-to-power-automate/

If this reply has answered your question or solved your issue, please mark this question as answered. Answered questions helps users in the future who may have the same issue or question quickly find a resolution via search. If you liked my response, please consider giving it a thumbs up. THANKS!
vincetaylor 53 on at

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@DamoBird365 You pointed me in the right direction. It turns out the excel file was being updated by two different programs, one running at 6am and one at 6pm. Thats why the Guid kept changing. Now that only one process is updating the excel file, there are no more failures.
DamoBird365 8,942 Microsoft Employee on at

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Thanks @vincetaylor for coming back and letting me know - glad I was of help 🙂

Cheers,
Damien

P.S. take a look at my new blog here and like & subscribe to my YouTube Channel thanks 😉
EG-31080115-0 118 on at

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@DamoBird365 , @vincetaylor ,
I encountered this same issue, but in my case there is only one app/Flow updating Excel file. I have Flow picking file up from Outlook attachment when it comes in and deposits (recreates) file in SP folder. I understand the logic behind the GUID changing when "new" file created (or recreated). However, two aspects of this I don't get 1) why would PA have trigger "When file is created or modified" if the subsequent action failed due to GUID change and 2) I have another Flow that does exactly the same thing for a file that is "recreated" exactly the same way and it never fails.