Updating Word document from SharePoint Item

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Posted on by olliewebb

Hi all,

I've Google'd this one to death but don't think it's possible.

I would like to create a Flow that updates a field on a Word document when that field is changed in a SharePoint Item. I can grab the file from a field on the SharePoint Item with the path to the document - it's different for each Item as a unique file is created whenever a new Item is added from MS Form.

The field is the Status - which is a Document property in the Word document. But I can't get it to appear when using the Update File Properties function, and then when using the function to fill a Word Template obviously it can't work out what fields I want to update either because the template is a different file each time.

Any ideas? I tried using the select function to create a map to the field - but it's a bit beyond my skill level.

Categories:

Building flows

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fchopo 8,003 Moderator on at

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Hi @olliewebb

According to official documentation here: View or change the properties for an Office file - Microsoft Support

When you add documents to the document library, you are prompted to include the values for any properties that are required, or to update any properties that are incorrect. For example, a document library that collects product ideas can prompt the person for properties such as Submitted By, Date, Category, and Description. When you open a document from a document library in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you can edit and update these document library properties by clicking File > Info

Here you have more information on how to add those fields to a Word document: Document Properties in MS Word, 3 major issues? (sharepains.com)

But as the same article mentions, you may find problems when updating those values in SharePoint (not refreshed in Word), but I definitely would give it a try.

Hope it helps!

Ferran

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olliewebb 12 on at

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Hi @fchopo

I have the fields on the Word document, and I know it works because that's how the document is created in the first place. I would just like to update the Status of the document from the SharePoint List Item, which for some reason I cannot figure out.

For example this is along the lines - but instead of the fields it gives me the box 'dynamicFileSchema' - how do I go about writing that?

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olliewebb 12 on at

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I managed to figure out how to use the dynamicFileSchema function and get the number for the field - but it still doesn't work for me. Am I missing something?
The Flow seems to work - it notices the field has changed, finds the file, and tries to add the value for the field. But it doesn't actually change the document for some reason!

Add the Update File function modifies the file - but doesn't write the status change field.

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olliewebb 12 on at

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Further to this - if I create a new file it fills the contents just fine. 😠

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fchopo 8,003 Moderator on at

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Hi @olliewebb

So I guess the same problem remains: New word document is updated with metadata, but if you update metadata, references to it in the document are not refreshed 😞

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olliewebb 12 on at

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So this is really weird... it works now.

And nothing changed other than inserting a step before to create a new doc with the same data - but removing that step it just works!

Must be a bug.

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olliewebb 12 on at

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And now it's not working again. 🤔

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