Create an Instance of an SPO Content Type Using the "Create File" Flow Action

[grhsVman]

This is what I need to do: create a new instance of a SharePoint Online Content Type in a targeted Document Library using the SharePoint "Create file" action.

I am hitting a wall at the "File Content" parameter.

What does one enter in File Content if it doesn't yet exists? How does one create the File Content explicitly using a specific SharePoint Content Type in order to pass this object to the "File Content" parameter?

[Rahber]

What type of file you are trying to create? Excel Word PDF?

TO know the content value of an empty file. First manually create a Empty File in your library and then use the Get File Content action and then use the value from Get File Content into your new Create File ACtion

Please click Accept as Solution if it resolved your problem or give it a Thumbs Up if it helped you in anyway this will allow other people to search correct solutions effectively.

Thanks,

Rahber

[abm]

Hi @grhsVman 

This is by design. I you don't have a file content then you won't be able to create this flow action. Generally this is used for getting a file as an attachment from an email or other data sources for transferring one place to another. May I ask you why you trying to create file when you don't have a content ready?

Thanks

[v-litu-msft]

Hi @grhsVman,

I assume that you want to put some content extract from somewhere into the create File content field but sometimes the content is empty, right? If so, you should judge the file content whether is empty, or the create file will report error if there is nothing in file content.

You could use the condition to determine the content whether is empty. If it isn't empty, create file. If it is empty, do nothing.

Best Regards,
Community Support Team _ Lin Tu
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[grhsVman]

The replies are much appreciated. I fear, however, I was clumsy in describing what I am trying to do. I will clarify.

Yes, I know that no content exists when the flow is triggered and that content is required to use the "Create new file" action. That is what I want to do in the flow, create the content in a previous action and pass it to the Create new file action.

But I don't want to just create "any" content. It is very specific. I want to create a new file that is an instance of a specific SharePoint Content Type that has a default template so that when a file is created based on that content type, it will, right out of the gate, have content.

Here is background on the SharePoint setup:

1) A SharePoint Site Content Type exists called demoCustomType:

2) That Site Content Type has a default "template" that is an Excel file. That file is already full of tabs and formulas and other content.:

3) The Site Content Type is available in a document library of a SharePoint site so that when a user selects New->demoCustomType, a NEW Excel document will be created that is effectively a "copy" of the "default template" for the demoCustomType Site Content Type:

************************************************

When a user selects New->demoCustomType, he or she will get a new file that already has the content of the default template associated with the Site Content Type.

I want to do exactly this in a Flow (create content based on a specific Site Content Type and its default template).

[grhsVman]

...

[khumphries1]

So, @grhsVman, I gather there have been no solutions to this? I have the same issue.

[grhsVman]

It was working, then about two weeks ago, it started behaving this way.

[khumphries1]

@grhsVman-- What, exactly was working? I can't seem to pick out a solution from the ideas offered in this thread. Your 2nd attempt at a description of your problem seems exactly like what I am trying to accomplish.

I am feverishly upgrading SPD 2010 workflows due to the EOL issued by Microsoft. The original 2010 workflow is quite simple:

If a value condition in a list is satisfied, create a file in a target library of a certain Content Type. Here are the Content Types in the target Library Settings:

I recreated this in SPD2013 using the same Create Item action and the same Content Type:

but this only creates a blank document in the target Library (possibly? based on the original 'Document' Content Type).

So, I tried to create a Power Automate flow (this example omits the conditional check):

but there is no place to enter a Content Type ID.

I see in this thread a notion of inserting a 'Get file content' or 'Get file content using path' action to collect details about template documents in the library. For example:

I can see the Library, but enumerating the files fails, possibly because there are more than 5000 documents in the library (although there are no views that exceed the 5000 doc limit).

Any ideas for me? Is the 'Get file content' idea the one that was working until 2 weeks ago?

[grhsVman]

My bad. I thought I was on another thread, which coincidently was a workaround because I couldn't get this to work. Here is summary of workaround.

1. Created document library to hold Excel files that functioned as templates (but were just plain xlsx files)
2. Created a new list that leveraged the same site fields used for the targeted content type
3. Created a flow based on a new item created in the new list
4. The flow uses values entered in the list item to value the "template" file in the new document library
5. The flow then creates a new file in the original document library using the altered "template"

It is a long way around to get to the same place.

[khumphries1]

@grhsVman -- Thanks so much! This finally worked for me, too. I was using .docx files as templates, BTW.

I think what did the trick was moving the 'template' files out of the library plagued with >5000 items and into a new, identical library with only a few 'templates'.