HTTP POST files with multipart/form-data

[Cayshin]

Hi all,

I'm having difficulty uploading a file via the Procore API - Create Project File.

What's throwing me off is their mention in above link for the "data" field : "Note that it's only possible to post a file using a multipart/form-data body (see RFC 2388)."

I can't figure out how to format my JSON request in this multipart/form-data format that the API will understand correctly. Everything I upload comes through as corrupted.

I tried doing a test with generating a text file to see what happens.

Here's my POST request:

This is the resulting text file:

So from that it seems like the API isn't even interpreting my JSON after "data": { as JSON, but instead as literal string text for the test.txt file.

So I instead tried this (File content is a png picture):

That too resulted in a corrupted image file. So I tried many variations of the above such as adding quotes around File Content, or replacing File content with base64(outputs('Get_file_content_using_path')?['body']),or trying base64(outputs('Get_file_content_using_path')?['body'])?['$content']. Everything corrupted.

Using Postman, I was able to successfully upload a file without issues.

So I tried using the HTTP output of that as my POST request:

This just results in an "Internal Server Error".

I just can't seem to find that magic formatting where I'm passing the file data in correctly.

Any run into a similar problem before? I've probably read almost all the other topics on this here and tried the solutions in them, but none worked.

[Cayshin · Accepted solution]

For any future readers this may help: I've figured it out.

Above is the properly formatted multipart/form-data body I had to use.

One notable thing I had to do was convert the File Content output to a Compose action (the "Outputs" item in my body).

I don't know what composing the File Content does VS just using the File Content output itself, but it's what worked for me.

[poojaghuge]

Subject: HTTP POST request in Power Automate

Hello Team,

 We are getting internal server error in HTTP POST request using Content type as “multipart/form-data” for uploading local PDF file.

Below are the details I am sending in request:

Request Headers:

headers are apikey, organizationid and emailaddress 

Request Body:
“invoiceDocument” – “abcnamed.pdf”

“requestId” – “abcd123”

We tried this on Postman and it is sending request successfully. Can you please help to make it work in Power Automate?

[Cayshin]

@poojaghuge 

Can you please post some screenshots of your Power Automate actions so I can see how you're formatting the request?

[poojaghuge]

Hi,

@Cayshin 

here i attached screen shot,

[poojaghuge]

hi @Cayshin 

did you find any solution?

[poojaghuge]

Hi @Cayshin ,

did you get any chance to look into this. we need to complete this POC as soon as possible.

[Cayshin]

Try something like this:

If you see my above posts, the key for me was putting the "File Content" into a compose action, then using that as my "body:" value. I can't guarantee the above will work unless also seeing the API documentation for the endpoint you're using.

Copy+pastable code, edit as needed:

{
"$content-type": "multipart/form-data",
"$multipart": [
{
"headers": {
"Content-Disposition": "form-data; name=\"requestid\""
},
"body": "abcd123"
},
{
"headers": {
"Content-Disposition": "form-data; name=\"InvoiceDocument[]\"; filename=\"@{triggerOutputs()?['body/Name']}\""
},
"body": @{outputs('Compose_4')}
}
]
}

[poojaghuge]

Hi @Cayshin ,

We tried this solution but it fails, and we cannot share documentation with you because it contains client credentials.

Here i attached screen shot of postman where we get expected output.

[poojaghuge]

Hi @Cayshin ,

Can You please suggest another solution

[Cayshin]

Unfortunately I don't have any other answers: I'm a novice at doing API calls. I figured out my above issue with many hours of trial-and-error until I found something that worked.

[matthew11111112]

Hi,

Can you help me with mine?

The file is sent correctly, but I'm not able to open it. What can I do?

I think I should switch to Content-Type multipart/form-data but what to put in the body?

[matthew11111112]

X-NomFichier  has to be in the header and when I start to write something in the body, it always fail. 

[matthew11111112]

With this the message doesn't even send itself.

I have to have my headers X-NomFichier and X-Message, it is why I put them below the $content-type. But I'm not even sure of this one. Can anyone can help me please.

[ameerabbasawan]

I team i am trying to upload image with same instructions but still getting error binary is not found.

actually my api accept byte array