Sending email to users in a multi-user column and their AD manager

[thilla99]

Hi, This question is related to the post => https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Flows/How-can-I-send-one-email-to-users-in-a-multi-user...

I want to send users an email in a multi-user column (in an item) upon creation of the list item. Their AD managers should also be copied into the email in the CC box. 

The flow I built to acheive this contains a "apply to each" with user's name (which I gather from the list), I use it to get their AD Manager; I then append manager's email to an array, and email addresses are joined by a semi-colon.

I do similar with the user's email address where I gather their email address from then list item, then add to an array, seperated with a semi-column.

Prety sure there's an issue with the way I've constructed this under "apply to each" action, can you help? I've attached a screenshot that shows the relevant sections in the flow.

[devendraVelegan]

@thilla99 : What error are you getting while getting the manager email? 

Also, you do not need to select fields to get the manager's email, and it is optional. 

Sometimes, AD mightn't have manager details populated, so make sure to check for the null values. 

[thilla99]

Sorry, I should have added, the flow is adding the user and user's manager email correctly, the issue is that it seems to add the first user and his/her manager, then sends an email.

then it appends the next user & relavent manager and sends another email, consequently it repeats these steps for the number of users in the column, resulting multiple emails.

What I want to do is, obtain all users in the column (in the relevant item) and their relevant managers and send one email.

[devendraVelegan]

@thilla99 : Please bring the send email action outside of "Apply to each" to avoid sending multiple emails. 

[thilla99]

Thanks, yes I've tried that. when I bring it outside "apply to each" I can't add the outputs from recipient & manager 'join' actions; or is there an easer/ better way to collect email addresses for recipients (will be in To: box) & managers (in CC: box)?

[devendraVelegan]

@thilla99 : you need to declare the recipient & manager outside the "Apply to each" action then you will be able to use the variables in send email action. 

[thilla99]

@devendraVelegan The two variables have already been decalated outside (at the top).

'Apply to each' seems to repeat the same actions (within it) for each recipient name as oppose to appending the email address to array. If I take out the email action out of "apply to each" I can't add the "Joins".

Not sure how to prevent repeating the same actions for each recipient.

See attached for reference.

[v-liwei-msft · Accepted solution]

Hi @thilla99 ,

Could you please tell me:

Do you mean that when you send a message to the second recipient and manager, you repeatedly send the message to the first recipient?

The problem is in Apply to each and Append to array variable.
When Apply to each iterates over the current item, the Append to array variable appends a new recipient message to the array variable, but still retains the email address of the previous item.

I'll give you two ways to avoid sending duplicate messages:

1.Place the sending email inside The Apply to each.

2.Put the sending email outside of The Apply to each.

Best Regards,

Levi

[thilla99]

Hi @v-liwei-msft 
Thanks. Good news! I got it to work, I followed your 2nd suggestion, I moved both the email and join actions out of the "apply to each", just left "append to array" actions inside "Apply to each".

While this worked ok, for multiple users with the same manager, it appended the same manager multiple times into CC: box, I suppose there's no way around to add just one instance of the manager email addresss? i.e. remove duplicates from an array?

[v-liwei-msft]

Hi @thilla99 ,

You can use the union function to remove duplicates from an array.

I have made a test for your reference:

Best Regards,

Levi

[thilla99]

@v-liwei-msft  Thank you for that. I finally have success with this. The "union" function did do the trick and removed the duiplicates.

Thank you.

[Jw_2015]

@thilla99 I am actually trying to achieve exactly what you are doing. Is there a way you can share with me your flow with all of the details/expressions? I think I can mimic what you have and edit where needed to make it unique for my purposes. Any help would be appreciated. Feel free to email me at jeffersonwilliams2016@gmail.com (might give you more options for format). Thank you.