Flow / Power Automate - SharePoint: Automate File Movement to an Archive Library Tutorial

Learn to automate file movement in a SharePoint archive library using variables, conditional elements, and Power FX functions. Imagine maintaining source folder structure in the target library. Set up a recurring flow to retrieve and process files, and recreate the original structure in the archive library. This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide for efficient archiving between SharePoint libraries!

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Available in Microsoft365

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automate the movement of files in an archive library.

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This more complex flow will have to take into account a series of constraints.

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In this video, you will use variables, conditional elements and power FX functions

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to start

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imagine that you need to move files from a folder in a sharepoint library.

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Depending on the age of the files,

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you will need to move them while maintaining the source folder and file structure

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to keep an identical organization of your content in the target library.

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That is your archive library. In

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this sharepoint site,

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you will find a standard library named documents in

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which there is a folder titled files to move

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this folder contains a series of files of varying ages.

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You can optionally add a column for the file

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creation or modification date which isn't shown by default.

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Your second library named archives is currently completely

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empty and will need to be automatically populated

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to begin.

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You will initiate a recurring flow that will run on the first of each month at 6 a.m.

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The first action will be to retrieve

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the files from the folder containing the potential

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files to be moved while you could process

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the entire contents of your document library.

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In this tutorial, we will limit ourselves voluntarily to a specific folder.

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Enable advanced settings to apply a query that will limit the flow to the

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chosen folder while including the files in the sub folders of the targeted folder.

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Then enter the parameters related to nested items

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and specify the folder to be processed.

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In

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this example, we will only move files created two years ago or more.

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The filter query will specify this criterion.

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Enter the name of the created column for the file creation date.

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You can also use modified for the date of last modification of the file.

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Then set your criterion to le meaning less or equal.

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You will then enter an apostrophe to reference

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your deadline relative to the file creation date.

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Use the power FX button and enter the

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following formula which allows referencing the current date UTC

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now associated with the A day function by defining minus 730 days or about two years.

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Concretely. In this example, you will subtract 730 days from the current date.

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When SharePoint lists the files, it will include the names of the sub folders.

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In the result,

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you will need to constrain this action by adding

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a query parameter excluding folder type objects from the result

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to recreate the original structure in your archive library, initialize a text,

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variable named folder and populate it during future processing

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the files dated over two years are listed,

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begin their processing by initializing a apply to each

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loop that will retrieve the dynamic content body value,

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which is the list of items to process.

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Always within the loop. Populate your folder.

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Variable by retrieving the access path of each file.

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Choose the action related to variables to set your folder. Variable.

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Note several technical elements here,

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the access path of the file to be moved

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will contain the name of the library shared documents

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as well as the sub folder files to move,

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use a power FX formula to replace this path with empty space in your

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variable to retrieve only the relative path inside the folder to be processed.

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Another important point,

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the last character of your folder variable will contain a slash which

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will cause an issue when moving the file to be archived.

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Use the slice function to retrieve the path string from position index

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zero to index minus one corresponding to the slash to be removed.

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If the file is at the root of your files to move folder,

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the variable will contain empty space.

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Otherwise it will contain the path of the folder where the file is placed.

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Manage an if condition testing if the folder variable is empty.

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If so add the SharePoint action to create folders to

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create in your SharePoint site within your archives library.

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The relative path of the folder corresponding to the file being processed

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after creating or not the folder still within the loop.

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Add the action to move the processed file,

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refer to the file to be moved by its complete original path and set the

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destination folder corresponding to your archives library followed

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by the path stored in your variable.

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If another file already exists, choose to replace it,

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finally save and test

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files over two years old will be moved to the root of your archives library

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for files stored in sub folders. The original structure will be recreated.

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This is how to create a complete archiving flow between sharepoint libraries.

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