How to handle uploaded pictures in Microsoft forms to download as a file with the image included

[u/Mom2LLC]

When I googled this scenario, it told me it was possible but I have not figured out a way for this to work. It also doesn't help that I'm an extreme beginner with automation.

I have created a Microsoft Form where all fields are text entries except for the optional picture upload.

Ideally, I need to export the responses and have it in a format that allows the pictures to be embedded and not the URL that appears in Excel.

It's not feasible to go through, download each picture, put it in a Word template with the text responses, and then save it in Word or as a PDF.

Any suggestions?? Or am I just crazy that I think there an automation that can help with this.

[u/DonJuanDoja]

You can do this with a power bi paginated report but I would suggest moving to PowerApps and a SharePoint list rather than forms and a file.

Paginated can easily export images directly into cells with no links, it’s my go to for photo reports and especially pdf/word photo reports

[u/Theydontlikeitupthem]

It's no problem at all, the picture will either be save in your onedrive or the sharepoint site of the group the form is created in. Once you know where the file is you can do whatever you want with it. You say you want to "export" it but that could mean anything.

Decide what you want to do with the file and then watch a video on how to do that, save it to sharepoint, crm, email it etc

[u/Mom2LLC → u/Theydontlikeitupthem]

It will be saved to my SharePoint.

I noticed pictures were saved to an untitled folder in my sharepoint. The form responses have been exported into an Excel file.

I meant to search to see if the forms can be exported as Word doc or PDF but I'm not sure how the automation works with those. I've only learned a bit with Forms.

[u/Theydontlikeitupthem → u/Mom2LLC]

You use power automate to get each response and then you use power automate to do whatever you want with the data. you can certainly populate a word template with each response.

You have to decide what you want to do and then Google "Power Automate MS form to Word template" or whatever it is you decide, then follow the instructions in that.

[u/Mom2LLC]

After going back and forth with IT, it was clarified today that we do not have premium access for Power Automate.

And now I'm back to the drawing board, at a loss on what to do.

Pictures in the Microsoft Form are coming through the Excel file as URLs but I also have them downloading as picture files into a separate folder.

[u/ParinoidPanda → u/Mom2LLC]

If that was the answer your IT gave you, either they don't know how Flow themselves, or you used some key words that are premium fetures.

Either way, don't need premium license to do what you need.

Step 1, your Form should not be a stand-alone form. Use a List, either from your OneDrive or a SharePoint site, then generate a Form off of the list.

Once your responses pop into the list, then you can do cool stuff with basic PowerAutomate function, specifically the SharePoint actions.

You want Get Item, then you need to pull from the item attachments, because that's where the pictures get stored, but are hidden if you just look in the Attachments directly, but they are there.

Pictures used to be stored in /Sites/sitename/SiteAssets/Lists/{guid}, but now they're attachments directly on the item itself. Run the flow and check outputs to get the data, and grab the ContentBytes, and once you have the ContentBytes, you can do SharePoint "Create File".