Power Automate: Delete Files by Identifier? Here’s How!

Power Automate: Delete Files by Identifier? Here’s How!

This guide explains how to use Microsoft Power Automate to delete files using their unique identifiers. Deleting files by identifier is crucial when you need to remove specific files without relying on file names or paths, which can be prone to errors or changes.

Understanding File Identifiers

Before diving into the Power Automate flow, it’s essential to understand what a file identifier is and where to find it.

What is a File Identifier?

A file identifier (often referred to as a File ID or Unique ID) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to a file within a specific system, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, or other cloud storage services. This ID remains constant even if the file name or location changes, making it a reliable way to target and manage files.

Where to Find the File Identifier

The method to retrieve the file identifier varies depending on the platform. Here are a few common examples:

• SharePoint/OneDrive:
  • Within a Power Automate flow, using actions like "Get file metadata" or "Get file properties." These actions will return a JSON object containing various properties, including the ‘Id’ field, which represents the file identifier.
  • Directly from the SharePoint/OneDrive UI, in certain cases. While not always readily visible, accessing the file details or using browser developer tools might reveal the identifier.
• Other Platforms (e.g., Dropbox, Google Drive):
  • Each platform will have its specific API and methods for retrieving file metadata, which includes the file identifier. Refer to the platform’s API documentation for the correct methods.

Building the Power Automate Flow

Now, let’s create a Power Automate flow to delete files using their identifiers. The general steps will be similar for most platforms, but the specific actions might differ. We will demonstrate using SharePoint as the example platform.

Step 1: Trigger the Flow

Choose a trigger that suits your scenario. This could be:

• Scheduled: Run the flow periodically to clean up old files.
• Manual: Trigger the flow manually when needed.
• Automated: Trigger the flow based on an event, such as a new file being created or modified.

For this example, let’s assume a "Manual trigger" for simplicity.

Step 2: Initialize a Variable (Optional, but Recommended)

Initializing a variable to store the file identifier allows for greater flexibility and maintainability, especially if you need to use the identifier multiple times within the flow.

• Action: "Initialize variable"
• Name: FileID (or any descriptive name)
• Type: String
• Value: (Leave blank initially, or set a default value for testing)

Step 3: Get the File Identifier (If Not Already Available)

If the file identifier is not already known and accessible from the trigger, you need to retrieve it.

• Action: "Get file properties" (For SharePoint – use appropriate action for other platforms)
• Site Address: Select the SharePoint site.
• List or Library: Select the document library.
• Id: You might need to use a dynamic content expression to point to the file from a previous action. If you already know the identifier, you can manually enter or map the identifier into the ID field of this step. If the flow is intended to get the file identifier and then delete the file right after, it can be useful to pass the name of the file to get the file properties from.

Step 4: Delete the File

This is the core step where the file is actually deleted.

• Action: "Delete file" (For SharePoint – use appropriate action for other platforms)
• Site Address: Select the SharePoint site.

• File Identifier: Here, you will use the file identifier. This can come directly from the "Get file properties" action (if used in Step 3) by using dynamic content. If you initialized a variable in Step 2, you can use the variable here to provide the file identifier value.

  • Important: Make sure the File Identifier parameter of this action requires an ID, and not a file path.

Step 5: Error Handling (Highly Recommended)

Implement error handling to gracefully manage situations where the file cannot be found or deleted.

• Use the "Configure run after" option on the "Delete file" action. Configure it to run if the previous action ("Delete file") fails.
• Add an action like "Send an email" or "Post a message to Teams" to notify the administrator about the error.
• You can use actions like "Terminate" flow to prevent further processing if a critical error occurs.

Example Flow Configuration (SharePoint)

The following table illustrates a simplified example of the flow configuration when deleting a file on SharePoint.

Action	Configuration
Manual trigger	(No configuration needed)
Initialize variable	Name: FileID, Type: String
Get file properties	Site Address: [Your SharePoint Site], List or Library: [Your Document Library], Id: [Dynamic Content - ID]
Delete file	Site Address: [Your SharePoint Site], File Identifier: [Variables - FileID]
(On Failure) Send email	To: [Admin Email], Subject: File Deletion Failed, Body: Error deleting file with ID: [Variables - FileID]

Best Practices

• Test Thoroughly: Always test your flow in a development environment before deploying it to production.
• Use Variables: Using variables makes your flow more readable and easier to maintain.
• Implement Error Handling: Error handling is crucial to prevent unexpected flow failures.
• Secure Your Flow: Ensure that the flow has the necessary permissions to access and delete files.
• Log Activities: Consider logging file deletion activities for auditing purposes.

Alright, that wraps it up! Hopefully, you now have a clearer picture of how to use power automate delete file file identifier. Go give it a try and happy automating!