How to create a new folder with contents from a cell value

Step by step flow that to automate folder template creation with custom naming

Building this flow involves the user inputting a desired name into a SharePoint list. The flow will take this as a trigger to start and then create a new folder and give it this name. It will also obtain a set of template files and put them into this folder, and also adding the name as the prefix to the template files.

Why would you need this?
Project packs, business requirement documentation, PMO packs, etc. It's very common that development or technical projects will require a standardised set of documentation. What is time-consuming is the manual creation of folders, putting these folder onto a SharePoint site with the appropriate name and then adding a complete set of files into these. Managers and PMO will need these to demonstrate completeness of artefacts and also to make sure files are using the same updated template.

Here is the step-by-step guide to building this flow:

Objective

We start by setting your trigger to SharePoint - When an item is created or modified and not the Excel version. Using this, we won't be concerned with the "modify" component per se, and caring more about when a new value is created to avoid a lot of nonsense. Input these values:

  • Site Address: Select your site. Choose from selection
  • List Name: Select the list containing the "Topic" column.

Pro Tip: To prevent the flow from running endlessly if other columns are updated later, add a Trigger Condition in the settings to ensure it only fires when the Topic has a value. Double-check the internal name of your Topic column if you write an OData filter expression (e.g., @not(equals(triggerOutputs()?['body/Topic'], null))).

Configure the Flow Trigger - When an item is created or modified

Next, we have to use the "Create new folder" flow part so it actions the creation of a new folder. We also determine where it will sit and this will be static. By doing this flow, we will be creating a generic folder and renaming it since it is faster to create it with the final name immediately.

  • Action: Add SharePoint - Create new folder.

  • Site Address: Select your target site.

  • List or Library: Select your target Document Library.

  • Folder Path: Click into this field and select the dynamic content for Topic from your trigger. (If it's inside a parent folder, format it as /SubFolderName/@{triggerOutputs()?['body/Topic']}).

Create the New Folder - Create New Folder

You need to grab the data of the template file so you can recreate it with a new name.

  • Action: Add SharePoint - Get file content.

  • Site Address: Select the site where the static templates live. Dropdown selection

  • File Identifier: Browse (using the folder icon) to select the static Plan.docx. Also a dropdown selection.

Retrieve the Static 'Plan.docx' Content - Get File Content

Now, drop that content into the new folder with the prefixed name.

  • Action: Add SharePoint - Create file.

  • Site Address: Select your target site.

  • Folder Path: Select the Full Path dynamic content from the Create new folder step.

  • File Name: Construct the name using dynamic content. Type a hyphen, then the file name: [Topic dynamic content] - Plan.docx.

  • File Content: Select the File Content dynamic content from the previous Get file content step.

Create the Prefixed 'Plan.docx' - Create File

Repeat the exact same logic for the second document.

  • Action: Add SharePoint - Get file content and point the File Identifier to your static Requirements.docx.

  • Action: Add SharePoint - Create file.

  • Folder Path: Full Path (from the Create new folder step).

  • File Name: [Topic dynamic content] - Requirements.docx.

  • File Content: The output from your second Get file content step.

Retrieve and Create 'Requirements.docx' - Create File for the second file

  • The flow is useful because you can update the template files anytime you want without affecting the flow or needing to modify it.

  • Obviously, if more than two files are needed to be replicated by the flow, you will need to add more "Create File" flow parts to the overall flow.

  • For the "Create File" steps on naming, it might be more useful to create dynamic expression using CoPilot.

Additional Notes