Document Editing Problems

How to Add Microsoft Forms Images to a Word Template with Power Automate

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to populate a Word document template with image attachments collected from Microsoft Forms via a Power Automate flow, but is struggling to get picture content controls to work inside repeating sections.

Product: Microsoft Word, Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating document generation by inserting image file attachments from Microsoft Forms into a designated Word document template.
Observed behavior: Picture content controls, particularly when placed within repeating sections, fail to populate dynamically, unlike standard plain-text controls when processed through the Word Online (Business) connector.

Before you start

Ensure you have premium access to the Word Online (Business) connector in Power Automate and that your Word template is saved in OneDrive for Business or SharePoint.

Solution 1Recommended

Map Single Images to Individual Picture Content Controls

Avoid using repeating sections for images, and instead map each uploaded image to a distinct, standalone picture control.

The Word Online (Business) connector has limitations when handling dynamic arrays of images inside repeating sections. To ensure successful population, define a maximum number of expected images and use distinct, individual picture content controls for each in your Word template.

Prepare the Word Template

Open your Word document, enable the Developer tab, and insert individual 'Picture Content Controls' for each expected image. Assign a unique Title and Tag to each control in its Properties to make them recognizable in Power Automate.

Extract Image Data in Power Automate

In your Power Automate flow, add a 'Get file content' action to retrieve the raw file data for each image attachment from Microsoft Forms/SharePoint.

Populate the Word Template

Add the 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action. Map the dynamic file content of each retrieved image directly to its corresponding unique picture content control field instead of placing it inside an array.

Solution 2

Generate an HTML or PDF Document with Multiple Images

Use an HTML conversion workaround if you need to handle an unknown or dynamic number of images from a form submission.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do picture content controls fail in Word repeating sections via Power Automate?

The 'Populate a Microsoft Word template' action currently does not support nesting picture content controls inside repeating section content controls. It natively supports only plain text within those dynamic arrays.

How do I format an image for a Word picture content control in Power Automate?

You must pass the binary file content of the image directly into the picture content control field. You can obtain this binary data using the 'Get file content' action from OneDrive or SharePoint where the Form attachments are saved.

Can I add multiple images from a Microsoft Form into a single Word document?

Yes, but if you are using standard Word templates, you must pre-define a set number of individual picture content controls in the template. Alternatively, you can use the HTML-to-PDF workaround to dynamically append an unlimited number of images.

Document & File Issues