Attachment Issues

Retrieve Embedded CID Images from Outlook Emails using Power Automate

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to extract inline HTML images that use a CID source from Outlook emails and save them to SharePoint using a Power Automate flow.

Product: Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating the extraction of email contents where standard attachments process correctly but embedded images are missed.
Observed behavior: The Power Automate flow successfully processes standard attachments, but inline embedded images appear as HTML CID sources and are not saved.

Before you start

Note that handling CID-based inline images in Power Automate requires parsing HTML and often involves custom coding, as standard out-of-the-box attachment actions do not automatically isolate these elements.

Solution 1Recommended

Seek Advanced Scripting Support from the Power Platform Community

Since extracting CID images requires custom workflow scripting and advanced expressions, the best approach is to consult Power Automate specialists on the official community forums.

Standard Power Automate triggers look for explicitly attached files. Because CID images are technically embedded within the HTML body content of the email, isolating them is considered outside standard support boundaries and requires specialized string manipulation or Graph API calls.

Navigate to the Power Platform Community

Open your web browser and go to the official Microsoft Power Platform Community website.

Search for existing solutions

Use the search bar to look for threads containing keywords like 'extract CID inline images Outlook' to see if another user has already shared a functional workflow expression.

Create a detailed forum post

If no existing solution works for your specific flow, create a new topic. Detail your current Outlook trigger setup and explain that you need help parsing HTML to save CID inline images to SharePoint.

Implement expert suggestions

Once community experts provide specific workflow expressions or HTTP request scripts, carefully copy them into your Power Automate flow and test the extraction.

Advanced Implementation: Experts will likely suggest using the 'Send an HTTP request' action alongside the Microsoft Graph API to parse the email message and extract inline CID attachments effectively.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CID image in an Outlook email?

A CID (Content-ID) image is an inline image that is embedded directly into the HTML body of an email message, rather than being attached as a separate, standard file attachment.

Why doesn't the standard Power Automate attachment trigger catch CID images?

Standard attachment triggers are designed to look for explicitly attached files in the email's metadata. CID images are technically part of the HTML body content, requiring the flow to parse the HTML code to isolate the image data.

Can I use Microsoft Graph API in Power Automate to extract these images?

Yes, advanced users frequently use the 'Send an HTTP request' action in Power Automate to query the Microsoft Graph API, which provides deeper access to the email structure, allowing you to parse and extract inline CID attachments.

Outlook & Email Problems