Combine Microsoft Forms Responses into One Email in Power Automate
Question details
The user wants to send a single consolidated biweekly email containing multiple matching Microsoft Forms IDs extracted from Excel, rather than receiving separate emails for each ID.
- Product
- Microsoft Power Automate
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Scheduling a biweekly summary email using data filtered from an Excel spreadsheet by status and timestamp.
- Observed behavior
- The current flow sends a separate email for every single matching Form ID instead of grouping them into one combined email.
Ensure you have access to your Power Automate workflow canvas and the target Excel file containing your Microsoft Forms responses before modifying the flow structure.
Use Array Variables and Join Operations to Consolidate Data
To prevent multiple emails from triggering in a loop, you need to collect the filtered IDs into a variable inside the loop and send the combined email outside of the loop.
When an email action is placed inside an 'Apply to each' loop, Power Automate sends an email for every item processed. Moving the email action outside the loop and using an array variable solves this issue.
For complex troubleshooting specific to your flow structure, it is highly recommended to consult the Microsoft Power Platform Community.
At the start of your flow (before your Excel filter or loop), click 'New step', search for 'Variables', and select 'Initialize variable'. Name it and set the Type to 'Array'.
Inside your 'Apply to each' loop where you process the Excel data, click 'Add an action', choose 'Append to array variable', and select the Forms ID dynamic content to store each matching ID.
Outside and after the 'Apply to each' loop, click 'New step', search for 'Data operations', and select 'Join'. In the 'From' field, insert your array variable. In the 'Join with' field, type a comma or <br> to separate the IDs.
Add your 'Send an email (V2)' action at the very end of the flow. In the email body, insert the 'Output' from your Join operation.
Need a Lightweight Alternative for Handling Spreadsheet Data? Try WPS Office
While Power Automate is specific to the Microsoft ecosystem, if you frequently manage form responses, data tracking, and complex spreadsheets offline, WPS Office offers a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative to Microsoft Office. Enjoy a familiar interface and seamless handling of Excel formats without heavy system resource usage.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install the Suite: Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to set up the lightweight office suite.
- 3. Open Your Spreadsheets: Double-click any .xlsx file containing your form responses to seamlessly view, edit, and analyze your data in WPS Spreadsheet.

Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Power Automate send multiple emails instead of one?
This typically happens when the 'Send an email' action is accidentally placed inside an 'Apply to each' loop. The flow triggers an email for every single row it processes in the Excel table instead of waiting for the loop to finish consolidating the data.
How do I move the email action outside the loop in Power Automate?
You can drag the 'Send an email' action out of the 'Apply to each' container to the bottom of the flow canvas. However, you will need to use variables to store the dynamic data from the loop so it can still be referenced in the final email.
Can I format the joined Forms IDs in the email body?
Yes. When using the 'Join' operation in Power Automate, you can specify a delimiter like a comma, space, or an HTML line break (<br>) to cleanly format how the collected Forms IDs appear in your final consolidated email.




