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Fix Power Automate Flows Failing to Retrieve SharePoint or OneDrive Files

Tauseeq Magsi Sep 28, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users are experiencing ExpressionEvaluationFailed errors when Power Automate flows attempt to retrieve file content from SharePoint or OneDrive.

How to Fix Power Automate Flows Failing to Retrieve SharePoint or OneDrive Files

Product: Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Running automated workflows that retrieve documents or data from Microsoft SharePoint or OneDrive.
Observed behavior: Flows fail critically, returning an ExpressionEvaluationFailed error, preventing the retrieval of file content.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary administrator or owner permissions for the affected SharePoint sites and OneDrive folders, and verify that the target files have not been moved, renamed, or deleted.

Solution 1Recommended

Reauthenticate Connections and Verify File Identifiers

Refreshing connection credentials and checking the file paths often resolves expression evaluation errors caused by expired tokens or service updates.

Authentication tokens can expire or become invalid after service updates. Refreshing the connection forces Power Automate to request a new token.

Review the failed flow run

Open the failed flow in Power Automate and click on the specific run in the run history to view the exact error details and identify which action failed.

Reauthenticate connections

Navigate to the 'Data' > 'Connections' tab in the left menu of Power Automate. Locate your SharePoint and OneDrive connections, click the three dots next to each, and select 'Update' or 'Switch account' to log in again.

Verify action configurations

Edit the flow and expand the 'Get file content' action. Ensure the 'File Identifier', 'Site Address', and 'Library' fields are pointing to valid, existing locations.

Run a manual test

Use the 'Test' button in the upper right corner to trigger the flow manually with a known, existing file to confirm the connection is fully restored.

Reauthenticate Connections and Verify File Identifiers

Dynamic Content Check: If you use dynamic content for the File Identifier, ensure the previous step passing that data is returning the correct file ID, not the file name or path.

Solution 2

Escalate to a Microsoft 365 Administrator

If the issue persists across multiple flows or environments, it may be a backend service disruption requiring official Microsoft support.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does ExpressionEvaluationFailed mean in Power Automate?

This error means that Power Automate couldn't resolve a dynamic value or expression within your flow. When retrieving files, it typically indicates that the file identifier is invalid, the file was deleted, or the flow lacks permission to access the specified SharePoint or OneDrive path.

Why did my SharePoint flow suddenly stop working after an update?

Microsoft service updates can sometimes invalidate existing authentication tokens or change how specific connector actions process data. Reauthenticating your SharePoint and OneDrive connections from the Data menu usually resolves these post-update disruptions.

How do I test if my SharePoint connection is the core problem?

Create a simple, new flow with a manual trigger and a single 'Get file content' action pointing to a file you know exists. If this test flow also fails, the issue is likely with the connection credentials or environment permissions rather than a logical error in your complex flow.

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