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Fix Power Automate SharePoint REST Responses Returned as Strings

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is encountering an issue where a Power Automate SharePoint HTTP action returns a string instead of a structured JSON object, which causes downstream expressions expecting a JSON format to fail.

Product: Microsoft Power Automate and SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Executing a SharePoint REST API call via an HTTP action in Power Automate and attempting to parse the response.
Observed behavior: The HTTP action returns a plain string instead of the expected JSON object, leading to failures in expressions that try to select the property 'd' because the response is not recognized as an object.

Before you start

Open your Power Automate flow run history to inspect the complete HTTP response body, status code, and headers before modifying any action configurations.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify HTTP Request Headers and Endpoint Configuration

Ensure the HTTP request is correctly formatted to request and receive a JSON response from the SharePoint REST API.

SharePoint REST APIs can return responses in different formats depending on the headers provided in the request. If the Accept header is missing or incorrect, SharePoint may default to returning a string or XML instead of JSON. Additionally, OData v3 uses a 'd' wrapper for JSON responses, while newer versions may not.

Check the Accept Header

In your Power Automate HTTP action, verify that the 'Accept' header is explicitly set to 'application/json;odata=verbose' or 'application/json;odata=nometadata'.

Verify the SharePoint Endpoint

Double-check the SharePoint REST endpoint URL for any typos or incorrect path references that might be causing the server to return an HTML error page or string message.

Inspect Flow Run History

Run the flow and examine the raw output body of the HTTP action to confirm the actual schema. Determine whether it uses the OData v3 'd' structure or a different format.

Adjust Parse Logic

Update your 'Parse JSON' action or expressions to match the actual returned schema. Only parse the body after confirming the response is a valid JSON object.

Solution 2

Seek Community Expert Assistance

Consult the Microsoft Power Platform Community for workflow-specific troubleshooting and advanced expression guidance.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my SharePoint HTTP action return a string instead of JSON?

This typically happens if the 'Accept' header in your HTTP request is missing or incorrectly configured, or if the API endpoint encounters an error and returns a plain text message rather than a structured JSON payload.

What does the property 'd' represent in a SharePoint REST response?

In OData v3, SharePoint wraps the JSON response payload in an object named 'd' for security reasons. If the endpoint is configured for a newer OData version, this wrapper might not exist, causing expressions looking for 'd' to fail.

How do I parse a string response into a JSON object in Power Automate?

If the string returned is a genuinely valid JSON formatted string (often escaped with backslashes), you can use the 'json()' expression in Power Automate to convert the string back into a usable JSON object.

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