How to Add Microsoft Forms Uploaded Images to a Teams Post
Question details
The user needs to include images uploaded through Microsoft Forms into a Microsoft Teams message using a Power Automate flow.
- Product
- Microsoft Power Automate, Teams, Forms
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Automating the process of sharing Microsoft Forms survey or intake responses directly to a Microsoft Teams channel.
- Observed behavior
- The Power Automate flow successfully triggers and creates a Teams post, but the images uploaded via the Form cannot be retrieved and are missing from the final message.
Ensure you have the necessary permissions to access the OneDrive or SharePoint folder where the Microsoft Forms uploaded files are stored, as Power Automate will need this access to retrieve the image content.
Retrieve File Content Before Posting to Teams
To attach or display an image in Teams, the flow must first extract the file identifier from the Form response and fetch the actual file content.
When a user uploads a file to Microsoft Forms, the form response only provides a JSON string containing the file's metadata (like name and drive ID), not the file itself. You must parse this metadata and use an action to get the actual file content before it can be used in the Teams action.
In your Power Automate flow, ensure you have the 'Get response details' action immediately after the 'When a new response is submitted' trigger.
Add a 'Parse JSON' action. Use the dynamic content of your file upload question from the Form as the Input. You may need to generate the schema by running a test and copying the output of the upload field.
Add an 'Apply to each' loop (since multiple files can be uploaded). Inside the loop, add a 'Get file content' action (using OneDrive for Business or SharePoint, depending on where your form is hosted) and pass the file ID from the parsed JSON.
In your 'Post message in a chat or channel' action, use the retrieved file content to attach the image, or convert it to a Base64 string to embed it directly in the HTML of the message body.
Consult the Power Automate Community
If you encounter complex JSON parsing errors or Base64 encoding issues, reaching out to Microsoft experts is highly recommended.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Where do images uploaded to Microsoft Forms go?
If the form was created under your personal account, uploaded images are saved in an 'Apps > Microsoft Forms' folder in your OneDrive for Business. If it's a Group form, they are saved in the Group's SharePoint document library.
Why does the Teams action show a broken image link from Forms?
Microsoft Forms file upload URLs are secured and require authentication. If you just pass the URL link directly to a Teams message, the recipient or the Teams client will not have the active session to render the image. You must pull the file content directly in the flow.
Do I have to use an 'Apply to each' loop for a single image upload?
Yes. Microsoft Forms treats the file upload field as an array, even if the user is limited to uploading a single file. Power Automate will automatically force an 'Apply to each' loop when you try to select properties from that field.
Can I embed the image directly into the Teams message text?
Yes, but you need to convert the retrieved file content to a base64 data URI string and use the HTML <img> tag within the Teams 'Post a message' action body.
