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How to Automatically Find SharePoint List Names in Word Daily Notes

Muhammad Talha Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to automatically identify and highlight client names from a designated list within their daily notes.

How to Automatically Find SharePoint List Names in Daily Notes

Product: Word, Power Automate, SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating the cross-referencing of client lists against daily notes to easily spot and highlight matched names.
Observed behavior: Client names are compared against the text of daily notes, and matched items are either highlighted directly in the document or tracked via a formatted SharePoint list column.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to Power Automate with AI Builder capabilities, or have your client list ready in an Excel workbook if you prefer using a Word VBA macro.

Solution 1Recommended

Use Power Automate and SharePoint Column Formatting

Best for online, automated daily workflows using SharePoint lists.

Because the AI Builder connector cannot directly extract Word content easily, you must first convert the daily notes to PDF format. A scheduled flow will then extract the content and compare it with your SharePoint list.

Convert Notes to PDF

After your daily modifications are complete, save or convert the Word document notes into a PDF file.

Create a Scheduled Flow

Open Power Automate and create a scheduled flow. Add an AI Builder text-extraction action to extract the content from the converted PDF file.

Create a Match Column in SharePoint

Go to your SharePoint client list and create a new column named 'Match'. Configure your flow to compare the extracted PDF data with the list. If a name matches, update the Match column value to 'Yes'.

Apply JSON Column Formatting

In SharePoint, click the 'Match' column header, select 'Column settings', and choose 'Format this column'. Go to Advanced mode and input a JSON script to highlight the row or text when the match is positive.

Premium License Requirement: Using the AI Builder connector in Power Automate may require a premium license.

Solution 2

Use Word VBA to Highlight Names from an Excel List

Ideal for local, desktop-based highlighting without needing Power Automate.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Edit Word Notes and Run Macros Easily with WPS Office

WPS Office offers a lightweight, highly compatible, and free alternative to Microsoft Office. It fully supports Word documents (.docx) and Excel spreadsheets (.xlsx), making it easy to manage your daily notes and client lists seamlessly.

1. Download and Install: Get WPS Office for free from the official website and install it on your device.
2. Open Your Daily Notes: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing .docx files to easily edit and review your daily notes.
3. Manage Client Lists: Use WPS Spreadsheet to maintain your client names with full compatibility.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Word (.docx) and Excel (.xlsx) formats.Supports advanced document formatting and daily note management.Lightweight and fast, saving system resources.Familiar user interface ensures a seamless migration.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Power Automate extract text directly from a Word document?

Native Power Automate AI connectors generally require the Word document to be converted to PDF first for reliable text extraction.

Will the VBA macro work if my client list is in a different Excel column?

The standard VBA code reads from the first column of the workbook. If your data is in a different column, you must modify the array index within the macro script.

How do I apply JSON formatting in SharePoint?

In your SharePoint list, click the column header you wish to format, select 'Column settings', then 'Format this column', and paste your JSON code into the Advanced mode editor.

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