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How to Create Power Automate Sharing Links for Multiple Excel URLs

Khadija Khan Sep 25, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to process multiple file attachment URLs contained within a single Excel cell (separated by semicolons) using Power Automate to generate sharing links and trigger an approval process.

Create Power Automate Sharing Links for Multiple Excel URLs

Product: Power Automate & Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating an approval process based on Microsoft Forms responses where multiple file attachments are exported into a single Excel spreadsheet cell.
Observed behavior: Power Automate cannot natively create sharing links directly from the cell data because the multiple URLs are merged into a single text string and lack the unique item IDs required by the sharing action.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to Microsoft Power Automate and basic familiarity with using expressions, as you will need to manually manipulate the text string to extract the individual URLs.

Solution 1Recommended

Extract and Parse URLs Using Power Automate Expressions

Split the semicolon-separated string to isolate individual URLs, allowing you to retrieve the file identifier needed for generating sharing links.

Because Microsoft Forms groups multiple attachments into a single text string separated by semicolons in Excel, you must instruct Power Automate to break this string apart. This is achieved using the split() expression in a custom flow.

Initialize a string variable

In your Power Automate flow, add an 'Initialize variable' action to store the dynamic content of the Excel cell containing the URLs.

Split the URLs

Add a 'Compose' action and use the split() expression, for example: split(variables('YourVariableName'), ';'), to convert the string into an array of individual URLs.

Apply to each loop

Add an 'Apply to each' control action and set its output to the array generated by your Compose action.

Retrieve item IDs

Inside the loop, add a 'Get file metadata' or 'Get file properties' action. Use the current URL item to fetch the unique identifier for the specific file.

Create the sharing link

Add the 'Create sharing link for a file or folder' action inside the loop, inserting the dynamic Item ID you retrieved in the previous step.

Extract and Parse URLs Using Power Automate Expressions

Microsoft Community Support: For highly specific flow designs or troubleshooting expression errors, posting your flow structure in the Microsoft Power Automate Community is recommended.

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While Power Automate workflows handle complex Microsoft integrations, WPS Office provides a lightweight, free alternative for everyday spreadsheet management, data analysis, and form data review.

1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official website to download and install the free WPS Office suite on your device.
2. Open Your Excel File: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your exported Microsoft Forms .xlsx file.
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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Microsoft Forms put multiple URLs in one Excel cell?

Microsoft Forms groups attachments from a single form submission into one field and separates them with semicolons. This is done to maintain a 1:1 row-to-submission ratio in the exported Excel file.

What Power Automate expression splits a string by semicolons?

You can use the split() function. For example, entering split(triggerOutputs()?['body/AttachmentCell'], ';') in the expression builder will create an array of individual strings from the merged URLs.

How do I get the file identifier for an approval flow?

Once you have isolated the individual file URL or name using the split array, use the 'Get file metadata' action in OneDrive or SharePoint. This action retrieves the unique file identifier required by the 'Create sharing link' action.

Can I trigger an approval for multiple files at once?

Yes. You can collect all the generated sharing links into a single array or string variable during your loop. After the loop completes, insert that combined variable into the 'Details' or 'Item Link' field of the 'Start and wait for an approval' action.

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