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How to Fix Power Automate Get File Content Using Path Step Stuck

Elise Williams Oct 9, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user is experiencing an issue where a Power Automate flow hangs indefinitely at the SharePoint 'Get file content using path' action.

How to Fix Power Automate 'Get File Content Using Path' Stuck Step

Product: Microsoft Power Automate and SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Running a Power Automate flow to process incoming email attachments and read newly created files in a SharePoint document library.
Observed behavior: The flow execution stalls completely at the 'Get file content using path' step, neither succeeding nor throwing an immediate failure error.

Before you start

Ensure that the account running the Power Automate flow has active, unexpired credentials and full read/write permissions for the target SharePoint document library.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify File Path Configuration and SharePoint Permissions

Check the dynamic content used in the file path and confirm site permissions to prevent the flow from hanging during file retrieval.

Often, the 'Get file content using path' action hangs because the file path dynamically generated by the flow is slightly incorrect, or the account lacks the required access rights to the specific SharePoint directory. A missing leading slash or an unsupported special character in the filename can also disrupt the query.

Check the Dynamic File Path

Review the flow configuration to ensure the dynamic file path matches the newly created SharePoint file exactly. Ensure the path includes the correct document library name and starts with a forward slash (/).

Verify Account Permissions

Navigate to the SharePoint library settings, go to 'Permissions for this document library', and confirm that the account used in your Power Automate connection has full 'Read' or 'Edit' access.

Test with a Static Path

Temporarily replace the dynamic path with a hardcoded static file path (e.g., /Shared Documents/TestFolder/sample.pdf) to isolate whether the issue stems from dynamic content generation or a broader connection problem.

Verify File Path Configuration and SharePoint Permissions

URL Encoding Notice: If your file names contain special characters like '#' or '%', they may need to be properly URL-encoded before being passed into the path field.

Solution 2

Consult the Power Automate Community

If standard configuration checks do not resolve the issue, leverage the official Microsoft community for advanced flow diagnostics.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Automate hang instead of failing with an error?

When a connector waits for a response from SharePoint, underlying permission issues or malformed paths can cause the API request to endlessly retry or time out silently, rather than throwing an immediate, visible error in the run history.

How do I properly format a SharePoint file path in Power Automate?

Ensure the path starts with a forward slash and contains the full document library name followed by the folder structure and file extension. For example: '/Shared Documents/Invoices/invoice.pdf'.

Can special characters in filenames cause the 'Get file content' step to fail?

Yes, special characters like '#', '%', or '&' in the SharePoint file name or folder path can break the URL encoding. You may need to use an expression to encode the URI components before passing them to the action.

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