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How to Save a SharePoint Excel File Once a Day with Power Automate

WPS Editor Sep 25, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to automatically save a daily snapshot of a continuously edited SharePoint Excel file for historical reporting.

How to Save a SharePoint Excel File Once Per Day with Power Automate

Product: Microsoft Excel, Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating a daily snapshot or backup of a shared Excel workbook for Power BI calculations and historical records.
Observed behavior: The team constantly updates the live workbook, making it difficult to pull static historical daily data without automated snapshots.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft Power Automate license, proper read/write permissions to the relevant SharePoint document libraries, and a designated destination folder created for your daily snapshots.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Scheduled Power Automate Flow

Use a scheduled cloud flow in Power Automate to fetch the Excel file from SharePoint and create a new copy with a dynamic date timestamp every day.

This automated process guarantees that a static snapshot of your data is captured exactly when you need it for your Power BI reporting, without requiring any manual intervention.

Create a Scheduled Flow

Log in to Power Automate, click 'Create' from the left menu, and select 'Scheduled cloud flow'. Name your flow and set the recurrence to repeat every 1 day.

Get the Original File Content

Add a new step, search for the 'Get file content' (SharePoint) action. Select your SharePoint Site Address and use the folder picker to locate your source Excel workbook.

Configure the Destination File

Add another step and choose the 'Create file' (SharePoint) action. Select the target Site Address and the specific Folder Path where you want the daily snapshots saved.

Add a Dynamic Date to the Filename

In the 'File Name' field, use an expression to ensure the name is unique daily. For example, type 'DailyReport-' and then go to the Expression tab to insert formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'yyyy-MM-dd'), followed by '.xlsx'.

Insert the File Content

Click into the 'File Content' field and select the 'File Content' dynamic variable generated from the previous 'Get file content' step. Save your flow.

Testing Your Flow: Always use the 'Test' button in the upper right corner to manually trigger the flow and verify that the file is correctly generated in your destination SharePoint folder before leaving it to run on a schedule.

Solution 2

Seek Specialized Assistance from the Power Platform Community

If you encounter complex errors with expressions or SharePoint permissions, the Microsoft Power Platform Community is the best place to get expert help.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I automatically add the current date to the copied file's name?

Yes. In Power Automate, you can use the expression formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'yyyy-MM-dd') in the 'File Name' field of the 'Create file' action. This will append the current date dynamically every time the flow runs.

Will copying the file using Power Automate interrupt the team editing the original workbook?

No. The 'Get file content' action in Power Automate simply reads the current saved state of the file without locking it for editing, so your team can continue working in SharePoint seamlessly.

Why is my Power Automate flow failing to create the file in SharePoint?

This usually happens due to missing site permissions or an identical filename already existing in the folder. Ensure your Power Automate account connection has write access to the destination library and that your filename expression generates a unique name for each daily run.

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