How to Work with Zip Files in Microsoft Power Automate: A Comprehensive Guide

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Introduction:

Microsoft Power Automate is a powerful tool that can automate various business processes. One of its features is the ability to work with zip files, which allows you to compress and extract multiple files into a single archive. This feature is particularly useful for those who need to transfer large files or folders over the internet. In this guide, we will explore how to work with zip files in Power Automate.

Step 1: Compressing Files/Folders

The first step is to compress files or folders into a zip file in Power Automate. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open your Power Automate account and select the "My flows" tab.
2. Click on the "+ New" button to create a new flow.
3. Choose the "Instant cloud flow" template to create a new flow from scratch.
4. Give your flow a name and click on the "Create" button.
5. In the flow designer, add the "Create ZIP file" action.
6. Select the files or folders that you want to compress.
7. Enter a name for the zip file and choose a destination folder.
8. Click on the "Save" button to save your flow.

Step 2: Extracting Files from a Zip File

The second step is to extract files from a zip file in Power Automate. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Add the "Extract ZIP file" action to your flow.
2. Enter the path to the zip file that you want to extract.
3. Choose the destination folder for the extracted files.
4. Click on the "Save" button to save your flow.

Step 3: Using the Extracted Files

The third step is to use the extracted files in your workflow. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Add the action that you want to perform using the extracted files.
2. Use the output of the "Extract ZIP file" action as the input for the action.
3. Configure the action as needed.
4. Click on the "Save" button to save your flow.

Use Case: Sending Multiple Files as Email Attachments

Suppose you need to send multiple files as email attachments to a client. Instead of attaching each file individually, you can compress them into a single zip file using Power Automate. This will make the transfer process more efficient and save you time.

Conclusion:

Working with zip files in Microsoft Power Automate can help you compress and extract multiple files into a single archive. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can compress files or folders into a zip file, extract files from a zip file, and use the extracted files in your workflow. With this knowledge, you can explore other use cases for this powerful feature and automate your business processes more effectively.

We hope you found this step-by-step guide on how to use webhooks in Microsoft Power Automate insightful and valuable.

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As you continue to explore the powerful features of Power Automate, it's crucial to expand your knowledge and skills to take full advantage of its capabilities.

We highly recommend reading our next article, "How to Use XPath in Microsoft Power Automate" and "How to Connect Yammer to Microsoft Power Automate".