Power Automate allows automating converting Word documents to PDF file or JPG image.
Use Quick Tips and learn how to automate the conversion of Word files to PDF or JPG in Office 365
Power Automate gives the opportunity to automate the conversion of Word documents to another format like PDF or JPG. That kind of automation gives you the possibility to automate the process print out of your Word files to PDF or image format. Word documents converted to PDF files are universally printable. You can also use them and send them to recipients via email.
Converting the Word files to other formats: PDF, JPG in Office 365 will require you to use the available actions in areas of SharePoint and OneDrive.
In this article you will learn how to use Power Automate flow actions:
- SharePoint – Get file content
- OneDrive for Business – Get file content
- OneDrive for Business – Convert file (preview)
- SharePoint – Create file
- OneDrive for Business – Create file
- OneDrive for Business – Delete file
You will also learn about the possible creation of the files in SharePoint document libraries and in OneDrive space in Office 365.
Conversion of the Word document to PDF file will require 5 simple actions.
Let’s create a new Power Automate process to generate PDF / JPG documents based on Word files.
Convert Word document to PDF file or JPG image in Office 365
Converting Word documents to PDF is quite an easy process, but requires one hard figuring out tricky step. You can convert any Word file saved in the SharePoint document library or on the OneDrive for Business but the file will need to be copied to OneDrive first.
Get Word document content
In case you would like to convert the Word document you will need to first create it in the OneDrive for Business. The first step to do that is to gate the file content.
To get the Word document content you need to set:
- Site address – select SharePoint site or SharePoint site address
- File Identifier / File– Id of the document
When you will get the file content from SharePoint in Power Automate it could look like this:
You will be able to use the Body of the file in the Dynamic content using the results of this action.
Create a document in OneDrive for Business
In the next step, you will need to create a temporary file in OneDrive for Business. Use Create file action to do that.
To create a temporary Word document in OneDrive for Business set:
- Folder Path – select the space in your OneDrive where the temporary file should be save
- File Name – Set the name for the temporary file
- File Content – Use the Content which you get in the previous step
When you will create a temporary Word file in OneDrive for Business using Power Automate it could look like this:
You will be able to use the Body of the file in the Dynamic content using the results of this action.
Convert Word file to PDF / JPG
Now you will be able to convert Word documents saved in the OneDrive to PDF or JPG format. Use Convert file (preview) action to generate a PDF / JPG document.
To convert Word document in OneDrive for Business set:
- File – Id of the document from Create the file action
- Target type – Select the targeted format of the file you would like to get during conversion
When you will convert a temporary Word file in OneDrive for Business using Power Automate it could look like this:
As a result of this action, you will get the content of the PDF / JPG document which you will use in the next action.
You can use generated content of the file to create the new file in SharePoint or to create an attachment in the email.
Create a converted PDF file in SharePoint
Save converted PDF file in the SharePoint document using Create file action.
To create final PDF document in SharePoint site set:
- Site Address – select SharePoint site or SharePoint site address
- Folder Path – set the space in your SharePoint site where the PDF file should be saved
- File Name – set the file name, you can use dynamic content to set the file name
- File Content – use content generated in the Convert file action
When you will save converted PDF file in SharePoint using Power Automate it could look like this:
As a result of this action, you will get Word file converted to PDF file, saved on SharePoint.
Delete temporary Word file from OneDrive for Business
In the final step, you should delete the temporary Word file from OneDrive for Business using the Delete file action
To delete temporary Word file on OneDrive for Business set:
- File – Id of the document from Create the file action
When you will delete a temporary Word file in OneDrive for Business using Power Automate it could look like this:
As a result of this action, you will clean up your OneDrive for Business.
Conclusion
Power Automate allows you to convert Word documents to PDF or JPG files. Use Office 365 to automate the process of Word document conversion to PDF or JPG.
This example doesn’t make very clear how many files exist. It deletes the temporary source file but leaves the PDF on OneDrive. That may not always be desirable.
It’s easy to be confused by the term “convert” which seems to imply that the original file is completely replaced by the PDF. But actually it’s creating a second version of the file in PDF format. So if you only need the content of that file, and don’t want that file left in OneDrive you must also delete that.
That’s correct. Delete action is needed to clear the temp file. At the moment this only free/no-code approach to execute that kind of creation of PDF file.