#PowerPlatformTip 124: ‘Recognize Plain Text File Formats’

TL;DR: Skip Base64 decoding in Power Automate, plain-text formats like JSON, CSV, XML and Markdown return content directly from ‘Get File Content’.

💡 Challenge

The “Get File Content” action in Power Automate often returns file contents as Base64, which complicates further processing. Yet some formats return their content directly as plain text, making things much simpler.

✅ Solution

Use plain-text formats such as JSON, HTML, CSV, TXT, XML, Markdown, YAML, CSS, JavaScript, and log files to get content directly, without any Base64 decoding.

🔧 How It’s Done

1. Retrieve the file with “Get File Content”

🔸 Configure the connector (OneDrive for Business, SharePoint, etc.).

🔸 Select the target file in your flow.

2. Identify plain-text formats

🔸 JSON, HTML, CSV, TXT, XML, Markdown (.md), YAML (.yaml/.yml), CSS, JavaScript (.js), and .log files.

🔸 Make sure the file has the correct extension for plain text.

3. Process the content directly

🔸 Use variables, Compose actions, or expressions on the plain text.

🔸 Skip any Base64-decoding actions.

4. Validate with a CSV on OneDrive for Business

🔸 Test a CSV retrieval to confirm plain-text output.

🔸 Adjust your flow logic based on the direct CSV content.

🎉 Result

Using plain-text formats saves time and cuts complexity in your automations. You work directly with the content, making your flow more efficient and straightforward.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 No Base64 decoding needed, immediate use of file contents

🔸 Simplifies and speeds up further processing

🔸 Ideal for common automation and data tasks

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🎥 Video Tutorial

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🛠️ FAQ

1. Which file formats are recognized as plain text in Power Automate? JSON, HTML, CSV, TXT, XML, Markdown (.md), YAML (.yaml/.yml), CSS, JavaScript (.js), and .log files are output as plain text by “Get File Content.”

2. Do all connectors support plain text output? Plain-text output depends on the connector and the file type. “Get File Content” in OneDrive for Business and SharePoint supports these text formats directly.

3. How do I handle formats that output as Base64? For Base64 outputs, use a “Compose” action or the base64ToString() expression to decode the content before processing.

🔗 Related Tips

• #PowerPlatformTip 125: Convert CSV to JSON, turn plain-text CSV into JSON with standard actions.
• #PowerPlatformTip 104: Efficient JSON Handling, process JSON payloads cleanly in flows.