Have you ever faced a situation where you must copy a file and automatically give it a new name? One of my team members recently asked, “Can we use Power Automate to copy a file and rename it on the go?” The answer is yes! Power Automate makes this task super easy and efficient. Whether you’re managing files in SharePoint, OneDrive, or another storage service, automating, we copy and rename it.
In this tutorial, I will tell you how to copy and rename a file in the SharePoint library if it already exists using Power Automate. Additionally, we will discuss how to copy and rename multiple files in Power Automate.
Copy and Rename a File in SharePoint if it Already Exists using Power Automate
Suppose you want to copy files from one SharePoint document library, Source Documents, to another, Approved Documents. If a file with the same name already exists in the Approved Documents, the flow should automatically rename the file.
Follow the steps below to achieve this:
1. Create an automated cloud flow. Give the flow name and select the trigger When a file is created (properties only). Also, provide the Site Address and Library Name.
2. Then Add the Copy file action inside the true section and provide the below parameters:
- Current Site Address: The SharePoint site address where the file you want to copy is located.
- File to Copy: provide the identifier from dynamic content when creating a file.
- Destination Site Address: The SharePoint site to which you want to copy the file.
- Destination Folder: Select the destination SharePoint library.
- If another file is already there: Selcte Replace, Copy with a new name.
Now, click Save and run the flow manually. Once the flow runs, add the same file that is present in the Approved Documents document library.
After the flow successfully goes to the Approved Documents Document library, you can see the file successfully copied with a different name.
Copy and Rename Files in Power Automate
Suppose you are managing a document library in SharePoint called Monthly Reports. Every month, team members upload reports to this library with a standard naming convention, such as SalesReport_January2024.docx. To keep the library organized and maintain a backup, you want to create a Power Automate flow that:
- Copies of each uploaded report to an Archive folder in the same document library.
- Rename the copied file to include the current month and year, then the file name.