How to Create a Beautiful Word Template Using SharePoint Data and Power Automate

In this video, DeShon Clark demonstrates how to create a stunning Word template using SharePoint data and Power Automate without the need for premium connectors. He explains that many people believe premium connectors are required to create Word templates, but DeShon shows that it can be done with standard connectors.

The first step is to create a document library in SharePoint to house the template. Each attribute in the Word template will be represented by a SharePoint site column. DeShon recommends keeping all the tokens as single line text for flexibility.

Next, DeShon demonstrates how to create site columns for each placeholder in the Word template. He adds a prefix, "v", to indicate that it's a token value. He suggests using placeholders to match the formatting of the template, including font, size, and color.

Once the site columns are created, DeShon uploads the Word template and opens it in the thick client of Microsoft Word desktop version. He explains that using the thick client ensures consistent formatting and integration with SharePoint document properties. He uses the "Document Property" option in Word to bring in all the site columns from the document library.

DeShon proceeds to replace the placeholders in the document with the corresponding site columns. He matches the font, size, and color of each token to maintain formatting consistency. He emphasizes the importance of getting rid of extra spaces or text to preserve the original template layout.

After completing the template, DeShon suggests moving it out of the document library to a standard document library to avoid the risk of accidentally deleting it along with temporary files. He highlights the convenience of using the modern SharePoint feature to move files and folders.

DeShon then dives into Power Automate and shows how to create a flow that utilizes the template. He explains the process of getting the template content, creating a new file, updating the file properties with values from the original request, and getting the latest file content. He also demonstrates how to attach the file content to an email.

DeShon concludes the video by submitting a parking lot request through a Power App and receiving an email with the Word template as an attachment. He explains that in the next video, he will cover how to convert the Word document to a PDF.

Key Talking Points:

- Creating a document library in SharePoint to house the template

- Creating site columns for each placeholder in the Word template

- Uploading the Word template and replacing placeholders with site columns

- Moving the template to a standard document library

- Building a flow in Power Automate to utilize the template

- Attaching the template to an email and sending it out

3 Reasons to Watch the Video:

1. Learn how to create a visually appealing Word template using SharePoint data and Power Automate.

2. Understand how to leverage site columns and placeholders to dynamically populate the template with data.

3. Discover how to build a flow in Power Automate to generate and send out the Word template as an email attachment.

Watch the video to learn how to create a stunning Word template with SharePoint data and Power Automate. Streamline your document creation process and impress your clients and colleagues with beautiful and dynamic templates.

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