How do you bulk download attachment files from a Dataverse table?

[AhmedSalih]

Streamlining Your Workflow: How to Bulk Download Attachment Files from a Dataverse Table from a Canvas Power Apps
Are you managing data in Dataverse tables, and do you have a canvas app for your end-users that they can use to download multiple attachments from these tables? The process can be time-consuming and complex. This blog post introduces a streamlined solution using a Power Apps formula, making your workflow more efficient.

Understanding Dataverse and Attachments
Dataverse is the foundational data service for Microsoft's Power Platform, providing a secure and cloud-based storage option for your data. Attachments in Dataverse tables can range from documents and images to spreadsheets, which are crucial for various business processes.

The Challenge of Downloading Multiple Attachments
Typically, downloading attachments from Dataverse tables involves manual effort or complex automation. You will need to open each individual record to download the attached file. Recognizing the need for a more straightforward solution led me to explore the capabilities of Power Apps.

Power Fx Formula
The formula we're using today provides a straightforward method to download multiple attachments from a Dataverse table:

ForAll(TableName,

Download("https://EnvironmentURL/api/data/v9.0/PluralTableLogicalName(" & ThisRecord.UniqueIdentifiedColumn & ")/FileColumnLogicalName/$value")

)

[Mantux]

@AhmedSalih Hey, does this formula work for downloading the Image from the image column?

[ManishM]

This approach works for me as a System Administrator and app owner but not for my users even though they have full access to the table. What am I doing wrong? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I just realized, after looking at your profile picture, that I commented the same on your video on YouTube as well. Please help me diagnose the problem. I sense it is to do with additional security roles.

thank you 🙂

[AhmedSalih]

@ManishM, are you getting any errors, or how it is not working?

[AhmedSalih]

@Mantux, yes, you can use it to download images from an image type column, you just need to change the URL to this format:

Download("<enviromnet url>/Image/download.aspx?Entity=<table logical name>&Attribute=<image column logical name>&Id=GUID)

[ManishM]

@AhmedSalih my users are getting 401 error. So when I click the download link, it works for me but it does show a blank page and then that goes away in a second and then the download starts. That is the very page it gives error to my users; attached here. Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thank you 

 

[AhmedSalih]

@ManishM, it is a browser security related issue. Let them try in a Private Mode. Also, if you give them a System Admin, can they download the files? 

[ManishM]

@AhmedSalih thank you for working with me on this issue.

All my users have the same browser security as I do but that should not be the reason for the block since everyone is pulling data from the same lot and they can rw everything else. Even after giving them system admin rights, the issue still persists. They used Edge and Chrome browser and tested in incognito mode as well, same issue.

I beg to ask this question to others who have mentioned the same as the solution - have they asked/tested with their most common user (persona) if it works? That would be the real test. The solution must work irrespective of the browser user chooses. I do not have control over their choice hence cannot be picky. I can force-by-request using Edge since it is a Microsoft platform but not beyond that.

Thank you 🙂