Join

How to Build an Automated For Sale Noticeboard in SharePoint – Part 2

    In Part 1, we built a beautifully formatted classified ads experience in SharePoint using JSON, dynamic filtering, and sleek visuals. Now in Part 2, we tackle the automation—how people can submit ads via a form, and how those ads (and images) make their way into SharePoint automatically.

    This guide walks you through the end-to-end process using:

    • Microsoft Forms for ad submission

    • Power Automate for creating list items and managing images

    • A simple admin workflow for moderating submissions

    Let’s build the full experience!

    📝 Step 1: Build the Microsoft Form

    Create a form to collect:

    • Title (text)

    • Item Description (long text, max 200 characters)

    • Price (validated number)

    • Category (Choice: Item, Tickets, Accommodation)

    • Contact Details (email or phone)

    • Image Upload (image file only)

    📌 Match the field names and formats to the SharePoint list you set up in Part 1.

    🔗 Step 2: Add Form Link to SharePoint Page

    Edit your intranet page and:

    • Add a Submit an Ad button

    • Link it to your Microsoft Form URL

    Now users can easily submit their ads from the same page where they browse listings.

    ⚙️ Step 3: Automate Submissions with Power Automate (List Data)

    Start a new flow using the "Record form responses in SharePoint" template:

    1. Trigger: When a response is submitted

    2. Get response details

    3. Create a new SharePoint list item

    Key Setup Tips:

    • Map each form field to its SharePoint list column

    • For the Owner field, use the responder’s email

    • Set the Status to "New" by default

    Handling Price Field:

    The Price field is tricky due to type mismatch between number (Forms) and currency (SharePoint). Fix it by:

    1. Initializing a string variable to capture the number

    2. Converting it into an integer using a Compose step

    3. Formatting it as a currency using Format Number

    🧠 Tip: Use your region code (e.g., Ireland) in the format step to apply correct currency symbols.

    🖼 Step 4: Automate Image Transfer (OneDrive → SharePoint)

    Images uploaded via Microsoft Forms are stored in the form creator’s OneDrive > Apps > Microsoft Forms folder.

    Create a second Power Automate flow:

    1. Trigger: When a file is created in OneDrive (correct folder path)

    2. Get file content

    3. Create file in a SharePoint Document Library (e.g., “Ad Images”)

    Now your uploaded image is in SharePoint!

    🧩 Step 5: Manually Link Image to Classified Ad

    Unfortunately, Power Automate can’t yet auto-populate an Image column in a SharePoint list from a file in a library. So you’ll need to:

    1. Download the image from SharePoint library

    2. Re-upload it manually to the image column of the corresponding ad

    🔒 Optional: Use the Status field for moderation.

    • Show only items with Status = "Available"

    • Hide new or unapproved submissions from public view

    🔔 Step 6: Notify Admin via Teams

    Add a final step to your main Power Automate flow:

    • Post message to Teams (in chat with Flow Bot)

    • Include ad title and submitter's email

    This ensures you’re alerted to every new submission.

    ✅ Final Workflow Recap

    • ✅ Users fill out a form

    • ✅ List item is created automatically

    • ✅ Admin receives Teams alert

    • ✅ Image is moved to SharePoint library

    • ✅ Admin links image manually and approves ad

    It’s efficient, scalable, and works with no dev required.

    🎥 Watch the Full Demo

    Every step is shown in the YouTube video—form setup, Power Automate flows, troubleshooting quirks, and even a live test run with Magic Beans 🌱