CSV - Parse to JSON fails with "contentBytes cannot be selected" — attachment content missing from Get attachment content

Question

Hi everyone,

I've built a flow called CSV Attachment to Excel Sync and I'm stuck on an error I can't figure out. Hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

What the flow is supposed to do:

1. Trigger: When a new email arrives (V3)
2. List rows present in a table (Excel)
3. For each 1 → Delete existing rows
4. For each 2 → loop through the email's attachments → Get attachment content
5. CSV - Parse to JSON (pdf4me connector) → then sync the parsed data into an Excel table

The problem:

The run fails at the CSV - Parse to JSON step with this error:

Flow run failed. Action 'CSV_-Parse_to_JSON' failed: Unable to process template language expressions in action 'CSV-_Parse_to_JSON' inputs at line '0' and column '0': 'The template language expression body('Get_attachment_content')?['contentBytes'] cannot be evaluated because property 'contentBytes' cannot be selected. Array elements can only be selected using an integer index.'

What I've noticed:

I'm also not seeing any of the CSV file content in the output of the "Get attachment content" step — it doesn't seem to contain the actual file bytes, which makes me think the attachment content isn't being retrieved at all.

What I've already tried / suspect:

• The CSV step uses body('Get_attachment_content')?['contentBytes'], but the error says this resolves to an array, not a single attachment.
• I'm wondering if the trigger's Include Attachments setting or the choice of attachment action is the root cause.

My questions:

1. Is Get attachment content the correct action to retrieve the CSV bytes, or should I be using Get Attachment (V2)?
2. Should I reference the current loop item (e.g. items('For_each_2')?['contentBytes']) instead of the action's body output?
3. Do I even need a separate attachment action if Include Attachments = Yes on the trigger?

Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!Hi everyone,

I've built a flow called CSV Attachment to Excel Sync and I'm stuck on an error I can't figure out. Hoping someone here can point me in the right direction.

What the flow is supposed to do:

1. Trigger: When a new email arrives (V3)
2. List rows present in a table (Excel)
3. For each 1 → Delete existing rows
4. For each 2 → loop through the email's attachments → Get attachment content
5. CSV - Parse to JSON (pdf4me connector) → then sync the parsed data into an Excel table

The problem:

The run fails at the CSV - Parse to JSON step with this error:

Flow run failed. Action 'CSV_-Parse_to_JSON' failed: Unable to process template language expressions in action 'CSV-_Parse_to_JSON' inputs at line '0' and column '0': 'The template language expression body('Get_attachment_content')?['contentBytes'] cannot be evaluated because property 'contentBytes' cannot be selected. Array elements can only be selected using an integer index.'

What I've noticed:

I'm also not seeing any of the CSV file content in the output of the "Get attachment content" step — it doesn't seem to contain the actual file bytes, which makes me think the attachment content isn't being retrieved at all.

What I've already tried / suspect:

• The CSV step uses body('Get_attachment_content')?['contentBytes'], but the error says this resolves to an array, not a single attachment.
• I'm wondering if the trigger's Include Attachments setting or the choice of attachment action is the root cause.

My questions:

1. Is Get attachment content the correct action to retrieve the CSV bytes, or should I be using Get Attachment (V2)?
2. Should I reference the current loop item (e.g. items('For_each_2')?['contentBytes']) instead of the action's body output?
3. Do I even need a separate attachment action if Include Attachments = Yes on the trigger?

Any guidance would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance!

This question is related to the following Learning Module

Answer 1

Dear @James Riaz,

Thank you for posting your question in the Microsoft Q&A forum.Based on your description, this issue appears to be related to a Power Automate flow design and expression evaluation rather than a CSV or Excel-specific problem. The error suggests that the output being passed to the CSV - Parse to JSON action may be an array, while the expression is attempting to access it as a single object.

Since Power Automate flow configuration, expressions, loops, and connector-specific behavior are best handled by Power Platform specialists, I recommend posting your question in the Power Automate Community forum, where experts can review your flow design and run history in more detail: Microsoft Power Platform Community Forum Thread

When creating your post, it would be helpful to include:

• Screenshots of the flow design
• The configuration of the Get attachment content action
• The expression used in CSV - Parse to JSON
• The output (or run history) of the failed actions
• Whether the issue occurs with a single attachment or multiple attachments

This information will help the Power Automate community provide more targeted guidance.

I truly apologies for redirecting you to a different community as the members of the posted category focus on users with Microsoft 365 concern and have limited knowledge about Power Automate, so to get a quick and better assistance, I redirect you in the correct way.  

I appreciate your patience and understanding and thank you for your time and cooperation.  

Please feel free to reach out if you have any other questions.

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