How to Use the items() Function in Power Automate

Inside an Apply to each loop, items() gives you the item the loop is working on right now. Add ?['name'] and you get one of its properties. It's the expression you'll write most inside loops, and nested loops are where its loop name matters.

What It Does

Microsoft's functions reference defines items() as the current item from each cycle of a for-each loop, used inside that loop. You name the loop:

Syntax

items('<loopName>')

The loop's name is the one you gave it, with underscores for spaces: a loop called For each list is For_each_list.

Prerequisites

• A loop over an array. See How to Loop Through an Array with Apply to Each. The example is For each list in the setup flow from Part 11 of the Career Development Plan series. Each item is one list's definition:

One item of the array, without its columns

{
  "title": "RoleCompetencies",
  "description": "Competencies and expected levels for each job title. Used by the Career Development Plan app.",
  "noCrawl": false
}

Each item also has a columns array, used further down.

Read a Property

To get the current list's title, add the property name after the item:

Expression

items('For_each_list')?['title']

['title'] reads the title property. The ? before it makes the read safe: if the item were empty, you'd get nothing instead of a failed step.

Add it with the expression editor (How to Add an Expression in Power Automate), here in the middle of Find the list's Uri:

In Code view, an expression inside text sits in @{...}:

Uri in Code view

_api/web/lists?$filter=Title eq '@{items('For_each_list')?['title']}'&$select=Id

In the first pass, that's _api/web/lists?$filter=Title eq 'RoleCompetencies'&$select=Id, and in the second, the same with CompetencyResponses.

Nested Loops

Each list has a columns array, and a second loop, For each column, goes through it. Inside the inner loop, both items are available:

Expression	Returns
items('For_each_column')?['name']	The current column's name
items('For_each_column')?['schemaXml']	The current column's XML definition
items('For_each_list')?['title']	The title of the list the columns belong to

That's why items() takes the loop's name. Microsoft's reference also has item(), with no name, which returns the current item of the loop it's in. With nested loops, naming the loop leaves no doubt.

Common Mistakes

Mistake	What happens	Do this instead
Spaces in the loop name	The expression doesn't find the loop	Use underscores: For_each_list
Renaming the loop afterwards	Expressions keep the old name	Name the loop before writing expressions
A property name that isn't in the data	You get nothing back	Copy the name exactly from your data

Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
The expression returns nothing	The property name differs from the data	Check the item in the loop's run results
An error about the loop name	The expression is outside that loop	Use items() only inside its loop

FAQ

What's the difference between items() and item()?

items('Loop_name') reads the current item of the loop you name. item() reads the current item of the loop it's in. In a nested loop, items() lets you reach the outer loop's item too.

Can I use it in a condition?

Yes, anywhere inside the loop: in a field, in a body, or in a condition's values.

Conclusion

Inside a loop, items('Loop_name') is the current item, and ?['property'] reads one of its values safely. Use the loop's name with underscores, and in nested loops pick the loop whose item you mean.

Additional Resources

• Reference guide to functions in expressions: items() and item().

Related

• How to Loop Through an Array with Apply to Each in Power Automate
• How to Add an Expression in Power Automate
• How to Use the body() Function in Power Automate