Character limit for expressions in Power Automate

Question

While building a Power Automate flow, I created a complex expression using multiple nested functions to manipulate dates, filter arrays, and format text. It worked fine at first, but after adding more logic, the flow started failing without a clear error.

I'm wondering can expressions in Power Automate become too long? Is there a specific character limit I need to be aware of when writing these expressions?

Answer 1

What is the character limit for expressions in Power Automate?

Yes, Power Automate does have a character limit for expressions. The maximum length of a single expression is 8,192 characters. If your expression exceeds this limit, the flow might fail to save or run properly, and in some cases, it may not provide a helpful error message, making the issue harder to troubleshoot.

Best Practices to Avoid This Limit

To avoid hitting this limit and to make your flow easier to manage, it’s a good idea to:

• Break down complex logic into smaller, manageable steps using multiple actions.
• Use variables to store intermediate results instead of chaining everything into one expression.
• Avoid excessive nesting, as deeply nested functions not only add to the length but also reduce readability.
• Test parts of your expression separately, especially when dealing with filters, conditions, or string manipulations.

Refactoring long expressions into clear, smaller steps often improves performance and makes future maintenance much easier, especially for team-based projects.