Hello,

we have a big issue creating a document based on a defined custom template in a workflow. The following steps were made to achieve that:

1. Adding a custom document type in Website Settings

2. Creating an Excel file and uploading it as a template

3. Allowing custom types for document list

4. Adding the type to my document list as default

Site Wokflow:

1. Create Action: Create list item with the created document type and Name "test"

When i run the workflow, SharePoint creates the document but the document is empty. If I create a document manually in the same document list, the document is created fine.

These steps were performed in several tutorials with older SP Versions. So what happened in SP 2013?

Thank you for help

Hi,
According to your post, you want to create a site workflow to create an new document using the customized content type in a specific library.
 
I recommend to check the things below:
1. Make sure that the excel template is not empty.
2. Check the value of the content type set after selecting the library in the workflow, and make sure that it is the content type you customized.
 
If you have any problem, please feel free to reply.
Thanks

Hi,
According to your post, you want to create a site workflow to create an new document using the customized content type in a specific library.
 
I recommend to check the things below:
1. Make sure that the excel template is not empty.
2. Check the value of the content type set after selecting the library in the workflow, and make sure that it is the content type you customized.
 
If you have any problem, please feel free to reply.
Thanks

• Marked as answer by LindaliMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Thursday, August 15, 2013 9:29 AM

Hi,
According to your post, you want to create a site workflow to create an new document using the customized content type in a specific library.
 
I recommend to check the things below:
1. Make sure that the excel template is not empty.
2. Check the value of the content type set after selecting the library in the workflow, and make sure that it is the content type you customized.
 
If you have any problem, please feel free to reply.
Thanks

• Marked as answer by LindaliMicrosoft contingent staff Thursday, August 15, 2013 9:29 AM

Hi Victoria Xia,

I checked them again, the Template is specified in the content type of the document library, the workflow is creating a document using that content type, and will bring all the metadata as mapped in the workflow.

but when I open the document created by the workflow it will be blank document, and the content type name is the correct content type (my custom content type) it is like its not using the template specified.

when I click new document inside the library itself directly, it is opening a new document with the specified template.

where could be the issue here?

Thanks

• Edited by Imad El-Qasem Tuesday, November 26, 2013 11:04 AM

Hi Victoria Xia,

I checked them again, the Template is specified in the content type of the document library, the workflow is creating a document using that content type, and will bring all the metadata as mapped in the workflow.

but when I open the document created by the workflow it will be blank document, and the content type name is the correct content type (my custom content type) it is like its not using the template specified.

when I click new document inside the library itself directly, it is opening a new document with the specified template.

where could be the issue here?

Thanks

• Edited by Imad El-Qasem Tuesday, November 26, 2013 11:04 AM

Hi Sergej,

Please share with us the solution if you had it.

Hi did you end up finding a solution to this problem? im having the same issue with workflow 2013 but it works with 2010 workflows

Hi, same issue here. Will anyone shed a light on this?

Hi,

I also have this problem.

Am using Onsite SharePoint 2013, SPD2013 with 2010 workflows and Word 2013.

When I add a document with a .docx template from a content-type using the New Document button on the Files Ribbon I am able top open with Word 2013.

When I add it using the "Create List Item" action in a 2010 Workflow it is created but when I attempt to open it with Word 2013 I get: "Were sorry. We cannot open <var class="sbody-var"><file_name></var> because we found a problem with its contents."

The article at support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/2889634 suggests a workaround but this would remove any benefit of using content types.

The article then goes on to explain that the problem is by design. Can someone at Microsoft please explain?

If anyone has any suggestions I'd really appreciate it. At the moment I've hit a roadblock as I really want to create a document from a content-type that is pre-filled with data from the site.

Many thanks.