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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Up Program - Create Power Automate cloud ... / Unable to create an SF...
Power Up Program - Create Power Automate cloud ...
Answered

Unable to create an SFTP connection

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Posted on by NV-18111041-0 16
Hi there,
I am trying to create an SFTP connection via SFTP - SSH connector option. However, the connection creation fails with no specific error.
I have verified the connectivity to the SFTP server endpoint, using the same user name and SSH key (RSA-2048, PEM format), via terminal. It's the PowerAutomate platform that's not establishing the connection for some reason that it's not specifying.
I even tried to test configuring an existing connection, but that too failed.
Error message displayed: "Connection test failed. Please review your configuration and try again."
Output from terminal (redacted)
sftp -i <PEM_FILE> <USER_NAME>@<SFTP_ENDPOINT_DNS>
############################################################################
#This is a secure site containing proprietary and confidential information #
#Any Unauthorized use is prohibited.                                       #
#All activity may be monitored and reported.                               #
############################################################################
Connected to <SFTP_ENDPOINT_DNS>.
sftp> pwd
Remote working directory: /
sftp> mkdir test
sftp> ls
test
sftp> exit
Could someone help, please?
I have the same question (2)
  • timl Profile Picture
    timl 36,302 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at
    Unable to create an SFTP connection
     
    The first thing I'd check is if there are firewall rules on the SFTP server that might block the connection. 

    With a Power Automate SFTP connector, the connection will originate from Microsoft's IP address ranges, which your SFTP server might be blocking. So that might explain why it works from you local terminal but not through the connector. 
     
     
  • NV-18111041-0 Profile Picture
    NV-18111041-0 16 on at
    Unable to create an SFTP connection
    Hi @timl
    No, it is open to all IPv4 for testing. I tried checking the SSH key format and it is of the format:
    -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
    -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
     
    though I tried adding the below formatted key as well (additional new key):
    -----BEGIN OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
    -----END OPENSSH PRIVATE KEY-----
     
    Still getting connection error. I have tried from multiple geo IPs via VPN (apart from local ISPs), but none of them are having issues in connecting to the SFTP server, except via PowerAutomate connector. Also, I can't see a connection attempt being logged anywhere for all my tests via PowerAutomate platform. Is there any way to see actual backend logs generated when a connection test is performed by PowerAutomate?
  • Verified answer
    Gerard Verbruggen Profile Picture
    Gerard Verbruggen 19 on at
    Unable to create an SFTP connection
    Hi,
     
    I had a similar issue and after a lot of googling, chatGPT and contact with Microsoft I was able to fix this. What you need to do:
     
    First of all: Do this on make.powerautomate.com and not on make.powerapps.com
    Second: Create the flow, add a SFTP-SSH connection and then create the new connection from there. Do not try to first create the connection.
    Third use the RSA key that looks like:
    -----BEGIN RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
    blablabla
    -----END RSA PRIVATE KEY-----
     
    And, in my case, the issue was solved.
     
    Hope this helps !
    Cheers,
    Gerard
  • timl Profile Picture
    timl 36,302 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at
    Unable to create an SFTP connection
     
    Unfortunately, there's no way to see actual backend logs generated when a connection test is performed by PowerAutomate.
     
    If you try the suggestion by @Gerard Verbruggen, does that work?
  • NV-18111041-0 Profile Picture
    NV-18111041-0 16 on at
    Unable to create an SFTP connection
    I had to redo it via flow rather than a separate connector and same config works now.
  • Verified answer
    revv Profile Picture
    revv 76 on at
    Unable to create an SFTP connection
    I got a similar error and here's how I fixed it.

    Checks:
    1)Make sure you generate keys using ssh-keygen -m PEM and the key is in RSA Format.
    2)Create the connection from powerapps(make.powerapps.com) not from power automate.
    3)Turn off new connection experience in the screen and you can create SFTP successfully. 

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