I'm going crazy: Modify file properties in SharePoint after approval creates a loop

[Warnolf]

There is a template in Flow called "Modify file properties in SharePoint after approval" which I thought was excellent for my needs. But, of course, that creates a loop and the file is always pending approval.

So my needs are this: 

1. Whenever someone publishes a major version of a document, it should trigger approval.

2. After the approval flow is done, the name of the approver and the date of the approval is visible in their respective site collection columns. 
I can do it with the mentioned template, but of course those column changes trigger a new approval and the race is on... 

If the Publish action is a problem I am not against the notion of having only major versions. But that is not the big issue, right?

[edgonzales]

@Warnolf 

Hi there!  I'm not super familiar with this template, but it seems like you could put a condition between the trigger and the first action (approval) to check the fields that your updating on the "Yes" path of the approval.  Would that suit your needs?

Keep us posted, either way.

-Ed-

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[Warnolf]

it would stop the loop, but would the document status not still be pending since it has changed? I mean, the flow won't trigger but the change would still be "post approval", right?

[edgonzales]

Nothing at all should change because the Flow will stop at that point.  If you want, post what the Update File Properties step looks like to be sure, but it's not going to do anything unless you tell it to.

-Ed-

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[Warnolf]

Well, call me stupid but I dont get it. 

1. I change the document (Version is updated)
   1. Flow Approval process is triggered
      1. Checks if [gate column] is set to True
         1. If False the process ends, but the version is still new and the approval is pending
         2. If True the process continues, approves the changes and populates the "approved by", "approval date" etc which is in itself a new change, that requires approval. 

So. I wish that the changes to this specific metadata would not be considered a change to the document. Or that the metadata would be written before the actual approval. 

[edgonzales]

@Warnolf 

You can do all of that if you want.  Don't feel like you need to use the template exactly as it is.  Maybe come at it from a different angle:  Try sketching the process out the way you want it, and we can manipulate the Flow to do that.

-Ed-

[Warnolf]

Hey @edgonzales , thanks for reminding me about my mindset. Instead of being frustrated with what I dont have, or what I think I dont have, go back to look what I do have. 
It is evening in Sweden and I will have a fresh look tomorrow and do exactly what you suggested. Ignore the ready made things, look at the individual lego pieces and see what I can build with it. 

[Warnolf]

I still can't make this flow work. So here is my description of what I need.

This is a document library. The library contains documents of a specific content type that have custom columns including documentID, Approver, Valid date etc. These all displayed in the document header inside the document. 

When a document is updated it needs to be reviewed and approved before it gets to be the current version. 

My plan was this: 

1. Turn on minor versions
2. Create an approval flow so that if approved
   1. Updates the column "Approved by" with the name of the approver
   2. Updates the column "Valid date" with the date approved 
   3. Publishes the document as a major version
3. This approval flow should only run when someone requests to publish it as a major version. 

Simple, I thought. Creating a flow can be a very humbling experience.

/Mats

[Warnolf · Accepted solution]

Hey @edgonzales!

I cracked it. But it was HARD getting there. 

I'm attaching a Snagit PNG of my flow just in case anyone else is wondering how this was done.

First: I did it by selecting a file in my document library and requested to create a flow for it. I selected the template:  Request manager proposal for a selected file. Then I removed all the actions except the first one ("For a selected file") and then I built the flow to my liking. 

Once I understod that chain of multiple "Set content approval status" I could easily get a working flow. 

Thanks for the encouragement. 

/Mats

[BigAl1]

@Warnolf 

I am getting a very similar problem and I would really like to use your solution but the image is too small for me to read. Could you repost the solution in a larger format?

Thanks

Alan

[tpyne]

@Warnolf , Same here, I am running into the same issue.

If I change file properties it sets the approval status back to pending for some reason.

I have a 2 stage approval process setting the item to approved when the second approval succeeds. This works.

But as soon as I change the properties the approval status goes back to pending. Don't know why.

I am really interested in viewing your solution.

It it could be posted at a readable size that would be greatly appreciated. When expanding it, it just gets blurry

[MatsWarnolfSwe]

I did a temporary blog post with the image in question. http://warnolf.net/2020/06/24/a-detailed-image-of-a-flow/

When I get the chance I'll do a real post in my blog. But now there is a real high resolution image at least. 

[tpyne]

Thank you.

I can see what you are doing and it makes sense to me but each time I try to get the file meta data again it gives errors.

It was stating the file does not exist, and it didnt seem to matter if I used the ID from the top of the flow or the ID from the setting of the content approval. It just did not work.

Unfortunately I can't spend much more time on this.

I would have thought it trivial to be able set an approval status and set a column but it is not. I can do one or the other but not both.

If I change file properties it always sets the status to pending. If I try to set the approval status after changing file properties it either does nothing or it errors out. Sharepoint 2013 was a lot easier. I'm halfway to the point of telling people to manually set the status (if that is even possible) which removes the need for a content approval system.

My coworker is well versed in 2013 and is stumped.

I've gotten around it for now by making my own status column which I can get the flow to update but this takes away a lot of the functionality of the built in system.