cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Reply
Anonymous
Not applicable

Stop a flow re-triggering itself on sharepoint item created/modified trigger - modified<utcnow ?

If anyone can help i'd much appreciate it. 

I have a flow which copies one sharepoint field in a list to another in that list. (It copies a start date + duration date to a 'finish date' field to enable gantt chart view in the SP list).

 

This flow seems to re-trigger tiself and run over and over. To stop this i thought about putting in a condition of last modified < now(- 1 minute). This would stop it running if the item was modified in the last minute. 

 

I got as far as this... but its not workign. Any suggestions?

 

@less(triggerBody()?['Modified'], addMinutes(utcNow(), -1)flowscreen.PNG)

 

Thanks again,

Shaun

 

15 REPLIES 15

HI @Anonymous,

 

You are looking for option 3 in this post: https://veenstra.me.uk/2018/02/21/microsoft-flow-are-you-running-out-of-runs-with-microsoft-flow/

 

Or maybe even a 5th option ( not in the post) where you create a state machine using a switch and at the beginning of each branch you update the item with an 'in progress' status and at the end of each branch a 'completed'. Flows will still retrigger but at least you can then condition the reruns out.

 

v-yuazh-msft
Community Support
Community Support

Hi @ Shauniekent,

 

Could you please share a screenshot of the configuration of your sharepoint list?

 

I would offer you a workaround to prevent the retrigger of the flow and you could take a try to add a “Yes/No” type column in the list to record whether the update of an item is caused by flow.

I have created a  sharepoint list as below:

1.png

Note:

The “start date” column ,”duration date” column and “finish date” column are all date type column, the “modified by flow” column is a “Yes/No” type column and the defaults value of this column is “No”.

If someone update the item, he should keep the “modified by flow”  be “No”, and each time the flow runs, the “Update item” action of the flow would always update this column to “Yes”.

You could create a flow as below:

2.png

You could fill in the  expression in the condition as below:

@equals(triggerBody()?['modified_x0020_by_x0020_flow'], false)

Note: The workaround would help you prevent the retrigger of the flow make sure you have set the “modified by flow” column to “Yes”, and you could fill in the “finish date” as you needs.

 

When an item is created or modified in the list and the “modified by flow” column is “No”, the flow would run successfully as below:

 3.png

 

 

Regards,
Alice Zhang

Anonymous
Not applicable

Thanks fro your response, i do not understand how tracking a status during the flow helps prevent a re-triggering?

The list item is modified, the flow updates the end date field, the list iem has been modified, the flow updates.

I think your example may be to prevent a flow re-triggering before it has been completed.

 

Anonymous
Not applicable

Thanks fro your response - however it's not appropriate for users to complete a separate field reporting whether it was they or  aflow that last updated the item.

 

Is there no way to ask a flow to NOT trigger if the last modified date/time of a list item is within the last minute (this is what i was attempting)?

 

thanks,

Shaun

Hi @Anonymous, 

 

this wouldn't be a field for users to fill in. It would only be updated by the Flow itself. 

tolppa
Regular Visitor

This is a bug.

 

Self triggering flow may be obvious for programmer but end users should never accept this behaviour.  End-user do see things like this: 1) Flow should start when item is added or modified. 2) Flow should update a field value based on where condition x. 3) Flow should end. 

 

Certainly you understand the  ??? moment when infinite loop happens. Yes. Currently condition is needed but this make flows much harder to create. Flow should never trigger itself and this should done using something like "trigger self" -method.

Dorul
Responsive Resident
Responsive Resident

And what to do when ppl actually do want the flow to retrigger itself, when an item is modified?

Whatever you do, remember that the flow just does what you set it to do, not what you want it to do.

 





Did I answer your question? Mark my post as a solution!

Proud to be a Flownaut!





rohitP
New Member

Hi,

I did a workaround by creating new List 'My flow history' and adding item when flow triggers for first time.

In the last step of my flow, i delet the newly created item in flow history, so for the next valid run, the flow should work as expected.

 

Let me know if it works.

 

Step 1 check item in the flow list

step1.png

 

step2.png

Step 2 Create item if not exists 

Step 3 Delete item from flow history list to allow running of flow for the next time

step3.png

 

 

 

 

 

automaton
Advocate III
Advocate III

Not sure if you ever got to the bottom of this but I'm using the following method to check whether the last update to a document was made by the flow and if so, exit without re-running. It's still a shame that the flow runs twice but at least it won't execute more than this in the absence of something more suitable from microsoft.

 

It requires using the SharePoint REST API to check out / check in the document or list item and provide a check in comment on check in. This comment is then used to verify that the last modification (version) was made by the flow and not by a user.

 

 

I found it reliable and it removes the need to use timeframes which may not be dependable. Let me know if you would like more information on this approach and I can provide more detail.

 

 

@automaton 

Hi, I'm still struggling with similar problem. My flow triggers on "created or modified" and then does an update of hte SharePoint list item... which is a "modification" hence the same flow is triggered again.. and again.. and again....

 

Would you please share details on the REST API solution you refer to?

 

Thank you in advance

 

Regards

Charles

 

Hi @Charles-v-D,

 

It's not exactly straight forward but it's been working very well in my scenario, there are a couple of caveats:

 

1. Check in / Check out is enabled on the document library. 

2. You will always get two flow runs on any modification, the first flow run which does the work, and the second run which checks that the last run was the flow (not a manual modification) and stops the chain reaction.

 

The topline process is this...

1. Create a do until loop to check that the document has been checked in following modification by the user. A SharePoint HTTP request action with the following details is used to get the check out status of the document.

 

CHECKOUTTYPE SHAREPOINT HTTP REQUEST:

METHOD: Post

URI (Excapes any ''s in the filename):

 

_api/Web/GetFileByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/<sitepath>/@{body('Get_file_properties_2')?['{Path}']}@{replace(body('Get_file_properties_2')?['{FilenameWithExtension}'],'''','''''')}')/CheckOutType

HEADERS: accept : application/json; odata=verbose

 

 

2. Check the latest check in comment using A SharePoint HTTP request action and store it in a CheckOutStatus variable. This is the bit where the flow either terminates without doing anything if the latest check in comment was made by the workflow.

 

CHECKINCOMMENT SHAREPOINT HTTP REQUEST:

METHOD: Post

URI (Excapes any ''s in the filename):

 

_api/Web/GetFileByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/<sitepath>/@{body('Get_file_properties_2')?['{Path}']}@{replace(body('Get_file_properties_2')?['{FilenameWithExtension}'],'''','''''')}')/CheckInComment

HEADERS: Not required.

 

 

3. Check the document out using A SharePoint HTTP request action if the latest checkin wasn't a workflow, otherwise do nothing.

 

CONDITION: 

 

@and(not(equals(body('HTTP_SharePoint_Get_CheckInComment_Request')['d']['CheckInComment'], 'Successful checkin by microsoft flow')),not(equals(variables('CheckOutStatus'), 0)))

 

 

CHECKOUT SHAREPOINT HTTP REQUEST:

METHOD: Post

URI (Excapes any ''s in the filename):

_api/web/GetFileByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/<sitepath>/@{body('Get_file_properties_2')?['{Path}']}@{replace(body('Get_file_properties_2')?['{FilenameWithExtension}'],'''','''''')}')/Checkout()

HEADERS: Not required.

 

4. After doing the updates you require, check the document back in using a SharePoint HTTP request action with a specific check in comment that identifies that the modifications have been made by the workflow - "Successful checkin by microsoft flow". This comment is then referenced in step 2 in the subsequent flow run to stop the chain reaction.

 

CHECKIN SHAREPOINT HTTP REQUEST:

METHOD: Post

URI (In this example I've actually renamed the file in my flow so the filepath has changed):

_api/web/GetFileByServerRelativeUrl('/sites/<sitepath>/@{outputs('Compose_File_Reference')}')/CheckIn(comment='Successful checkin by microsoft flow',checkintype=0)

HEADERS: Not required.

 

I hope this makes sense, I also have loops to retry some of these requests, such as in 1 when the file is still checked out to the end user of if they fail for some reason, and I try to gracefully handle any errors, although we don't see many at all to be honest.

 

I'm pretty new to communicating this stuff so hope it's clear and helps in some way. Eventually I hope microsoft will implement a method of easily preventing flows from triggering flows on sharepoint items without using multiple flow runs.

Hi @automaton ,

 

I do understand your general description of flow 1 doing the work and flow 2 terminating everything.. but the whole bit about checkin and the calls are totally new for me (I'm rather new to Flow)...

In my case it is not a document libray but a SharePoint list so I'm not sure if checkout etc is applicable...

 

Any ideas?

 

Regards

Charles

 

@Charles-v-D unfortunately this problem of self-triggering persists and microsoft haven't released an elegant solution yet as far as I'm aware.

 

Couple of potential alternative options for you to explore depending on your requirements:

1. If time is not of the essence following modification, run a daily flow that picks up all records that have been modified in the past day and run the flow on all of them in a batch process. Or even make this run several times a day if you need it more frequent. This can be a very efficient use of flows but has it's obvious limitations.

2. Use a button to trigger a flow on a specific row. Users can do this ootb by selecting the row and using the flow menu in the list, or alternatively use some nifty techniques like this to run a flow on an item by clicking a hyperlinked field on that item:

https://wonderlaura.com/2018/07/18/button-in-sharepoint-list-to-trigger-microsoft-flow/

 

Sorry I can't suggest a magic fix. 

Hi @automaton 

 

I have selected the option to have my users select two flows sequencially. The in-table function made that user-friendly. Thanks for your help!!

 

xx.JPG

 

Dorul, this should be an easy thing for microsoft to implement. Set a switch on the trigger settings where you can either allow or turn off self triggering. Nintex are supporting this and I guess The flow team should look a lot on how they are doing things. It's a must if Power Automate should be a everybody tool. Personally I'm only happy it's still a bit tricky to build more complex flows. Then I still have something to do:)

Helpful resources

Announcements

November 2023 Community Newsletter

Welcome to our November Newsletter, where we highlight the latest news, product releases, upcoming events, and the amazing work of our outstanding Community members. If you're new to the Community, please make sure to follow the latest News & Announcements and check out the Community on LinkedIn as well! It's the best way to stay up-to-date with all the news from across the Power Platform and beyond.        This month's highlights:- - Our most active community members- Microsoft Power Up Program- Microsoft Community Days website - The latest blogs and more                 COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS Check out the most active community members of the last month. These hardworking members are posting regularly, answering questions, kudos, and providing top solutions in their communities. We are so thankful for each of you--keep up the great work! If you hope to see your name here next month, just get active! FLMikePstork1Nived_NambiarWarrenBelzSprongYeManishSolankiLaurensMwskinnermlcAgniusExpiscornovuscreativeopinion KatieAUinzil2kHaressh2728hafizsultan242douicmccaughanwoLucas001domliu   Power Up Program Click the image below to discover more about the amazing Microsoft Power Up Program, as Reem Omar, Abbas Godhrawala, Chahine Atallah, Ruby Ruiz Brown, Juan Francisco Sánchez Enciso, Joscelyne Andrade Arévalo, Eric G. and Paulina Pałczyńska share how non-tech professionals can successfully advance into a new career path using Microsoft #PowerPlatform.   To find out more about this amazing initiative, click here to apply for the program and reboot your journey into low-code app development today!     Community Days - Event Website Have you checked out the Community Days website yet? Dedicated to the volunteer community organizers around the world, Community Days is the perfect place to find an event near you or add an event for wider exposure. Many thanks to Thomas Daly, Sharon Weaver, Sedat Tum, Jonathan Weaver, Manpreet Singh, David Leveille, Jason Rivera, Mike Maadarani, Rob Windsor and the team for all their hard work. Anyone can host a Community Day on any topic relevant to our industry, just click the image below to find out more.       EVENT NEWS Power Platform French Summit - Paris/Virtual - 6-7th Dec It's not long now until the Power Platform French Summit, which takes place both virtually and in-person at the Microsoft France conference center in Paris on 6-7th December 2023. If you can't make it in-person, all sessions will also be broadcast on virtual networks for better distribution and accessibility.   There's a fantastic array of speakers, including Jérémy LAPLAINE, Amira Beldjilali, Rémi Chambard, Erika Beaumier, Makenson Frena, Assia Boutera, Elliott Pierret, Clothilde Facon, Gilles Pommier, Marie Aubert, Antoine Herbosa, Chloé Moreau, Raphaël Senis, Rym Ben Hamida, Loïc Cimon, Joséphine Salafia, David Zoonekyndt, Aïcha Charpentier, Henry Jammes, Milene Rochard, Mehdi EL YASSIR, and many more. Click the image below for more information.       LATEST COMMUNITY BLOG ARTICLES Power Apps Community Blog Power Automate Community Blog Copilot Community Blog Power Pages Community Blog

Back to Basics Tuesday Tip #10: Community Support

This is the TENTH post in our ongoing series dedicated to helping the amazing members of our community--both new members and seasoned veterans--learn and grow in how to best engage in the community! Each Tuesday, we feature new content that will help you best understand the community--from ranking and badges to profile avatars, from Super Users to blogging in the community. Our hope is that this information will help each of our community members grow in their experience with Power Platform, with the community, and with each other!   This Week: All About Community Support   Whether you're a seasoned community veteran or just getting started, you may need a bit of help from time to time! If you need to share feedback with the Community Engagement team about the community or are looking for ways we can assist you with user groups, events, or something else, Community Support is the place to start.   Community Support is part of every one of our communities, accessible to all our community members.     Power Apps: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/pa_community_support Power Automate: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/mpa_community_support Power Pages: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/mpp_community_support Copilot Studio: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Community-Support/ct-p/pva_community-support   Within each community's Community Support page, you'll find three distinct areas, each with a different focus to help you when you need support from us most.     Community Accounts & Registration is the go-to source for any and all information related to your account here in the community. It's full of great knowledge base articles that will help you manage your community account and know what steps to take if you wish to close your account.  ●  Power Apps  ●  Power Automate  ●  Power Pages, ●  Copilot Studio      Using the Community is your source for assistance with everything from Community User Groups to FAQ's and more. If you want to know what kudos are, how badges work, how to level up your User Group or something else, you will probably find the answers here. ●  Power Apps   ● Power Automate    ●  Power Pages  ●  Copilot Studio      Community Feedback is where you can share opportunities, concerns, or get information from the Community Engagement team. It's your best place to post a question about an issue you're having in the community, a general question you need answered. Whatever it is, visit Community Feedback to get the answers you need right away. Our team is honored to partner with you and can't wait to help you!   ●  Power Apps  ● Power Automate   ● Power Pages   ● Copilot Studio  

Microsoft Ignite 2023: The Recap

What an amazing event we had this year, as Microsoft showcased the latest advancements in how AI has the potential to reshape how customers, partners and developers strategize the future of work. Check out below some of our handpicked videos and Ignite announcements to see how Microsoft is driving real change for users and businesses across the globe.   Video Highlights Click the image below to check out a selection of Ignite 2023 videos, including the "Microsoft Cloud in the era of AI" keynote from Scott Guthrie, Charles Lamanna, Arun Ulag, Sarah Bird, Rani Borkar, Eric Boyd, Erin Chapple, Ali Ghodsi, and Seth Juarez. There's also a great breakdown of the amazing Microsoft Copilot Studio with Omar Aftab, Gary Pretty, and Kendra Springer, plus exciting sessions from Rajesh Jha, Jared Spataro, Ryan Jones, Zohar Raz, and many more.     Blog Announcements Microsoft Copilot presents an opportunity to reimagine the way we work—turning natural language into the most powerful productivity tool on the planet. With AI, organizations can unearth value in data across productivity tools like business applications and Microsoft 365. Click the link below to find out more.     Check out the latest features in Microsoft Power Apps that will help developers create AI-infused apps faster, give administrators more control over managing thousands of Microsoft Power Platform makers at scale, and deliver better experiences to users around the world. Click the image below to find out more.     Click below to discover new ways to orchestrate business processes across your organization with Copilot in Power Automate. With its user-friendly interface that offers hundreds of prebuilt drag-and-drop actions, more customers have been able to benefit from the power of automation.     Discover how Microsoft Power Platform and Microsoft Dataverse are activating the strength of your enterprise data using AI, the announcement of “plugins for Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365”, plus two new Power Apps creator experiences using Excel and natural language.       Click below to find out more about the general availability of Microsoft Fabric and the public preview of Copilot in Microsoft Fabric. With the launch of these next-generation analytics tools, you can empower your data teams to easily scale the demand on your growing business.     And for the rest of all the good stuff, click the link below to visit the Microsoft Ignite 2023 "Book of News", with over ONE HUNDRED announcements across infrastructure, data, security, new tools, AI, and everything else in-between!        

Back to Basics Tuesday Tip #9: All About the Galleries

This is the ninth post in our series dedicated to helping the amazing members of our community--both new members and seasoned veterans--learn and grow in how to best engage in the community! Each Tuesday, we feature new content that will help you best understand the community--from ranking and badges to profile avatars, from Super Users to blogging in the community. Our hope is that this information will help each of our community members grow in their experience with Power Platform, with the community, and with each other!     Today's Tip: All About the Galleries Have you checked out the library of content in our galleries? Whether you're looking for the latest info on an upcoming event, a helpful webinar, or tips and tricks from some of our most experienced community members, our galleries are full of the latest and greatest video content for the Power Platform communities.   There are several different galleries in each community, but we recommend checking these out first:   Community Connections & How-To Videos Hosted by members of the Power Platform Community Engagement  Team and featuring community members from around the world, these helpful videos are a great way to "kick the tires" of Power Platform and find out more about your fellow community members! Check them out in Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Copilot Studio!         Webinars & Video Gallery Each community has its own unique webinars and videos highlighting some of the great work being done across the Power Platform. Watch tutorials and demos by Microsoft staff, partners, and community gurus! Check them out: Power Apps Webinars & Video Gallery Power Automate Webinars & Video Gallery Power Pages Webinars & Video Gallery Copilot Studio Webinars & Video Gallery   Events Whether it's the excitement of the Microsoft Power Platform Conference, a local event near you, or one of the many other in-person and virtual connection opportunities around the world, this is the place to find out more about all the Power Platform-centered events. Power Apps Events Power Automate Events Power Pages Events Copilot Studio Events   Unique Galleries to Each Community Because each area of Power Platform has its own unique features and benefits, there are areas of the galleries dedicated specifically to videos about that product. Whether it's Power Apps samples from the community or the Power Automate Cookbook highlighting unique flows, the Bot Sharing Gallery in Copilot Studio or Front-End Code Samples in Power Pages, there's a gallery for you!   Check out each community's gallery today! Power Apps Gallery Power Automate Gallery Power Pages Gallery Copilot Studio Gallery

Unlocking the Power of Community: A Journey with Featued User Group leaders Geetha Sivasailam and Ben McMann

In the bustling world of technology, two dynamic leaders, Geetha Sivasailam and Ben McMann, have been at the forefront, steering the ship of the Dallas Fort Worth Power Platform User Group since its inception in February 2019. As Practice Lead (Power Platform | Fusion Dev) at Lantern, Geetha brings a wealth of consulting experience, while Ben, a key member of the Studio Leadership team at Lantern, specializes in crafting strategies that leverage Microsoft digital technologies to transform business models.   Empowering Through Community Leadership Geetha and Ben's journey as user group leaders began with a simple yet powerful goal: to create a space where individuals across the DFW area could connect, grow their skills, and add value to their businesses through the Power Platform. The platform, known for its versatility, allows users to achieve more with less code and foster creativity.   The Power of Community Impact Reflecting on their experiences, Geetha and Ben emphasize the profound impact that community engagement has had on both their professional and personal lives. The Power Platform community, they note, is a wellspring of resources and opportunities, fostering continuous learning, skill enhancement, and networking with industry experts and peers.   Favorite Moments and Words of Wisdom The duo's favorite aspect of leading the user group lies in witnessing the transformative projects and innovations community members create with the Power Platform. Their advice to aspiring user group leaders? "Encourage diverse perspectives, maintain an open space for idea-sharing, stay curious, and, most importantly, have fun building a vibrant community."   Building Bridges, Breaking Barriers Geetha and Ben encourage others to step into the realm of user group leadership, citing the rewarding experience of creating and nurturing a community of like-minded individuals. They highlight the chance to influence, impact, and positively guide others, fostering connections that extend beyond mere technology discussions.   Joining a User Group: A Gateway to Growth The leaders stress the importance of joining a user group, emphasizing exposure to diverse perspectives, solutions, and career growth opportunities within the Power Platform community. "Being part of such a group provides a supportive environment for seeking advice, sharing experiences, and navigating challenges."   A Year of Milestones Looking back at the past year, Geetha and Ben express pride in the group's growth and global participation. They recount the enriching experience of meeting members in person at the Microsoft Power Platform conference, showcasing the diverse range of perspectives and guest speakers that enriched the community's overall experience.   Continuous Learning on the Leadership Journey As user group leaders, Geetha and Ben recognize the continuous learning curve, blending interpersonal skills, adaptability, and dedication to foster a vibrant community. They highlight the importance of patience, persistence, and flexibility in achieving group goals, noting the significance of listening to the needs and suggestions of group members.They invite all tech enthusiasts to join the Dallas Fort Worth Power Platform User Group, a thriving hub where the power of community propels individuals to new heights in the dynamic realm of technology.

Visit the Community Lounge at Microsoft Ignite!

Are you attending Microsoft Ignite in Seattle this week? If so, we'd love to see you at the Community Lounge! Hosted by members of our Community team, it's a great place to connect, meet some Microsoft executives, and get a sticker or two. And if you're an MVP there are some special opportunities to meet up!     The Community Lounge is more than just a space—it's a hub of activity, collaboration, and camaraderie. So, dive in, explore, and make the most of your Microsoft Ignite experience by immersing yourself in the vibrant and dynamic community that awaits you.Find out the schedule and all the details here: Community Lounge at Ignite! See you at #MSIgnite!    

Users online (3,602)