Power App patching to SharePoint list as service account

[rhiheu]

Hi,

I have this issue with my app that when it patches the SharePoint list form to the SharePoint list as a new entry, it marks it as created by the service account I set up. All the Power Apps's data source connections are through this service account, however the app seems to know the user is me, as a User().Email label will show my email address. When another user uses the app, it patches the items with 'created by' them.

I'm not sure why when I patch into the list, it says it's the service account, and I don't know how to fix this?

Any help appreciated, thanks.

[Drrickryp]

Hi @rhiheu 

I believe the service account field is part of SharePoint metadata that is created automatically whenever a list item is added.  This is a SharePoint issue not a PowerApps issue. 

[rhiheu]

Hi @Drrickryp, the service account name in 'Created by' is not created automatically whenever a list item is added though.

• If I create an item on SharePoint directly, it says 'Created By' me
• If a user patches an item to the SharePoint list via the Power App, it says 'Created By' them
• If I patch an item to the SharePoint list via the Power App, it says 'Created By' the service account.

The issue only occurs when using the Power App.

[max81]

So in your power app your used connection To SharePoint is with this service user? Correct?

did your shared the connection?

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/powerapps/maker/canvas-apps/share-app-resources

[rhiheu]

Hi @max81,

• Yes, the SharePoint connection is via the service account
• Yes, users of the app have Contribute access to the SharePoint list - otherwise I believe they wouldn't be able to patch through an item to it at all?

Thanks.

[max81]

If they’re using the shared connection then it’s clear, that the system user is the “patcher”. 
is the user have edit/contribute rights for the sharepoint list, then don’t share the connection. With this, the user have to let the app is their own connection. With this, the active user will be the patcher. 

[rhiheu]

Hi @max81, thanks for your reply, sorry but I'm still not quite understanding it.

• So if a user doesn't have edit or contribute rights to the SharePoint list, then they will 'share' the service account connection so the list will show the service account in the 'Created By' field?
• If a user does have edit or contribute rights to the SharePoint list, then they will have to the app use their connection to the list, therefore it will show this user as the 'Created By' field?

If my two statements above are correct, I'm not sure why I'm still having an issue, as I have edit/contribute rights to the list (in fact, I'm an owner of the whole SharePoint site) yet it's still displaying my items generated with the Power App as 'Created By' the service account.

[rhiheu · Accepted solution]

I've just discovered how to fix this issue. I'm guessing I created the issue by logging into O365 on Chrome using the service account at some point, and it had cached the credentials. I cleared all cache from the browser, and cleared all remembered O365 accounts (apart from my personal one) from the O365 login, but it still was remembering it. I exported the app, re-imported the app and relaunched it. By default it wanted to create the connection with the service account. 

I'm guessing last time I just clicked 'Allow' as the service account, this time I clicked 'Switch Account', created the connection with my personal account, and allowed it. And now it's all working - creating items on the SharePoint list (via the Power App) as me, not the service account. The exporting and re-importing may not have been necessary, someone else may have a quicker way to clear another account from memory. Thanks @max81 for your help getting to the bottom of this one!

[Sunil-Narnaware]

I am having the same issue.. the sharepoint connection is accessed via service account.. now when the user logs in with their credentials .. they first got the pop up window to switch account. now even after using switch account they got logged in with their office 365 login to sharepoint connection.. and now I am unable to get switch account option plus it is not showing me option to use service account credentials.. can you please help ?