11-21-2022 06:43 AM
Batch update with external data template flow.
Explanation Video: https://youtu.be/l0NuYtXdcrQ
Compared to the using the basic Apply to Each, Get items, & Update item approach on large amounts of data, this method requires a small fraction of the API calls towards the daily action limit and drastically reduces flow run-times.
It's currently set to take data from any Excel sheet and update records in SharePoint with corresponding data. It works with any potential Power Automate data-source, including HTTP API GET requests, but Excel provides a simple example.
Part of it works like a Vlookup function where it identifies if a row of updated data in Excel has some set values in it and matches it to the SharePoint record with those set values through the SharePoint ID. Then it uses the batch update method to update those SharePoint records.
The flow can easily expand to any size of SharePoint list by adding more Get items actions and batch update parallel branches. If speed is a concern for anyone, there are ways to make the Get items actions all load in parallel too (up to 50 branches). It's really only limited by how much effort people want to put into their flows & lists.
Version 1.5
This version makes it easier to handle cases where the list name may have changed since its creation and moves a few of the primary key column matching inputs to the 'settings' compose action so users don't have to look through & edit the more complicated expressions to set up the flow.
Google Drive Link to Flow Zip Files: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10p7EB730xsEj-azVYuTIuu8dS0w-AflR/view?usp=sharing
Google Drive Link to Text File to a Scope Action Containing The Flow: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BVGoeM5mykYlMobAyFkhuLRh3r7jMSLz/view?usp=sharing
Version 1
Download The Template Batch Update Flow
Google Drive Link to Flow Zip Files: https://drive.google.com/file/d/10gFkycdx6zpRfrI-s_jCDwIK6dpyyDqk/view?usp=sharing
Google Drive Link to Text File to a Scope Action Containing The Flow: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e6-INUykIT22ppVh5m4kxz8us_7qXy7q/view?usp=sharing
***LISTS WITH UNDERSCORES _ IN THE TITLE MAY CAUSE ERRORS WITH EARLIER VERSIONS OF BATCH ACTIONS.***
If you have a list with underscores in the name, then in TachyTelic.Net's batch create you will want to go to the __metadata line on the GenerateSPData select action and substitute the expression
for
json(concat('{"type":"SP.Data.', replace(replace(outputs('settings')['listName'], '_', '_x005f_'), ' ', '_x0020_'), 'ListItem"}'))
TachyTelic.Net Blog & Videos
Batch Create Flow
Blog: https://www.tachytelic.net/2021/06/power-automate-flow-batch-create-sharepoint-list-items/
Video: https://youtu.be/2dV7fI4GUYU
Batch Delete Flow
Blog: https://www.tachytelic.net/2021/06/power-automate-delete-sharepoint-items/
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ImkuGpEeoo
See @DamoBird365 go through a join / merge example similar to the Reformat JSON pieces of this template here: https://youtu.be/R_bD8nAoJ8Y
Formulas For Random Number Columns
SharePoint Rand1To50 Column Calculated Default Value Formula:
=INT(INT(RIGHT(NOW(),2))/2)
Excel Random Column Formula:
=ROUNDDOWN(((Rand()*100)+1)/2, 0)
If the batch call succeeds, but individual rows fail to load to SharePoint, then the flow will not throw an error. I personally change out the Results Compose actions with Append to variable actions and use an expression that returns the results text if it identifies an error. Then at the end of the flow I have a condition checking the length of that variable. If it has some text/length to it, then something failed and it sends me an email with a link to the flow run.
Expression to conditionally return results on failure:
if(
or(
or(
or(
or(
or(
or(
or(
or(
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '400 Bad Request')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '401 Unauthorized')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '403 Forbidden')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '404 Not Found')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '408 Request Timeout')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '409 Conflict')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '500 Internal Server Error')),
contains(base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']), '502 Bad Gateway')),
base64ToString(body('sendBatch')['$content']),
'')
watch?v=l0NuYtXdcrQ
No errors, just the 204 no content on the results
Thanks, can you show what the inputs are for the SendBatch action in the run?
I did not change it from what you had
No that’s the edit menu / action logic, when the flow runs what does the input or data look like going into the SendBatch action?
Here go
I checked to see if the values were changing while getting the 204 no content error and to my surprise the field values are updating.
Alright I see the body of the requests contains some kind of data, so it’s not sending a blank request.
And reading into the HTTP status codes, it says a 204 response is a successful response, but the system doesn’t need to send any response back to the call / flow for it.
Is the data successfully updated when you run this?
Alternatively, some of these documents mention this may happen if someone is simultaneously editing the data. Does any user or program have the list up in edit mode or something while you run this?
https://restfulapi.net/http-status-204-no-content/
https://www.webfx.com/web-development/glossary/http-status-codes/what-is-a-204-status-code/
https://blog.ploeh.dk/2013/04/30/rest-lesson-learned-avoid-204-responses/
I am the only one working on this. Yes, surprisingly the data is being updated. However the status code is states the 204 no content.
Hi @takolota ,
Great article. I was able to use this in one of my flows and it works fine. Is there anyway we can use the batch query to update person or group column in SPO?
Thank you.
If something like this can pull all the potential users, then it may be possible to create something similar to the item Id value lookup for the person Ids