Solved: Re: My flow template successfully ran, but the act...

Anonymous · ‎02-20-2019

I used Microsoft Flow's template "Send a Happy Birthday email to employees on their birthday" and whenever I would test the run, it would say "Flow Failed". I received help regarding this issue yesterday in Community Forums and now the flow says "Successful". However, the flow is supposed to send an email and it does not. It's been 24 hours. Why isn't the email being sent? Or if it is being sent, why am I not receiving it?

Here is a picture of my flow:

And here my condition in advanced mode:

@equals(equals(items('Apply_to_each')?['Birthday_x0020_Date'], formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM-dd')), true)

...and basic mode:

equals(items('Apply_to_each')?['Birthday_x0020_Date'], formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM-dd')) is equal to true

Here is a picture of my list in SharePoint:

AlanPs1 · ‎02-22-2019

Hi @Anonymous

I would go back to using the out the box template that has no compose actions in it.

That's kind of what I would have hoped you would have done as I menttioned the new flow & new list. The new Flow using the template out of the box doesn't have compose actions in it.

Unfortunately, I have run out of time for tonight (UK), but as I posted a few posts back, the new list, with correct date type column has worked for me.

Thanks, Alan

View solution in original post

AlanPs1 · ‎02-20-2019

Hi Monica.
What happens when you run it? Not test run but a real production run. If you go to your dashboard were all your Flows are there’s a play button. Press that and tell us what it does please.

Thanks, Alan.

Anonymous · ‎02-20-2019

Hi @AlanPs1

Is this the button you're referring to (screenshot below)? I just tried a few minutes ago and have yet to receive an email. Additionally, I had a birthday set in my list to today so it should have ran on occurence this morning and sent out an email.

AlanPs1 · ‎02-20-2019

Yeah, that will do. Does it run successfully I.e green tick?

If so, click in to the successful or failed run to get the details of that run. Screen shot at least the output of the email action so we can see if it is or isn’t sending it please? Post back please.

Thanks, Alan.

Anonymous · ‎02-20-2019

@AlanPs1

Yes, there was a green tick! It looks like there is a problem with sending the email, see screenshot below. It says...

"ActionBranchingConditionNotSatisfied. The execution of template action 'Send_an_email' skipped: the branching condition for this action is not satisfied."

Here is what I have in the email:

v-bacao-msft · ‎02-20-2019

Hi @Anonymous ,

In fact, the configuration of Send an email action is correct.

The reason for not receiving the expected email is that the result of Condition is false, so Send an email action will not be executed.

I noticed that the value of Birthday Date is 02-19, and the value of formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM-dd')) should be 02-21, so it is not equal.

Send an email action is only executed when the two values are equal.

You could configure two Compose actions above Condition to see if the values of items('Apply_to_each')?['Birthday_x0020_Date'] and formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM-dd') are equal, only they are equal, the result of Condition Will be true.

Image reference:

Alternatively, you can filter the items directly in Get items-Filter query. You could configure your Flow like this:

Please take a try again.

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _ Barry
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Anonymous · ‎02-21-2019

@v-bacao-msft

I have several test birthdays featured in that list and they consisted of dates for the entire week. So it shouldn't have not pulled because of my list.

I put in the two "compose" actions above the condition and it still came back as false when I ran the flow.

And I attempted to make the filter change you recommended, only now it won't find the correct email to send it to. I don't want to send it to the person who created (me), I want to send it to the email address tied to the list row.

Anonymous · ‎02-21-2019

For some reason, it looked like it only pulled the top row so I changed that date to 2-21, but it still says False.

Here is a shot of my list. I changed all of the dates to today. Just to confirm, the Flow will look at every single date to confirm which matches up with today's date, right? And if there are multiple on the same day, it will send to everyone?

v-bacao-msft · ‎02-21-2019

Hi @Anonymous ,

You could click on See more to see more Dynamic content, including the Email you want to configure.

Note that you need to add single quotes outside the expression:

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _ Barry
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Anonymous · ‎02-21-2019

I tried that way as well and the quotes didn’t make a difference.

I also clicked “see more” on dynamic content and was not able to find the email I needed.

v-bacao-msft · ‎02-21-2019

Hi @Anonymous ,

Expression seems to have a problem.

Expression should be:

utcNow('MM-dd')

Also, if you don't see other Dynamic content, you can switch Limit Columns by View to "Use all columns (Do not limit)" and click See more.

Please take a try.

Community Support Team _ Barry
If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

Anonymous · ‎02-22-2019

@v-bacao-msft

I tried with the single quotes and without quotes. Both failed and returned a status 400 code (piocture below).

Perhaps we should focus on one of the other ways,

Anonymous · ‎02-22-2019

@v-bacao-msft @AlanPs1

With the two compose features, I'm still returning a false expression result although the input and output match up. Under the "Send an email", it returns a message : ActionBranchingConditionNotSatisfied.

AlanPs1 · ‎02-22-2019

Hi @Anonymous

I set this up yesterday in line with the template instructions.

"The SharePoint list must contain the columns: EmployeeName, BirthDate, Email."

Here is my list:

I subtley changed the name of the Column to "Birthday Date" soon after to make it in line with the template instructions.

Create your column like this:

Use the date picker to add your staff's birthdays or make sure they are added in the long format to suit.

The template and the expressions in it will handle converting the time format.

It worked first time.

Thanks, Alan

Anonymous · ‎02-22-2019

I tried changing it, still no change. Still returns a false expression resutl.

Here is the template that's the most similar to Microsoft's:

Here is the template with the two compose actions:

AlanPs1 · ‎02-22-2019

Hi @Anonymous

Below is a snip of your image from yor last post:

I have highlighted the area that show's "1 of 3". If you cycle through all 3, is one of them true?

Thanks, Alan

Anonymous · ‎02-22-2019

@AlanPs1

No, none of them say true. And I have all 3 birthdays set to today.

Showing #2 (#3 says the same)

And here is the Compose actions. This is what it looks like for all them in Compose, just with the different year.

And here's what my list looks like now with the date format in the Birthday Date column...

AlanPs1 · ‎02-22-2019

Hi @Anonymous

When I have set this up from the template with the suggested method I get this.

It returns true for the one matching birthday, false on the 2 non matching.

Maybe it's time to leave your current list and Flow as is. Start a new list as I have indicated the post before, create a new Flow from the template with the subtle change. Make sure the "Birthday Date" column is a type of date and test the template with no changes.

It only takes a few minutes to make the list and hook the template up to the new list.

As, it works for me. I get the email.

Thanks, Alan

Anonymous · ‎02-22-2019

I just created a new List and Flow, it's still returning False.

Anonymous · ‎02-22-2019

I also tried to recreate with the Filter flow. It finally said Ran Successfully, however the email is grayed out and I still haven't received an email.