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

Update Item deleting other fields that are left blank in the update item flow item

We have a flow that for some reason has starting deleting fields from the update item section, we turned on versioning history to confirm that was happening. We went through every piece from PowerApps and SharePoint and it looks like the Update item in all of our flows is the culprit. Has anyone heard of the update item deleting sharepoint field data when it is left blank?

13 REPLIES 13
edgonzales
Most Valuable Professional
Most Valuable Professional

@Anonymous 

Hi there.  Just shooting for low-hanging-stuff...but did we confirm that there aren't any spaces or other hidden characters in the "Update" action?  Maybe a screenshot will help.

 

Keep us posted!

-Ed-

 

If this reply has answered your question or resolved your challenge, please consider marking it as a Solution. This helps other users find it more easily via search.

Anonymous
Not applicable

Yes we have confirmed there are no extra spaces, I would provide a screenshot, but we recently removed trying to figure out a different approach. Basically on the Update item all it was matching was the ID field and another field called WARS ID. All other fields were blank.

 

We use Flow and update item all the time, this is the only flow I have ever seen this happen.

v-bacao-msft
Community Support
Community Support

Hi @Anonymous ,

 

Do you mean that some fields are not configured but are cleared?

I did a test on my side. If I don't make any settings for the field when configuring Update item action, the field value will be preserved.

However, if you enter a space or a tab in the input box of the field, the field value will be cleared.

 

Please check if there is a space in the field. If it is, click Backspace to clear the space.

43.PNG

Or to avoid this problem, please fill in the necessary fields with Dynamic content.

 

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
Not applicable

Sorry for the late response, we did confirm there are no spaces, and it only happens on certain flows, not all of them. Very odd it seems. I will give the dynamic content a try.

@Anonymous Did you ever find out what was causing this?

Hey, all... is there any update on this? I've actually had this start happening with several of my flows, which have been running for many months: if I don't provide a value in the Update action, it sometimes--but not ALWAYS--removes the data instead of leaving it alone. These are fields that have never been defined as Required, and this problem is recent!

I seemed to find solution: Add any Dynamic content into the field that gives you this problems, save the flow, and remove the Dynamic content by clicking on the cross next to it. This way the field is cleaned completely and will not wipe the existing records.

 

This worked for me.

 

You can double-check if you did it correctly, by selecting "Peek code" from the header of the flow step (three dots on the right side where the step name is. In the code you can see what will be updated (in my case, for all the fields that have been wiped out, the code was saying 

 

"body": {
    "Title": "", 
    "Request": "",

 

Where Title and Request were names of the fields which were being wiped. After I did the excercise described above, these lines from the code disappeared and the flow no more deleted the content of these two fields.

 

B.T.W If anyone knows how to edit this flow "code" directly, let me know, as this would be a huge help for me.

Thanks

Best! Tip! Ever!

Anonymous
Not applicable

Amazing Tip, but still, they should improve the connector. 

thoang858
Regular Visitor

Greetings. I am so glad that I am not the only one that was having this same problem. At the same time, it is frustrating. We have contacted Microsoft about this issue earlier on in 2019. We spent over 6 months working with their tier-3 support. It was frustrating that they blamed the issue on us stating because we had migrated the list affected from our SharePoint on-prem environment to O365. Long story short, we were able to replicate the issue with a new list on a different O365 tenant and nothing much came out of it. Just got the run around. 

 

@Atarian - We found this work-around as well. The only issue with this is that you will have to note this workflow. If there are any future enhancements, meaning that you need to make changes to the workflow in the future, you will need to through the step of adding the Dynamic Content, saving the workflow then removing it.

 

Another useful tip is to enable versioning on all list using Power Automate. This will help with restoring the deleted data. 

 

 

mwienold
New Member

In regards to using flows with Sharepoint: The best workaround I could come up with is to create a view for your list that explicitly calls out only the fields you want to change. 

In the flow click Advanced options for the Update item and specify the view to use. This should greatly reduce the number of potential fields it wants to update.

Brilliant!  Thank you 🙂

tmiller888
Frequent Visitor

Wow - this is quite the bug.  I've noticed it in a new workflow - that's not production yet luckily.  I have many Update Item actions and now I'm going to have to check them all.  Another option is to use the "Send an HTTP request to SharePoint" action instead.  I believe you might even be able to skip updating required fields with this action.

 

Substitute your List Name and ItemIDNumber

Uri: _api/web/lists/getbytitle('List Name')/items(ItemIDNumber)/validateUpdateListItem

 

tmiller888_0-1693434164558.png

 

Helpful resources

Announcements

Exclusive LIVE Community Event: Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat with Copilot Studio Product Team

It's time for the SECOND Power Apps Copilot Coffee Chat featuring the Copilot Studio product team, which will be held LIVE on April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time (PDT).     This is an incredible opportunity to connect with members of the Copilot Studio product team and ask them anything about Copilot Studio. We'll share our special guests with you shortly--but we want to encourage to mark your calendars now because you will not want to miss the conversation.   This live event will give you the unique opportunity to learn more about Copilot Studio plans, where we’ll focus, and get insight into upcoming features. We’re looking forward to hearing from the community, so bring your questions!   TO GET ACCESS TO THIS EXCLUSIVE AMA: Kudo this post to reserve your spot! Reserve your spot now by kudoing this post.  Reservations will be prioritized on when your kudo for the post comes through, so don't wait! Click that "kudo button" today.   Invitations will be sent on April 2nd.Users posting Kudos after April 2nd at 9AM PDT may not receive an invitation but will be able to view the session online after conclusion of the event. Give your "kudo" today and mark your calendars for April 3, 2024 at 9:30 AM PDT and join us for an engaging and informative session!

Tuesday Tip: Unlocking Community Achievements and Earning Badges

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!     THIS WEEK'S TIP: Unlocking Achievements and Earning BadgesAcross the Communities, you'll see badges on users profile that recognize and reward their engagement and contributions. These badges each signify a different achievement--and all of those achievements are available to any Community member! If you're a seasoned pro or just getting started, you too can earn badges for the great work you do. Check out some details on Community badges below--and find out more in the detailed link at the end of the article!       A Diverse Range of Badges to Collect The badges you can earn in the Community cover a wide array of activities, including: Kudos Received: Acknowledges the number of times a user’s post has been appreciated with a “Kudo.”Kudos Given: Highlights the user’s generosity in recognizing others’ contributions.Topics Created: Tracks the number of discussions initiated by a user.Solutions Provided: Celebrates the instances where a user’s response is marked as the correct solution.Reply: Counts the number of times a user has engaged with community discussions.Blog Contributor: Honors those who contribute valuable content and are invited to write for the community blog.       A Community Evolving Together Badges are not only a great way to recognize outstanding contributions of our amazing Community members--they are also a way to continue fostering a collaborative and supportive environment. As you continue to share your knowledge and assist each other these badges serve as a visual representation of your valuable contributions.   Find out more about badges in these Community Support pages in each Community: All About Community Badges - Power Apps CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Automate CommunityAll About Community Badges - Copilot Studio CommunityAll About Community Badges - Power Pages Community

Tuesday Tips: Powering Up Your Community Profile

TUESDAY TIPS are our way of communicating helpful things we've learned or shared that have helped members of the Community. Whether you're just getting started or you're a seasoned pro, Tuesday Tips will help you know where to go, what to look for, and navigate your way through the ever-growing--and ever-changing--world of the Power Platform Community! We cover basics about the Community, provide a few "insider tips" to make your experience even better, and share best practices gleaned from our most active community members and Super Users.   With so many new Community members joining us each week, we'll also review a few of our "best practices" so you know just "how" the Community works, so make sure to watch the News & Announcements each week for the latest and greatest Tuesday Tips!   This Week's Tip: Power Up Your Profile!  🚀 It's where every Community member gets their start, and it's essential that you keep it updated! Your Community User Profile is how you're able to get messages, post solutions, ask questions--and as you rank up, it's where your badges will appear and how you'll be known when you start blogging in the Community Blog. Your Community User Profile is how the Community knows you--so it's essential that it works the way you need it to! From changing your username to updating contact information, this Knowledge Base Article is your best resource for powering up your profile.     Password Puzzles? No Problem! Find out how to sync your Azure AD password with your community account, ensuring a seamless sign-in. No separate passwords to remember! Job Jumps & Email Swaps Changed jobs? Got a new email? Fear not! You'll find out how to link your shiny new email to your existing community account, keeping your contributions and connections intact. Username Uncertainties Unraveled Picking the perfect username is crucial--and sometimes the original choice you signed up with doesn't fit as well as you may have thought. There's a quick way to request an update here--but remember, your username is your community identity, so choose wisely. "Need Admin Approval" Warning Window? If you see this error message while using the community, don't worry. A simple process will help you get where you need to go. If you still need assistance, find out how to contact your Community Support team. Whatever you're looking for, when it comes to your profile, the Community Account Support Knowledge Base article is your treasure trove of tips as you navigate the nuances of your Community Profile. It’s the ultimate resource for keeping your digital identity in tip-top shape while engaging with the Power Platform Community. So, dive in and power up your profile today!  💪🚀   Community Account Support | Power Apps Community Account Support | Power AutomateCommunity Account Support | Copilot Studio  Community Account Support | Power Pages

Super User of the Month | Chris Piasecki

In our 2nd installment of this new ongoing feature in the Community, we're thrilled to announce that Chris Piasecki is our Super User of the Month for March 2024. If you've been in the Community for a while, we're sure you've seen a comment or marked one of Chris' helpful tips as a solution--he's been a Super User for SEVEN consecutive seasons!   Since authoring his first reply in April 2020 to his most recent achievement organizing the Canadian Power Platform Summit this month, Chris has helped countless Community members with his insights and expertise. In addition to being a Super User, Chris is also a User Group leader, Microsoft MVP, and a featured speaker at the Microsoft Power Platform Conference. His contributions to the new SUIT program, along with his joyous personality and willingness to jump in and help so many members has made Chris a fixture in the Power Platform Community.   When Chris isn't authoring solutions or organizing events, he's actively leading Piasecki Consulting, specializing in solution architecture, integration, DevOps, and more--helping clients discover how to strategize and implement Microsoft's technology platforms. We are grateful for Chris' insightful help in the Community and look forward to even more amazing milestones as he continues to assist so many with his great tips, solutions--always with a smile and a great sense of humor.You can find Chris in the Community and on LinkedIn. Thanks for being such a SUPER user, Chris! 💪 🌠  

Find Out What Makes Super Users So Super

We know many of you visit the Power Platform Communities to ask questions and receive answers. But do you know that many of our best answers and solutions come from Community members who are super active, helping anyone who needs a little help getting unstuck with Business Applications products? We call these dedicated Community members Super Users because they are the real heroes in the Community, willing to jump in whenever they can to help! Maybe you've encountered them yourself and they've solved some of your biggest questions. Have you ever wondered, "Why?"We interviewed several of our Super Users to understand what drives them to help in the Community--and discover the difference it has made in their lives as well! Take a look in our gallery today: What Motivates a Super User? - Power Platform Community (microsoft.com)

March User Group Update: New Groups and Upcoming Events!

  Welcome to this month’s celebration of our Community User Groups and exciting User Group events. We’re thrilled to introduce some brand-new user groups that have recently joined our vibrant community. Plus, we’ve got a lineup of engaging events you won’t want to miss. Let’s jump right in: New User Groups   Sacramento Power Platform GroupANZ Power Platform COE User GroupPower Platform MongoliaPower Platform User Group OmanPower Platform User Group Delta StateMid Michigan Power Platform Upcoming Events  DUG4MFG - Quarterly Meetup - Microsoft Demand PlanningDate: 19 Mar 2024 | 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM Central America Standard TimeDescription: Dive into the world of manufacturing with a focus on Demand Planning. Learn from industry experts and share your insights. Dynamics User Group HoustonDate: 07 Mar 2024 | 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM Central America Standard TimeDescription: Houston, get ready for an immersive session on Dynamics 365 and the Power Platform. Connect with fellow professionals and expand your knowledge. Reading Dynamics 365 & Power Platform User Group (Q1)Date: 05 Mar 2024 | 06:00 PM to 09:00 PM GMT Standard TimeDescription: Join our virtual meetup for insightful discussions, demos, and community updates. Let’s kick off Q1 with a bang! Leaders, Create Your Events!  Leaders of existing User Groups, don’t forget to create your events within the Community platform. By doing so, you’ll enable us to share them in future posts and newsletters. Let’s spread the word and make these gatherings even more impactful! Stay tuned for more updates, inspiring stories, and collaborative opportunities from and for our Community User Groups.   P.S. Have an event or success story to share? Reach out to us – we’d love to feature you!

Users online (6,216)