Network error when using Patch function: The requested operation is invalid.

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Posted on by RS-15041344-0

"Hi,

This is not a regular patch function error as this flow was working up until today and it has since ceased to function correctly. No changes have been made to the settings of the flow and when looking at the flow diagram I see this error:

The query cannot be completed because the number of lookup columns it contains exceeds the lookup column threshold.
clientRequestId: e7479963-89d8-4be1-b478-e6f9bd978d26
serviceRequestId: 44390aa2-0002-0001-b2dd-9fed9e68a3f1

This comes under the heading of "Action 'update_id_pending' failed"

There is only one input to this flow where it fails and it is looking at a sharepoint site

Update - if it helps

Will an app show these errors if it is no longer associated with its flow? Does the flow need to be associated with an app to work? - Yes it does and it didn't work

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Sunil Kumar Pashikanti 1,970 Moderator on at

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Hi @RS-15041344-0,

If a previously working Power Apps Patch or Flow suddenly starts failing with a generic “Network error”, and you haven’t changed any code, the issue is almost certainly a SharePoint lookup column threshold.

What’s happening
SharePoint Online has a hard limit of 12 lookup‑type columns per update/query. Lookup‑type columns include:

Lookup columns
Person or Group columns
Managed Metadata
Calculated columns that reference any of the above

Even if your app or flow updates only a text field, SharePoint evaluates all lookup‑type columns on the list. If the total exceeds 12, the update fails with:

The query cannot be completed because the number of lookup columns it contains exceeds the lookup column threshold.

Why it worked before
Someone likely added a new Lookup or Person column, or modified a calculated column. No app or flow changes are required for this error to suddenly appear.
How to fix it

Audit the SharePoint list and count lookup‑type columns

Reduce the total to 12 or fewer, or

Split data into related lists / replace unnecessary lookups with text

What won’t fix it

Rewriting the Patch

Reconnecting the Flow

Refreshing the data source

Adding indexes (indexes only affect the 5,000‑item limit)

Bottom line
This is a SharePoint schema limitation, not a Power Apps or Flow bug. If a Patch suddenly breaks without code changes, always check the list’s lookup columns first.

https://benprins.net/2019/01/15/flow-working-around-the-lookup-column-threshold/

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/working-with-the-list-view-threshold-limit-for-all-versions-of-sharepoint-4a40bbdc-c5f8-4bbd-b9b6-745daf71c132

https://community.powerplatform.com/forums/thread/details/?threadid=f32af1fe-5d8c-4d80-ac39-3c901653d741

✅ If this answer helped resolve your issue, please mark it as Accepted so it can help others with the same problem.
👍 Feel free to Like the post if you found it useful.

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Ram Prakash Duraisamy 5,753 Super User 2026 Season 1 on at

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Hi @RS-15041344-0

Can you please share me your current query ?

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RS-15041344-0 2 on at

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Hi Sunil,

The first link you provided gave me the best information but as I have never used Power Apps before this and this in an inherited application with no documentation on how it was set up, I am at a complete loss.

The Get function workaround seems the best response but I don't know where to add it and I don't want to break the existing app as it still sort of functions but doesn't send out requests for authorisation after the form has been submitted.

The main list has more than 12 columns but I don't know which ones are the lookup ones.

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11manish 1,727 on at

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Your flow didn’t break randomly—it crossed a SharePoint lookup column limit due to changes in the list or how the query is executed.

Fix the query (limit columns), and the flow will start working again.

Best and most reliable solution

Create a dedicated SharePoint view with:

Only required columns

Max 10–11 lookup/person fields

Then in your flow action:

Use “Limit Columns by View”

If still failing

Recreate the SharePoint action (it may cache old schema)

Remove unnecessary lookup/person fields from the list

Split the operation into multiple steps (avoid one heavy query)

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Sunil Kumar Pashikanti 1,970 Moderator on at

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Hi @RS-15041344-0,

The best way to handle this is to first figure out which columns in your SharePoint list are actually "lookup-type." You can do this by going to List Settings and checking the Columns section. Keep in mind that even if your app only updates a single text field, SharePoint still processes every single lookup column in the background.

A lot of the time, simply cleaning up the list structure fixes the problem without you having to touch the app or flow logic—which is a lifesaver when you're dealing with an inherited app you didn't build.

I’ve put together a step-by-step guide on how to safely audit these columns and, more importantly, what you should avoid touching while you're troubleshooting:

👉How to Identify Lookup Columns in SharePoint Lists (Without Breaking Your Power App)

Start by auditing the SharePoint schema first. In many cases, fixing the data source is enough to get everything running again without rewriting a single formula.

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