This behavior is not random and you’re not imagining it — it’s caused by a data type / validation mismatch that was tightened recently in Power Apps / SharePoint integration.
That’s why:
-
✅ selecting a number allows the form to advance
-
❌ selecting “N/A” blocks navigation
-
❌ even though the field visually looks filled
-
❌ and this only started happening recently
What actually changed
Your dropdown is bound to a separate list of ALN/CFDA values where:
Your target column in the main list is very likely:
Previously, Power Apps was lenient and allowed this mismatch.
Recently, validation became stricter:
A required field is only considered “valid” if the value matches the column’s data type.
So now:
That’s why the form won’t advance.
Why the UI is misleading
Power Apps checks two things for required fields:
-
Is something selected?
-
Does the value match the expected data type?
Your dropdown passes #1, but fails #2.
So the form still thinks the field is invalid.
How to confirm this quickly
Check the Update property of the DataCard:
If you see something like:
DropdownALN.Selected.Value
…and the target column is Number, then "N/A" cannot be converted to a number — silently failing validation.
✅ Correct ways to fix this (choose one)
✅ Option 1 — Make “N/A” a numeric value (recommended)
In your ALN/CFDA lookup list:
0
-1
999999
Then display it as “N/A” in Power Apps:
If(
ThisItem.ALN = 0,
"N/A",
Text(ThisItem.ALN)
)
This keeps data types consistent and validation happy.
✅ Option 2 — Change the target column to Text
If “N/A” is a valid business value:
This removes numeric validation entirely.
⚠️ Do this only if you don’t rely on numeric behavior elsewhere.
✅ Option 3 — Explicitly handle “N/A” in the Update property
If the column must remain numeric:
If(
DropdownALN.Selected.Value = "N/A",
Blank(),
Value(DropdownALN.Selected.Value)
)
And then make the column not required, or handle required logic manually.
This avoids invalid numeric conversion.
❌ What will NOT fix it
The issue is type validation, not UI state.
Why this surfaced “all of a sudden”
Microsoft has been tightening:
especially around SharePoint + Power Apps.
So a configuration that “worked” before is now being enforced correctly.
Final recommendation
Never mix text values like “N/A” into numeric-required fields.
Either:
Once you align the data type, the form will advance immediately — no other changes needed.
