Breaking an approval request loop

(1) Share

Report

Posted on by JP-08041315-0

Hello.

I am trying to create a flow that will automatically request an approval when a file/document is edited/modified.

Now the flow I have works but there is a looping problem. The trigger "when an item or file is modified" reacts to when the properties of the file are modified.

So when my flow automatically requests an approval, once I get the answer, it updates the Approval status column with "approved or rejected", but by updating the approval status column, I am modifying the properties of the file, so it automatically requests an approval again and it therefore loops endlessly.

So I what I need is a trigger condition where it ignores the approval status column and the approvers column so that it doesn't loop. In fact there are multiple columns I need it to ignore, but the principle is the same.

However as the trigger conditions are limited to equals/not/or/if/greater than etc... I'm not sure how to achieve this with those limited options.

Any ideas ?

Regards

James

Categories:

Building flows

I have the same question (0)

All responses (3)

Answers (0)

Sort by

Suggested answer

Pstork1 69,417 Most Valuable Professional on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Here's a post that provides several different options for trigger conditions to prevent an infinite loop. How to avoid infinite trigger loop in Power Automate The easiest way to do it is to create the flow using an account that doesn't upload files to the library. Then create a trigger condition that only fires if the editor (modified by) isn't that account.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this Post helped you, please click "Does this answer your question" and give it a like to help others in the community find the answer too!

Paul Papanek Stork, MVP
Blog: https://www.dontpapanic.com/blog

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
JP-08041315-0 14 on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Excuse me i'm sorry but what you just said here :

"The easiest way to do it is to create the flow using an account that doesn't upload files to the library. Then create a trigger condition that only fires if the editor (modified by) isn't that account."

Has absolutely nothing to do with what I just described.

Was this reply helpful? Yes No
Pstork1 69,417 Most Valuable Professional on at

Like (0)

Report
Copy link

Link copied!

Let me try to explain. You are describing a flow that is firing multiple times because the flow updates the properties of a file. When it does that the flow retriggers. To prevent that retriggering you need to add a trigger condition to the trigger that prevents it from retriggering when an update is made by the flow instead of by a person in the document library. I provided an article that discusses multiple different types of trigger conditions that do that. and then suggest the easiest way to do it is add a trigger condition that says the trigger only fires if the change is made by someone other than the maker of the flow. Since the flow is automated it will always run in the security context of the person who creates the flow. So if you use an account to create the flow that doesn't upload or change documents and set the trigger condition to not fire when that account makes changes (ie. the flow is making the change) then the flow will only fire when the document is modified by someone other than the flow maker.

I hope that clarifies.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this Post helped you, please click "Does this answer your question" and give it a like to help others in the community find the answer too!

Paul Papanek Stork, MVP
Blog: https://www.dontpapanic.com/blog

Was this reply helpful? Yes No