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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Approvals in Flow won'...
Power Automate
Answered

Approvals in Flow won't work - problem with connections

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Posted on by Microsoft Employee

Hello,


A colleague who was managing Flows left the company, and after some time flows stopped working. I tried to fix this by switching connections on the tasks that require them, which worked for Excel online, Send an email notification, and SharePoint tasks. However, Approval tasks were still stuck.


When the flow reaches first Approval tasks it fails, and leaves this message: "The request failed. Error code: 'ApprovalConnectionOwnerNotFoundInGraph'. Error Message: 'The Approvals connection owner was not found in Graph. Object Id: 'cba909f9-c825-400b-bef7-c375be3aa151''.".


I tried to edit connection directly on the Approval tasks, but I was unable to do so. When I click on the ". . ." button for the Approval tasks, "My connections" section is empty, while in the "Other connections" section I have "Approvals" (which has checked sign) and "+ Add new connection" options. When I click on the "+ Add new connection", instead of the "Sign in" dialog, I get a "Create simple connection failed." message.


I also tried to get connections for this flow, on the page displaying this specific flow details (page with "Details", "Runs", "Connections", and "Owners" sections). Here, when I click on the "Edit" link in the "Connections" section, it takes me to the Owners management page. (I think this is a bug as in link it is indeed pointing at edit owners page) Thereby, I was unable to manage connections for this flow. NB: In the "Connections" section I still see a former colleagues' e-mail.


Then I tried to review all my connections. I accessed "Connections" page, which is available under the "Data" section. Here I get Excel online, SharePoint and Approvals connections listed. When I open details for the Excel online and SharePoint connections, I see my flow in the "Flows using this connection" tab. When I open this tab for the Approvals connection, it is empty.


I hope I described my problem with enough details for someone to help me. If needed, I can provide more, just ask.


Thank you,

Nemanja

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I have the same question (0)
  • Jcook Profile Picture
    7,783 Most Valuable Professional on at
    Hello,

    Get an admin to export the flow package.

    Than re import

    —Josh
    If you like my post please hit the "Thumbs Up" -- If my post solved your issue please "Mark as a Solution" to help others
  • ChristianAbata Profile Picture
    8,953 Most Valuable Professional on at

    hi @Anonymous  if you have approvals pending I recoment to you to use the same conection.

    Please you need to pause your flow to prevent more submitions and then try creating a new one.

    Delete every conection in your account and then do this.

    conect.gif

    Another recomendation is create every flow with a generic user for example flowapprovals@yourdomain.com and in this accouns create everything you need.

  • v-litu-msft Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hi @Anonymous,

     

    When you create a new connection of the approval connector, the account will be the Flow owner. So if you want to create a new connection, you should export the Flow then import it by using your account, just like @ChristianAbata and @Jcook advice and shows.

    After import, all connections should recreate and Excel should re-select.

     

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

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hi @Jcook, @ChristianAbata, and @v-litu-msft 

     

    First of all, thank you for your time and advices.

     

    I tried to export the entire flow, delete all connections (as I do not have this flow instances running), and then to re-import as you instructed me (with creating new connections), but that didn't work. After the import, I now have the Flow Checker reporting me errors for all connections (Excel, SharePoint, Mail, and Approvals). Even more, I am unable to resolve them. When I try "+ Add new connection" (image 3), I get an error (image 4).

     

    I am attaching images to illustrate the problem.

     

    Image 1Image 1

     

    Image 2Image 2

     

    Image 3Image 3

     

    Image 4Image 4

     

    P.S. @ChristianAbata, I find your advice to create a dedicated user for flows very useful. Hopefully will implement it once I fix the current issue.

  • ChristianAbata Profile Picture
    8,953 Most Valuable Professional on at

    hi @Anonymous you are welcome, mmm do you have permisions over the site? the site is in sharepoint on-premise? if is yes please you need to add a gateway conection and start sessión with you account.

  • Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Yes, SharePoint is on-premise, and I have assigned a standard account so I can not create a gateway (it requires a premium account).

    I am not sure what kind of permission do you mean (e.g. I can access Admin center, but I am not allowed to create Environment).

     

    Still, I wonder how it was able to work for my colleague (who also had a standard account), just a week ago... Maybe I should try to contact him, in case I am missing some basic steps...

  • Verified answer
    Community Power Platform Member Profile Picture
    Microsoft Employee on at

    Hi everyone,

     

    I made a pause on my work with this flow (as I had more urgent things to do), so today I returned to my problem and solved it!

     

    As I opened the Flow, it showed me that it has a connection error on each connected task (SharePoint, Excel online, Approval). When I clicked on SharePoint and Excel online tasks, I got a chance to choose my connection (displayed with my e-mail), which listed among former colleague connections. Once I choose it for each of these tasks, errors for these tasks disappeared and a problem was fixed for them. But, I still got an issue with approvals, as for them I was unable to the same.

     

    Then I came up with an idea to erase approval that I created last week (I used connections page to delete it) - and this was a crucial step. Then I came back to the Flow, opened an approval task, and clicked to "+ Add new connection", and wow - I was able to create a new connection! I had to fill all the fields again but it worked.

     

    Now I guess that working with Flow requires some patience and a couple of days off. 🙂

    And thanks to all the guys who tried to help and instructed me.

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