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Update SharePoint List Item during approval flow

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Posted on by GB-23071442-0

Hello,

I have an approval flow where the Approver is asking to make updates to a SharePoint list item while the status is "Under Review" pending their approval . For example, the submitter incorrectly entered the wrong Travel Start Date. When the request comes to the Approver they can update the Travel Start Date, provide their approval and once the flow updates the "Status" column to Approved. The Travel Start Date is updated to what the Approver changed it to during the "Under Review" status.

For some reason when the Approver updates the Travel Start Date, the updated value shows on the SharePoint list. But once they provide their approval and the flow updates the SharePoint list item. The status shows as "Approved" but the Travel Start Date reverts back to the original Travel Start Date entered by the Submitter.

Below is a screenshot of the flow I created, and I have circled where the Approver should make any updates to the SharePoint list.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank You

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Building flows

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wskinnermctc 6,519 Moderator on at

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You need to show the Update Item step to see what the problem could be. The steps from your screenshot aren't showing anything about what could be the issue.

I'm guessing the Update Item step is using the data from a previous step and that is overwriting the new value.

You either need to leave Update Item field blank so it doesn't overwrite. Or you need to insert a new Get Item before the Update Item so that you are getting the most recent data.

Example: If you start a flow and Get an Item. Then you put a 1 hour time delay in the flow. Then you send an email that contains the Get Item data.

Get an Item

1 Hour Delay

Send an Email - with data Get an Item

If you triggered the flow, then during the 1 hour delay you went to the SP List and made changes to the item, the email is going to send with the old data that was from the initial trigger. The flow does not have the new data that was updated during the delay.

Get an Item

1 Hour Delay

Get an Item 2

Send an Email - with data Get an Item 2

This flow would have the most recent data for the email.

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GB-23071442-0 on at

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Hi @wskinnermctc ,

Thank you for your suggestion. Based on your feedback, I inserted "Get Items 3" after the approver provides their approval. It captures the updates the approver has made before providing their approval. The only issue is the SharePoint list reflects the changes by the Approver. But when the flow updates the SharePoint list item with the approval in the "Update Item 4" it changes the values back to what they originally were.

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wskinnermctc 6,519 Moderator on at

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I can't tell from the limited view of the flow.

But I'm guessing you are using the incorrect or previous dynamic content. Think of each Get Item as a snapshot of data from that time.

If you had a flow that was using a Get Item all on the same item like this-

Manually Trigger Flow

Get Item - First

Hour Delay

Get Item - Second

Hour Delay

Get Item - Third

Hour Delay

Update Item - using the dynamic content from "Get Item - First"

The item would be updated with all of the data that was from the initial Get Item that was 3 hours prior.

Also, I'm guessing there is some kind of overlap because of the Apply to Each from Get Items and the Approvers. I'm assuming those layers are some how overwriting the most current data.

Why are you using "Get Items" instead of "Get Item"? It would be easier to use the "Get Item" which returns a single item than a "Get Items" which returns an array.

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