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Power Automate - Using Flows
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Power Apps button click to start Power Automate creating multiple instances - Sometimes

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Posted on by 27

I have a SharePoint list where I have used Power Apps/Customize forms to create an application that saves an item to the SharePoint list, then calls a Power Automate flow to run an approval for that item. The user clicks a "Save" button, then the "Start Approval" button activates.  That way I make sure they have an ID number.  In Power Apps, I have a button ("Start Approval") that calls the flow and passes in the ID number of the SharePoint item.  There are often 20-30 items getting an approval at one time on this SharePoint, so I do need to have multiple instances of the flow running, ideally, one for each list ID. 

 

Once the user hits the "Start Approval" button in my application, they are launched back to the SharePoint.  If the approval has started (I log the date/time in a column on the SharePoint) the "Start Approval" button is no longer visible.  I thought that would keep them from starting multiple instances of the same approval.

 

However, sometimes, there are multiple instances started for the same ID number.  I cannot replicate this and the user is unable to tell me how it's happening either.  

 

The problem here is that his approvers are getting two approvals for the same list ID.  Any insight into how this may be happening?  If the user goes back to edit their item and the column for the approval start has a date/time there is no button for them to click again.  

 

I'm at wits end trying to figure out how this is happening.  And to make it more confusing - it does not happen every time. I have plenty of examples where only only flow is running for one list item.  

 

Multiple starts for same list IDMultiple starts for same list ID

 

 

FlowStart.PNG

  • PADorPAC Profile Picture
    13 on at
    Re: Power Apps button click to start Power Automate creating multiple instances - Sometimes

    did this ever get figured out? I am in a similar situation.

  • Sawyer Profile Picture
    27 on at
    Re: Power Apps button click to start Power Automate creating multiple instances - Sometimes

    Yes, I am triggering the flow after the item is created in SharePoint.  The user clicks a "Save" button where I set a variable that activates the "Start Approval" (start flow) button.  The SharePoint ID is then passed to the flow. 

     

    I also have a column where the flow updates date/time that approval has started.  If the approval has started, they cannot start the flow again because the button to start it is no longer visible.

     

    My flow sends out approvals and updates the SharePoint as each person approves with their comments and approval outcome.

     

    The reason I do not want to automatically start the flow when a list item is created, is that many of my users want to create their item, then come back to it when they are ready to start approvals.  

     

    All of this works beautifully most of the time.  My issue is that for some reason I cannot replicate, every so often there are 2 flows running for the same SharePoint ID.  I'm trying to understand how this happens, and if anyone else has seen this kind of behavior.  

  • ArchitectMadhan Profile Picture
    1,580 on at
    Re: Power Apps button click to start Power Automate creating multiple instances - Sometimes

    Hi @Sawyer ,

    You need to trigger an approval flow once a new list item is created in SharePoint. Is there any necessary that you need to have a button for kick off the flow? Because we can trigger the automated flow based on the create/update of a list item. You can even have an approval status and based on that value flow can be triggered automatically, every time the approval status value changed by the approver at each stage, it will trigger email to other approver levels.

     

    Please refer this link.

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