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SharePoint Update Item has required fields

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I've been using a flow to make a 1-field update. All of sudden, after having no issues with the flow for about a week, the flow started updating a second field called "Currency Type" with it's default value "USD" as part of the process. So I removed the default value (USD) from the item's column properties and blanked out the default value from the Update Item action to try and clean up the flow so that it would only update the filed that it was meant to update in the first place. After trying to save the flow to test it out, I started getting Flow Checker errors warning me that there were some required fields that needed to be updated as part of the action. Why would I be required to update other fields if I just want to use the Update Item action to update one specific field? Is there a way to get around this?

Also note that this flow is taking action against a SharePoint list with version control enabled, so I'm trying to avoid having the flow update columns that should be restricted to updates/changes made by the users only.

List Errors.png

List Errors 2.png

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v-bacao-msft on at

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Hi @Anonymous ,

Because these fields are set to required, these fields cannot be left blank when configuring Update item action. This is by design.

If any action in the previous step of this action can output the values of these fields, you can use the relevant Dynamic content to fill in these fields.

Besides, you could also consider using Send an HTTP request to SharePoint action to update this field.

Please refer to SharePoint Rest API:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/sp-add-ins/working-with-lists-and-list-items-with-rest#update-list-item

Best Regards,

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Community Power Pla... on at

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Hi @v-bacao-msft , I can understand the required field constraint, but what I don't understand is why the Update Item action "randomly" chooses certain required fields and not others. Just to test this, I create a new site to mirror the one I have in Production that started to make unforeseen updates to my list items. When I created the new flow linked to the new site list, the Update Item action only had the ID and Title fields flagged as required. I ran the flow and it worked just as my original flow did:

Most of these field are ALL required, but only some are flagged as such:

I can't use the REST API, because I'm relying on a custom content type's field property to fix a flow duplication issue that @ScottShearer resolved using this method posted here:
https://o365scott.blog/2019/12/18/stopping-infinite-loops-when-updating-sharepoint-list-items/

So I'm pretty much stuck with having an Update Item action update fields that shouldn't be updated or living with a trigger (When an item is created or modified) that duplicates my flow when I update an item.

What I really want to understand is why the Update Item action originally only required ID and Title, but then as changes were implemented to the list items, some fields magically became required, even though they were required all along.

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v-bacao-msft on at

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Hi @Anonymous ,

As far as I know, Titles in the newly created list are required, we can manually set it to optional.

When configuring Update item action, because the item needs to be found by the item id to update, the id field is also required.

As for other fields, if they are not set to required, the update item action will not mark them as required.

If you have updated the configuration of the list, you need to reopen Flow to configure it. My tests on my side seem to be as expected.

Best Regards,

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Cweiss 11 on at

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Hey there,

I am facing a similar issue. It is annoying, but it doesn't affect my functionality.

It seems that the required fields are randomly required:

Shown below, all of my fields are required, but the 2 red underlined are required in my flow, but the blue is not required in flow.

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gazzo1967 1,151 on at

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@Cweiss
@Anonymous
If you look at the set up of your sharepoint lists they fields are set to 'required' so the update function will also require them to work.
The Title is required bt default and ID is needed to know which record to update.

without knowing your flows!
i would suggest after your trigger
Have a 'get item' action then in the required fields add the dynamic content from the fields that are taken from the Get items dynamic list.
This will then basically re-write your data back to the list with the field you want updated also done
Hopefully that makes sense if not feel free to message me 🙂
Gary

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Jacopo 8 on at

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Hi,

I am experiencing the same Issue.

I would understand the mandatory fields to be mandatory in the action IF we were working with "Create object" but in this case we only are updating something that has been created subject to the structure and rules of the List, so I find this need to update all the fields redundant or far worse, considering it reduces the robustness of the solution (if I change the structure of the fields, I would need to review all the "update" flows, even if the would keep updating only 1 field..)

nevertheless, I have tried to "rewrite" all the information with the ones received in input.. but I get the error that the fields are "readonly", despite the fields ARE NOT read only (they contains information, considering that it is mandatory filled by the user). no need to say I would have not had to add this field to the update operation, unless it had been mandatory for the step to work ...

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mumcs01 10 on at

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Completely agree with you. and there are two things here. The requirement on update a table that you need to include ALL the required field when perhaps like me you just want to check a box saying something is complete without having to populate again their name, email, address, zipcode and 30 other fields - Is really frustrating.... The update Sharepoint table should NOT require this. Just the ID to change.

As for those mentioning the random mandatory fields, that is still a thing and can be worked around by populating all the fields in the flow (Annoyance above), and also custom editing the form in powerapps to deal with 'not required' in properties. Why on earth though when you say NOT mandatory in sharepoint list setup, it will randomly populate as mandatory is a true annoyance.

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queenmr on at

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I've recently discovered a work-around for this (because I had a similar problem). Forgive the necro-post. The status of a field being required by Microsoft Power Automate is at the column level, but this is not editable in the "List Settings."

To edit this, you'd go to the AllItems.aspx view of the list you want to edit,
Click the pull-down menu of the column you want to edit
Hover over 'Column settings'
Select 'Edit'
Select 'More options'
Toggle 'Require that this column contains information'
Save
This will remove it as a requirement for Automate - but you can still make this required for the people filling out the form! Once you've made this change, go to the 'List settings' (in the gear) and edit the "Content Types" for your form. Use the radio button to select 'Required' and it'll be required for the form/user, but not for Automate.

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ctrl_kudorje 163 on at

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In short - You have to
go to list settings
make the field not required.
go to list settings again.
click on advanced settings.
select yes for allow management for content types.
Click Okay.
Click on item on content types. A new section in the list settings page will appear.
Click on the field you need, and click required for column settings.
Hit save.
This will make the field at surface level (form) required, however at the sharepoint field level, it is not a required field, which therefore makes PowerAutomate not realize that it is a required field.

3 people found this reply helpful.

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