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Power Platform Community / Forums / Power Automate / Approvals with ability...
Power Automate
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Approvals with ability to ask requester questions

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Posted on by 102

Hello,

 

I am looking for a way to create a flow that allows the approve to go back the the requester and ask them questions and get answers before the approver Approves or Rejects the Flow.

 

Can this be done within the Flow approval process and if so what would be the best way to do this?

 

Thanks,

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  • Verified answer
    ScottShearer Profile Picture
    25,278 Most Valuable Professional on at

    Currently, the Flow Approval process does not support the ability to email the individual requesting approval prior to approving or rejecting the item.

     

    You may want to suggest this in the Flow Ideas topic area if it has not already been suggested (I suspect that it has).  If it has been suggested, you may want to vote for it.

     

    Flow Ideas Link

  • Verified answer
    v-yuazh-msft Profile Picture
    on at

    Hi @ james_riach,

     

     

    The ability to  ask requester questions when start an approval is not supported in Microsoft Flow currently, I afraid that there is no way to achieve your needs in Microsoft Flow currently.

     

    If you would like this feature to be added in Microsoft Flow, please submit an idea to Flow Ideas Forum:

    https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Flow-Ideas/idb-p/FlowIdeas

     

     

    Regards,
    Alice Zhang

  • Verified answer
    AntoinetteB Profile Picture
    145 on at

    Yes, if you are willing to think outside the box, you can.  I do what you are asking right now using the following 2 methods but there are several other ways I've thought of that I haven't tried yet.

     

    1) In the Approval action Details section, I using dynamic fields for the trigger action for User Name and User Email, and then use html to add a link to requestors email address (User Email) with a message:
    If you would like to ask the Requestor a question before replying to their request, click here to email User Name at User Email Link.

    This leaves the Approval request intact until they are ready to reply, after receiving the answer to their question in a separate email.

    2) This method is not my idea.  I got it from Microsoft.  Technically, it does not allow them to ask a question BEFORE responding to the Approval request, but it accomplishes the same goal.  https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/create-approval-response-options

    If they select the Need more info button, they type their question into the comments field on the Approvals Response screen. I coded my flow to send an email to the User Email person who triggered the flow, and in this email I instruct the User Email requestor person that ApproverName needs more info.  Please provide a reply to their question, then run this FlowName flow again. 

     

    But you could also loop it to run a second Approval action worded with "The requestor has received your question.  After you receive their reply, please reply to this Approval request."  And then their new request would just be sitting there waiting for them until they get a reply to their separate email with the question in it.

     

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