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How do I update a Dataverse row with the current date?

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Posted on by h-demedici

I have a Dataverse table which contains a Date column (date only). I want to use Power Automate to update this column with the current date (the date the workflow has run). This is in addition to some other updates to the rows.

I've tried a few different approaches:

1. utcNow() - if I use this directly in the 'Update a row...' action, it errors with The response is not in a JSON format. Example of output from utcNow() 2025-02-05T10:08:08.1505834Z

2. Using formatDateTime and parseDateTime combined with utcNow(). This errors with:

Unable to process template language expressions in action 'Compose' inputs at line '0' and column '0': 'The template language function 'json' parameter is not valid. The provided value '2025-02-05T09:58:38.3158496Z' cannot be parsed: 'Unexpected character encountered while parsing number: T. Path '', line 1, position 10.'. Please see https://aka.ms/logicexpressions#json for usage details.'.

3. Using the parse JSON action with utcNOW() as the input and the following schema (generated from sample payload):

{
  "type": "string"
}

When doing the above, I receive the following error message:

The 'content' property of actions of type 'ParseJson' must be valid JSON. The provided value cannot be parsed: 'Unexpected character encountered while parsing number: T. Path '', line 1, position 10.'.

I'm still fairly new to Power Automate, so appreciate this might seem quite basic. Essentially, I want to be able to use the 'Update a row in selected environment' to update a table column (which is a date), to the date the workflow has run.

Thanks!

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Verified answer

Ravi-Prajapati 416 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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You're encountering issues because Dataverse expects date values in a specific format (yyyy-MM-dd), whereas utcNow() and other expressions return a full DateTime string with timezone information.

Here's a working approach using Power Automate to update the Date column correctly:

Step-by-Step Solution

Use utcNow() and Format the Date:

Add a Compose action before the Update a Row action.

In the Compose action, use this expression to format the current date correctly:

formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'yyyy-MM-dd')

This formats the date to 2025-02-05.

Update the Date Column:

In the Update a Row action for Dataverse:

Set the Date column field to the output of the Compose action.

Example Workflow

Trigger: Based on your requirement (manual, recurrence, etc.).

Actions:

Compose action:

formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'yyyy-MM-dd')

Update a Row:

Set the Date column to the Compose output.

Important Notes

Ensure the Date column in Dataverse is of type "Date Only."

You do not need to parse JSON for this simple use case.

formatDateTime() converts UTC DateTime to the required format without needing timezone handling.

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h-demedici 20 on at

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Thanks @CU04021533-0 for taking the time to respond.

I didn't realise, the problem was with the 'Update a row...' action. I had it within a 'For each' a to update multiple rows in Dataverse, but was using the 'Current item' from the 'For each' rather than the proper unique identifier for the table row.

I've also followed your guidance on formatting and using the date - that's worked perfectly. Thank you!

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