Debugging sharepoint automated flow

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Posted on by smpa01

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I have created an automated flow as below. I am the owner of the sharepoint as well as the admin of the PBI workspace.

The flow is triggering as desired when I add or modify any file within the sharepoint folder.

But when other users make modifications within the sharepoint folder, it does not trigger the flow.

The other users are members of the sharepoint and has no access to PBI Workspace whatsoever.

@lbendlin @v-liwei-msft @v-xiaochen-msft

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Building flows

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lbendlin 8,479 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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There are a couple of issues here. "Refresh a dataflow" does not do what you think it does. It requests a dataflow refresh, but does not wait for completion. Same for the "Refresh a dataset" action. You will need to refactor your flow, stopping it at the "Refresh a dataflow" part. Then run a separate flow with a trigger of "When a dataflow refresh completes" - but only when it completed successfully.

You must also add debouncers that prevent frequent re-requests of the refreshes. Best case these will be ignored, worst case you get pushed to the end of the queue.

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smpa01 148 on at

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Okay. I did not know that and thanks for that.
However, the issue that is worrying me now is when some1else other than me who is a SP member and has Contribute permission adds file or modifies existing file in SP, it does not even trigger the flow let alone Dataflow refresh.

Do you know why is that and how to bypass that?

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lbendlin 8,479 Super User 2025 Season 2 on at

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I think the flow does trigger (you can check via the run history) but it will trigger too often as I described before, with the expected adverse effects.

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wskinnermctc 6,519 Moderator on at

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Good catch @lbendlin for the Dataflow Refresh,

@smpa01 You should try sharing the flow directly to the SharePoint list as if it is another user. Basically add the SharePoint list as a owner. Then test and see if the other users trigger the flow.

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smpa01 148 on at

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I specifically ran multiple tests each 30 minutes apart just so there is nothing else that can influence the outcome just to see if modification made by johnDoe triggers a flow automation. The flow history shows/lists each occurrence when the file was added/modified by me at the designated SP folder but it does not show/list any occurrence when johnDoe made changes. The dataflow and dataset respectively takes 8 sec and 1 min to refresh.

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smpa01 148 on at

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@wskinnermctc Basically add the SharePoint list as a owner - I don't know what are you referring to and how to do this. The trigger in question here is when new files are added or exisitng files are modified in prodFolder.

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wskinnermctc 6,519 Moderator on at

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https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/create-team-flows#add-a-list-as-a-co-owner

See the instructions at the link or just look at the photos below.

Add Owners to Flow

Add List as Owner

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smpa01 148 on at

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@wskinnermctc I have added johnDoe as owner (with the hope of that his actions triggers the flow) as I could not add the shrepoint folder as the owner.

However, the flow does not trigger even after after adding JD as the owner. JD does not have access to PA workspace as well as to PBI workspace.

If some1 can please point me to the correct direction would be gr8. To summarize, I have multiple users for a SP and I want the flow to trigger as and when each user adds new file /modifies existing file in a SP folder.

Thank you in advance.

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wskinnermctc 6,519 Moderator on at

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I don't understand @smpa01 why you couldn't add the SharePoint folder as an owner? Did it not appear as an option in the dropdown?

You would have to share it with the library, not just the individual folder. A Document Library is just a List with extra properties, so you would share the flow with the library just like sharing it with a List.
You can't share a flow with specific items in a List similarly you can't share a flow with specific folders in a Document Library.

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smpa01 148 on at

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@lbendlin while we are still here, can you please elaborate how to do this

You must also add debouncers that prevent frequent re-requests of the refreshes. Best case these will be ignored, worst case you get pushed to the end of the queue.

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