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"When an item or a file is modified" and Approvals = infinite loop?

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Posted on by PT-10121033-0

Up until September 2023 we had a nice set-up on a small Document Library that was working flawlessly.

We had one flow (A) that triggered Approvals "When a file is created (properties only)" and one flow (B) that triggered an Approval "When an item or a file is modified".

We had a problem with B recently where the Approval was created with notifications disabled (no idea how this happened). I fixed this today and, in testing, noticed new behaviour. When Flow A is completed (i.e. the Approval Status is set to Approved), it appears to immediately trigger B - presumably because the Approval Status change is considered a modification. While I would like to avoid this happening, my real concern is that this is actually going create an infinite loop, whereby Approvals keeps modifying the file and triggering flow B.

Is this possible? Can it be avoided?

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hpatel95 47 on at

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Re: "When an item or a file is modified" and Approvals = infinite loop?

Hello folks,

I have similar issue,
I have two separate flows for same SharePoint list.
Each flow is "when item modified in specific column, only the flow trigger and send an email."

now when I want to send 1st email, I change item in one choice column and the flow triggers.

But as the same time, my 2nd flow also triggers and failed. (dose it means my API is counted in that failed flow?)
and the 2nd flow is not sending the email because in 2nd choice column the values is not there. (means it's actually working)

My question, how I can trigger only one time when item is modified?
As we know we have limited API request per day Requests limits and allocations - Power Platform | Microsoft Learn.

I have license so I am assuming I have 40000 limits. (which is more than enough but when there will be many entries (5000) then I will have problem for this API right?

When in SharePoint list, there will be many entries, I am afraid my limits per day will be finished because triggering both flows.
Or maybe I do not understand how this limits works.
Please someone help me.
I do not have access to see how many flows cycle I used in a day. So, I cannot really, see?
Kindly help.

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PT-10121033-0 on at

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Re: "When an item or a file is modified" and Approvals = infinite loop?

You are using a different Trigger to me so it's not quite the same problem.

In your case, you have two flows with the same Trigger. You may be able to cancel the 2nd Flow using a Trigger condition (see below). However, could you not use a different Trigger (maybe "When an item or a file is modified"), and combine the two Flows into a single Flow, and use a Condition in your Flow to check each column? May be that would actually trigger more runs and API calls, though?

Trigger conditions partially fixed my problem. Our Flows are run by a dedicated user account ("Flows User") that is not used for business as usual. I simply had to check if this user had caused the file modification that triggered the Flow. If it did, then I know it was just another Flow modifying the file.

Finding the correct syntax for the Trigger Condition is a bit difficult - note the not() at the begining of mine, I don't want it to run for this Editor.

You can find the triggerOutputs in a previous Flow run:

The second thing I did was use a Condition in the Flow to check the "Content Approval Status" (unhelpfully called "Moderation Status" in the triggerOutputs). This is the column that is updated by Approvals. If the "Content Approval Status" is already "Approved", the Flow is Cancelled.
(Note we also check the item is not a folder - we don't care about those changing.
Hope that helps someone!

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hpatel95 47 on at

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Re: "When an item or a file is modified" and Approvals = infinite loop?

Hmm,
Yes mine is little different!

But thank you.

I have my team group email. Which I currently do not have access to use. I requested it.

but If I will have then I can use this to send emails on behalf of my group email.

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