SharePoint & Power Automate - Only Run When a SINGLE COLUMN Changes!!

In this video, Nate Halliwell from Pragmatic Works shares a solution to a common issue faced by SharePoint users when working with Power Automate. The challenge is how to trigger a flow based only on the modification of a specific column in a SharePoint list, rather than running the flow every time any item is changed. Let’s walk through the steps to resolve this issue.

Problem Overview

During a recent meeting with a client, Nate encountered a situation where a flow was triggering every time any item in a SharePoint list was modified. However, the client only wanted the flow to run when a specific column in the list was modified. This scenario is common when using flows to automate tasks like sending emails when the status of a request changes.

Step-by-Step Solution

To address this challenge, Nate demonstrates how to set up a trigger in Power Automate to only run when a specific column, such as the status column, is modified.

1. SharePoint List Setup:
   • In this example, Nate uses a simple PTO request list with multiple columns, including a “Request Status” column (which has choices like “New,” “Approved,” and “Rejected”).
   • The goal is to trigger the flow only when the "Request Status" column is changed.
2. Choosing the Right Trigger in Power Automate:
   • In Power Automate, Nate selects the trigger action “When an item or file is modified” for SharePoint, but it runs for all changes made to an item.
   • Although there’s no out-of-the-box option to track a single column in SharePoint, there is a workaround using trigger conditions.
3. Creating a Trigger Condition:
   • Instead of modifying the default trigger, Nate adds a new condition to the flow. This condition checks if the “Request Status” column has been changed by comparing it to another custom column (called "Request Status Trigger").
   • If the “Request Status” column differs from the “Request Status Trigger” column, the flow is triggered.
4. Setting Up a New Column for Status Tracking:
   • To implement this logic, Nate creates a new “Request Status Trigger” column, which mirrors the original “Request Status” column.
   • Initially, both columns will contain the same value. When a change occurs in the “Request Status” column, the flow checks whether the values of the two columns differ. If they do, the flow runs.
5. Ensuring the Flow Only Runs When Necessary:
   • Once the columns are in place, Nate sets the trigger condition using the flow’s advanced settings. He writes the condition using the dynamic content feature of Power Automate to check whether the two columns' values are different.
   • This ensures that the flow runs only when the status column is changed, not when other fields are modified.

Testing the Flow

After setting up the flow, Nate demonstrates how to test it. He manually creates a record in the SharePoint list and modifies the “Request Status” column. If the value in the “Request Status” column differs from the “Request Status Trigger” column, the flow triggers as expected.

Important Considerations

Although this method works well, Nate mentions a potential issue with the flow creating an infinite loop if the “Request Status” column is continually updated. To prevent this, he adds a final step in the flow that ensures the two columns always match after the flow is executed.

Conclusion

By using a creative workaround with trigger conditions and a custom status column, Nate successfully demonstrates how to create a flow in Power Automate that only runs when a specific column in a SharePoint list changes. While this solution may not be as seamless as those available in Dataverse, it provides an effective method for SharePoint users to achieve the desired functionality without needing premium features.

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