Approval is getting auto approved

[mithushalk]

Hi team,

I have built a flow & added approvals to it but my flow shouldn't proceed ahead unless the approver approves but it's getting auto-approved. 
Can I know the reason? Solution?

Also, I'm seeing the below error every often

[Pstork1]

I'm assuming you are using the same email addresses in the assigned to field of the approval that you are in the Send an Email V2 action.  The problem is that either the email addresses are not in a valid format or they aren't valid email addresses.  Can you supply a screenshot of how you are supplying the email addresses?  Also, for the approval are you only using emails that are internal to your tenant?  External users can't do approvals.

[mithushalk]

@Pstork1 Thank you I was able to sort one issue.

On the approval part, I'm using internal members to approve the project.

[mithushalk]

@Pstork1 I just figured that flow is auto rejected.

Even before the approver response, the result is NO.

[Pstork1]

What is the logic in your condition statement?  

[mithushalk]

I'm using response id to get the output.

[Pstork1]

The Response ID in MS Forms is a numeric code that can be used to retrieve the detailed answers to the form.  It has nothing to do with approvals. That is why its always false.  You would use that in your Project Collect Response Step.  You also don't need an Apply to Each Loop to send out the approval since the flow is running for each response submitted.  When the Start and Wait for an Approval is returned you would check if Outcome is equal to Approve.

[mithushalk]

Can you please show a demo flow so I can correct it?

[Pstork1]

I'll put one together later today.  I'm just headed out right now and don't have time at the moment.

[mithushalk]

No rush! Please take your own time. 

Also, if ever I remove the loop for Start an approval operation ID. What expression can I add for Assigned to under Start and wait for approval?

Expression I used currently are

Filter Query (Get items) - 

replace(replace(outputs('Project_Collect_Response')?['body/r67a3fffc2cbc409ba7a90d05c1125f0c'],'["',''),'"]','')

Assigned to (Start and wait for an approval) -

outputs('Get_items_2_-_Approval')?['body/value']?[0]?['ManagerEmailAddress']

[Pstork1]

Here's a simple example.

Since you are using the ['0'] you are already getting the first manager from the array so there is no need to use a loop.  YOu could do the same thing with the first() function like this.

first(outputs('Get_items_2_-_Approval')?['body/value'])?['ManagerEmailAddress']

Either form will work without the use of the loop.

[mithushalk]

Hi @Pstork1 

I did the same are mentioned above but flow threw an error 

BadRequest. The request failed. Error code: 'InvalidApprovalCreateRequestAssignedToMissing'. Error Message: 'Required field 'assignedTo' is missing or empty.'.

code - 

first(outputs('Get_items_2_-_Approval')?['body/value'])?['ManagerEmailAddress']

[Pstork1]

Temporarily add a Compose statement just prior to the Approval.  Then use the same formula in that Compose that you are using in the Assigned To field.  When you run the flow you will be able to see what is being passed to the Approval.  I suspect that field is wrong or the value isn't coming across correctly.  That's why you are getting the error.  Using a Compose will help you figure out what is going wrong.

[mithushalk]

Sure!

I still see the same error

This is what I have used 

[Pstork1]

The point is to look at the output of the Compose.  I suspect its not an email address, which is what is required.  Its either a null or a complex object.  Clicking on the 'Click to download' link in the Compose will show you what the value actually is.  It needs to be a valid internal email address.

[mithushalk]

Click to download doesn't display any content. It's completely blank

[Pstork1]

That means the formula you are using to get the email is returning a null value.  That's why the approval is failing.  You need to figure out what the right formula is to retrieve the email address you want to assign the approval to.  I assume you have a ManagerEmailAddress column in SharePoint.  What kind of column is it and do all the records have values?

[mithushalk]

Yes @Pstork1 , 

I have a column for a manager email addresses in SharePoint & all the fields are filled 

[Pstork1]

Then I'm not sure why you aren't getting the value, but that means that there is something wrong with the formula you are using to retrieve the email address.  Once you fix that your approval will work.  Are you sure that 'ManagerEmailAddress' is the internal column name?  In the screenshot its showing a space.  Taht would make it. Manager%20EmailAddress.  When you look at the output from the get items what is the field name?

[mithushalk]

@Pstork1 

There's no space between the Manager email address when I cross-checked with the list setting, we have it rightly mentioned in the flow.

Get items output