Compare values from 2 SP Lists - if value X in List 1 and List 2 same, update list 2, if different create new item in list 2

[StillLearning]

HI there, 

I have been trying to figure out how to create this flow for weeks now and have had no success at all! I have a flow set up which has 3 'conditions' - if the criteria (comparison of values) are true it sends and email and if false it does nothing. 

I want to add a further action whereby if an email is sent, the flow compares the title and person columns of List 1 and List 2 and if both the title and person column have the same values, the item in List 2 is updated. If not the same, a new item is created in List 2. 

I tried adding this to the existing flow and it wouldn't work - it either created new items for everything (which ended up being hundreds of new items) or it simply timed out. 

I tried created a separate flow which did the comparison without the email (i.e. if the condition is met, it went straight to the update/create new item thing) but got the same result. 

I suspect that the issue is arising because when I try to compare the values of both lists power automate automatically adds two 'apply to all' functions which causes the comparison to run on every item in both lists but I can't figure out how to stop the apply to all function ! 

Please help! 

Screenshots of the problematic part of the flow is below 

[Mari]

Hi! I worked on a similar request some time ago and I created a flow like this:

Please notice that the trigger is configured to run when an item is created or modified in the list #1. Then, to filter the items I was bringing from the list #2, I used an expression. In my case, I was comparing if the Titles of both lists were the same.

After obtaining the items, we will evaluate if the item already exists or not. To do this, add a condition that is equal to “true". This was my expression:

equals(length(body('Get_items')?['value']), 0)

[StillLearning]

[deleted]

[StillLearning]

Thank you for the suggestion however my problem arises because the flow is not triggered by the creation of a new item (and having it triggered by that would defeat the purpose) so the only way I can compare the values in 2 lists is to 'get items' of both lists and that is where my problem arises; attempting to compare the values from both lists triggers power automate to insert 'apply to all' twice etc etc. 

 I was hoping to find a way to use a scheduled flow trigger and get the values from both lists and treat them as 'static' values I guess - for example:

FLOW TRIGGER: Scheduled

STEP 1: Get items from List 1

Result: 

Col 1 (title)	Col 2 (person)	Col 3 (date)	Col 4 (choice)
Title1	Person1	Date1	Choice1
Title2	Person2	Date2	Choice2
Title3	Person3	Date1	Choice2
Title4	Person4	Date1	Choice1

STEP 2: Get items from List 2

Result:

Col 1 (title)	Col 2 (person)	Col 3 (date)	Col 4 (choice)
Title1	Person1	Date1	Choice1
Title2	Person8	Date2	Choice2
Title3	Person3	Date1	Choice2
Title4	Person16	Date1	Choice1

So, using the above as an example this is what I want the flow to do:

STEP 3 – for LIST 1 ONLY run condition:  Col3Value > Date1 &  Col4Value = Choice2

Result:  

Title1 = NO

Title 2 = YES

Title 3 = NO

Title 4 = NO

STEP 4:  FOR TITLE 2 ONLY (items that result YES) Run Condition – does Col1 in LIST 2 contain Col1Value in LIST 1 (is there a Title2 is List 2)?

Result:

YES

IF YES

Does the corresponding Col2Value in LIST 1 (i.e. Col2Value for Title2)

=

the corresponding Col2Value in LIST 2 (i.e. Col2Value for Title2)?

Result:

NO

IF YES: Update item in List 2  

(i.e. Update Title2 in List 2)

IF NO: Create new item in List 2

Does this make sense? Is there a way to do this without having hundreds of new items created (which is what is happening now)?

I have tried having the second ‘apply to all’ start at Step 4 in the above example (instead of having it at the start) but then the flow just kept timing out and never ran at all.

ANY help that anyone can provide would be GREATLY appreciated.