Different user initiates flow other than flow creator

[okiearcher]

Hi all,

I'm relatively new to Power Automate.

I have created several flows with connectors on my account. Most of them are triggered when a new item is created in Sharepoint list, or on file system.

When the flow sends out emails, it always looks like it comes from me and not from the person who actually created the new item, or triggered the flow.

How can I make the flow know who is the user responsible for triggering the flow so they are identified instead of me?

Shared flow? Add owners? I just don't know what I don't know....

Thanks.

KeithB

[David_MA · Accepted solution]

What you are experiencing is normal behavior for Power Automate. Workflows run on the credentials of the account which is the owner of the flow. There is an exception with manually triggered flows where you can override this to run on the credentials of the person who initiates the flow.

Since your flow runs when the item is created trigger, you have a few options:

1. If you are using the Outlook Send an email (V2) action, expand the advanced options. You can then fill in the From (Send as) field. However, most likely this will not be an option as you must have permissions to send e-mails from the user specified.
2. You can get a shared mailbox set up from which you have permissions to send e-mails. You can then use the above method and enter the name of the shared mailbox in the send as field.
   1. Note, if you do this, there is a specific action to send from a shared mailbox which is named Send an email from a shared mailbox (V2).
   2. With this action, the sent e-mails will be stored in and come from the shared mailbox. If you use the Send an email action (V2), the e-mails will be from your mailbox but sent from the specified account.
3. You could get a service account set up and make that the owner of the flow. Then the e-mails will come from that account instead.

None of these are probably what you were looking for, but this is how it work. I would specify in your e-mails who submitted the item so people know who it is from. Additionally, in the advanced options of the Send an email action, you can specify who to reply to. I would set that to the Created by Email.

Below is an example of using a shared mailbox:

[okiearcher]

I was afraid of that. I may try the route of starting an approval and see if that provides any better options about getting the user data of the person that approves/denies the request.

Thanks.

Keith

[michlwell]

As the creator of the form, my name is the only name that everything appears to be done by. I tried to set up the use a shared mailbox option, it still doesn't solve my problem. I need to show who is filling out the form, then when an approval is complete I need to email that person with the result. No matter the action everything is going to me, by me. I always show as the modifier each time a change is made in the approval process flow. What can I do?