Item created or modified trigger - multiple runs

[Grahambo05]

I have a simple workfow, when an item is created or modified in sharepoint list send approval email. Once the item has been approved, update the item status in the list to show approved. I believe the last step of updating the sharepoint list to change status to approve is causing the workflow to be ran multiple times for one instance.

I know a workaround is to create a condition if created by = modified by start worklow, if not do nothing. 

[v-monli-msft]

Hi @Grahambo05,

I'm not sure that I have understood your workaround, would you please explain it with a screenshot of the flow?

Did you mean that when you modify/create a new item, you will have multiple runs shown in Flow admin?

Regards,

Mona

[Grahambo05]

Yes, when you create / modify a new item, multiple runs will be created for the single new item.

Workflow description:

User submits form that goes to sharepoint list with the item status as pending approval

Approval email gets sent to two people, if they approve a confirmation email will be sent to the creator of list item

item status will then be updated to say "Approved"

This works fine for the sharepoint trigger "when an item is created", but if the trigger is "when an item is created or modified" the flow will run multiple times.

I am needing the ability if someone makes changes to the form that they are required to get reapproved.

[Bizzo]

I'm starting to avoid using the "modified" and "created" triggers. Instead I'm using a schedule (usually every 5 minutes, since that's the best I have available) and a flag (EmailSent, for example). In your case, you could have a flag IsApproved, and when the form is updated by the user, you can set the IsApproved flag back to 0/No. When the scheduled flow runs next, that record would be re-sent for approval.

Hopefully that helps!

[Grahambo05]

The sharepoint actions in my flow use my connection, making my account the modifier of the sharepoint action. As long as I don't create or modify my own sharepoint list item this temporary solution will work.

[nmehta]

I am facing the same issue.

It worked when my initial trigger was 'When an item is created' but it goes into a loop when I update my trigger to 'When an item is created or modified' and that is because at the end of the workflow when the request is approved, I update the SharePoint list and that triggers a new flow thinking that the list was modified.

Wish Microsoft had some kind of internal flag or check so that when an update is made via flow or the administrator to the list, it doesn't consider as the list being modified

[FlorinValea]

For some reason i created a flow for List new item/update item sends me 2 emails for approve this flow ? how i can fix this issue ?

[Anonymous]

This just seems to defeat the purpose of having the "item modified" trigger.  As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, there should just be a way to negate the automated item update event to avoid the recursion of the workflow.