Update SharePoint Item - Fields left blank in the action are updating the item to empty values - Different behavior from last week

[Anonymous]

Hello,

When using the SharePoint Update Item action previously, leaving a field blank in the action would mean that the value would not be changed. Now it seems that any text field left blank is now updating the item to be blank. This does not appear to be happening with other fields, and I'd swear this was not the behavior a few days ago. There is a work around of writing the current contents of the field back to the field, but for Sharepoint lists with many columns this is very tedious. Also, if this behavior is going to be changed back, I would rather not take the time to update everything. Is any else experiencing this? Below is the peek code from the update item

{

"inputs": {

"host": {

"connection": {

"name": "@json(decodeBase64(triggerOutputs().headers['X-MS-APIM-Tokens']))['$connections']['shared_sharepointonline']['connectionId']"

}

},

"method": "patch",

"body": {

"Title": "",

"Employee_x0020_ID": "Update me",

"SSN": "",

"Phone": "",

"Req_x0020__x0023_": "",

"Contract": "",

"Position": "",

"Location": ""

},

[v-zhos-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

I have made a test on my side, it doesn't have the issue you have mentioned.

Before update:

After update:

 As the pic show, after the update, the 'Email' and 'Specialty Chair' fields still have value.

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _ Zhongys

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Anonymous]

Hello @v-zhos-msft ,

Do you have any recommendations for further troubleshooting or workarounds. This is not the behavior I'm experiencing on my end. I created a new flow with only two steps in case there some some other part of that was creating an issue and I'm still having the same problem. The only thing I could think of is that there were spaces entered into the fields, but I'd tripled checked that all the boxes are empty on the Update Item Action. I couldn't find a setting anywhere that controls if empty fields should mean no changes or should overwrite with blanks. Any assistance you may be able to provide would be greatly appreciated

Before Workflow

Test Flow

After Flow

[v-zhos-msft]

Hi @Anonymous ,

Does the issue still exist?

It is strange about that, I can't reproduce the issue on my side.

I can't figure the cause of the issue.

I will do more research about that.

Best Regards,

Community Support Team _ Zhongys

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.

[Anonymous · Accepted solution]

Hello,

I don't know how it got to this state but I discovered that it happens for any flow attached to a specific list. Creating a new flow for this list will have this issue, but creating a new flow on a new list does not. I also found a work around of filling in every field with gibberish in the flow, saving the flow, then removing the gibberish and saving the flow again. This stopped the update item from sending blanks when nothing is entered, but every time I create I a new "update item" block I have to perform this fix. 

I hope this helps track down the cause or anyone else that may be experiecing this issue.

[MarthaM]

Hi, I'm having a similar issue to this. 

I use flow to update my main sharepoint list with bulk data updates provided in spreadsheets. I create a sp list per spreadsheet and use a flow to transfer the data across. If I have say 200 rows to update of only 3 columns, and each row has a value in each column, then it's easy, and all is well. However, if I have say 10 columns to update and 100 rows have all 10 columns but 100 rows don't have data in one or more column, then that's where it gets tricky, as if there is already data in my main sp list, but I upload a blank, then the value in the main list is over-written to blank. 

Is there a way to say Update but skip if blank? 

[hawa]

I just discovered a better solution. Go to the "update item" that's having the issue, click the "..." menu and go to "peek code", it will show you which fields it's wiping out/overriding. So if any fields are listed in the body of the "peek code" that you don't want updated/wiped/cleared out, just exit the "peek code" view (click done) and clear them out in the "update item" box. After you've deleted/erased the fields you don't want updated, go back to the "peek code" view to verify that they're no longer listed. I found this a much easier solution than writing gibberish in every field, saving, then clearing it out, especially when you have a lot of fields!

ex of what to look for in "peek code":

{

    "inputs": {

        "host": {

            "connection": {

                "name": "@parameters('$connections')['shared_sharepointonline']['connectionId']"

            }

        },

        "method": "patch",

        "body": {

            "Title": "@triggerBody()?['Title']",

            "Current_x0020_Status": "Completed without Routing",

            "BR_x0020_First_x0020_Completed": "@{formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM/dd/yyyy')}"

[hawa]

I just discovered a better solution after getting frustrated with this same issue!! Go to the "update item" that's having the issue, click the "..." menu and go to "peek code", it will show you which fields it's wiping out/overriding. So if any fields are listed in the body of the "peek code" that you don't want updated/wiped/cleared out, just exit the "peek code" view (click done) and clear them out in the "update item" box. After you've deleted/erased the fields you don't want updated, go back to the "peek code" view to verify that they're no longer listed. I found this a much easier solution than writing gibberish in every field, saving, then clearing it out, especially when you have a lot of fields!

ex of what to look for in "peek code":

{

    "inputs": {

        "host": {

            "connection": {

                "name": "@parameters('$connections')['shared_sharepointonline']['connectionId']"

            }

        },

        "method": "patch",

        "body": {

            "Title": "@triggerBody()?['Title']",

            "Current_x0020_Status": "Completed without Routing",

            "BR_x0020_First_x0020_Completed": "@{formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'MM/dd/yyyy')}"

[meezkaz2]

Thank you hawa! So I just backspace on the field and they were gone from the peek code. Power Automate is so buggy 😞

[1leherna232]

this worked! thanks so much