SharePoint list with more than 12 look up

[PRAVEENZNMD]

Hello Team,

I have to redesign SharePoint form using power apps an my existing list has more than 12 look up columns which can't be replaced.

If we change value of source look up column then it will automatically update in all referenced lists by default,

However this will not work if I changes lookup to single line of text for accessing in power apps. 

Please share your thoughts

[Pstork1]

I've had this problem before.  The way we handled it then was to use a Power Automate Flow to access the data for the Power App.  The flow can restrict the columns retrieved in a Get Items using a SharePoint View, so you can limit how many lookup columns you are working with at a time.  The only real issue is that it requires a Premium license because the only way to return a data set of results as JSON from a flow is by using the HTTP response action.

[BCBuizer]

If you stop using Sharepoint as your front-end, there's no need to have lookup columns. You can just use save the keys as numbers or text instead of lookups. However, in reality you can also build PowerApps using lookup columns, but it just makes life a little more complicated.

This is the first video of a series that explains the use of sharepoint as a back-end with related lists:

Power Apps: Planning SharePoint Lists Relationships - YouTube

Hope this helps!

[PRAVEENZNMD]

Hello @Pstork1 ,

Thank you for your reply. Can you please provide more information. I am trying to customize my SharePoint list form and getting threshold issue. How can I restrict number of look up column via power automate in my SharePoint custom form in Power Apps

[Pstork1]

You have to convert the Power App over to work off a local collection of data that you retrieve using a flow.  Power Automate is then used to also save changes from the collection back to SharePoint.  There is a field in the Get items action in Power Automate that lets you restrict the fields you retrieve by specifying a SharePoint view.  Then you return the values to Power Apps using the HTTP response action and store them in a collection.  Your app then works with the collection.

[Anonymous]

Hi @Pstork1 I am currently running into the same issue. I understand what you are saying about filtering the data that are coming from the Sharepoint list and sending them into a collection in PowerApps, But since I am leveraging a Form control I would like to "SubmitForm" or in any case make modifications and edit the data back to that Sharepoint record, and that is the part I don't understand how or if that will be actually possible.
Thank you in advance.

[Pstork1]

If your list has more than 12 lookups you aren't going to be able to use SubmitForm.  You can do a form, but instead of a Submit you'll need to send the changed record back to a Power automate flow to update the record in SharePoint.  You can't work directly with the data source from Power Apps because the SharePoint has too many lookup columns.  You need to do both the get and update of the records using Power Apps.

[Anonymous]

Yeah makes a lot of sense. I am still not sure how I will update the record by sending it to a Flow. Sounds like a lot of flows and steps involved for something that simple. I will instead probably try to break down my list like a normal database and reduce the number of LookUp fields by placing that information in another "reference" list.
Thank you for your immediate response.

[Pstork1]

Two things.

1) You can easily send a record of data to a Flow using the JSON() function.  Then the flow can Parse that JSON and get the individual values which can then be used to update the ListItem based on the ID.  its not very difficult.  You can even do it for a full collection of data.

2) The problem with breaking the SharePoint list down into multiple reference lists is that this is usually done using Lookup columns, which is the problem here to begin with. 

[jkb6011]

I would love some resources on this idea. Any blogs or youtube videos in reference to this that you know of?