Exclude an Approver if they are the Submitter (Requester)

[WK-PA2020]

Hi, 

Please note that I have a flow that has 4 approvers and usually one of them is requesting the form for approvers.  I want to exclude the requester from approving this form since his approval is inherited and no need to approver from his side.

I need this to be dynamically done. 

I am using "when the item is created", "initializing variables, then it will go for approvers "start and wait for approval (all must approve)".  I think the step of excluding the approver should come before the start and wait for approval (all must approve). 

I appreciate your help with this issue. 

Thanks. 

Waleed. 

[ScottShearer]

@WK-PA2020 

Please see my screen shots below.   I populate an array with the names of all approvers.  Then I loop through the array and compare the created by email to the array element.  Please note that Flow is case sensitive - be sure the enter the email addresses with that in mind or your condition won't work properly.

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

Shall I include all the emails in the initialize variable (all approvers) in the value place?

Please note that I already have an Initialize variable to get all responses!  (after when item is created).  Is this affecting your steps?

Thanks. 

[ScottShearer]

@WK-PA2020 

All approvers should be included in the array.  My loop adds approvers to the string variable only if they are not the creator of the item.

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

I put the emails in the value as: 

"wwwww@nnnnnnn.com",

"kkkkkkk@nnnnnnn.com"

I received the below message and the flow failed:

The variable 'VarApprovers' of type 'Array' cannot be initialized or updated with value '"         @           com"
" @     .com"' of type 'String'. The variable 'VarApprovers' only supports values of types 'Array'.

Thanks. 

Waleed

[WK-PA2020]

May I should include: 

]

[

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

I put 3 emails and one of them to the requester but it failed and gave the below message, but before a few minutes I tried 2 emails one of them for me and it is succeeded!

The variable 'VarApprovers' of type 'Array' cannot be initialized or updated with value '[
"         @      .com",
"         @              .com",
"         @    .com",
]' of type 'String'. The variable 'VarApprovers' only supports values of types 'Array'.

Thanks, 

Waleed

[ScottShearer]

@WK-PA2020 

I believe that removing the last comma in your array will resolve your issue.  The comma separates elements of the array and should not be included after the last element.

[WK-PA2020]

I amended the emails and removed ( , ) from the last email in the end and now it gives me the below message: 

"There's an error in your flow preventing the creation of Approvals. Use the link below to learn more about the errors with your flow and/or environment configuration."

And in the Start and wait for approval is giving the below message: 

BadRequest. The request failed. Error code: 'InvalidApprovalCreateRequestAssignedToNoValidUsers'. Error Message: 'Required field 'assignedTo' contained no valid users in the organization'.

Thanks.

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

When I remove the 3rd email it is working and the fill as follows: 

[
"            @       .com",
"            @       .com
]

[WK-PA2020]

I removed the comma (,) and now giving me another message:

There's an error in your flow preventing the creation of Approvals. Use the link below to learn more about the errors with your flow and/or environment configuration.

And in the Start and wait for approval is giving the below message: 

BadRequest. The request failed. Error code: 'InvalidApprovalCreateRequestAssignedToNoValidUsers'. Error Message: 'Required field 'assignedTo' contained no valid users in the organization'.

Thanks. 

[ScottShearer]

@WK-PA2020 

It sounds as though none of the approvers were added to your string.  Take a look at your run to verify.  Refer to my example above which works.

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

This is the solution as per PA but still, I cannot determine the solution. 

Thanks.  

[WK-PA2020 · Accepted solution]

Thanks Scott. 

It is working now, I re-arranged the emails!!

Once again thanks for your support.

Waleed

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

Is it ok to put 3 emails or more in the initialize Variables?  Actually I am doing 3 emails but it is giving the same message and error that the emails not found but when I try 2 of them it is working!!

Thanks. 

[ScottShearer]

@WK-PA2020 

You can add as many approvers as you would like.  Please post an updated screen shot of your Flow if you need help.

[WK-PA2020]

Hi Scott, 

I have 2 approvers in addition to me, for 3 of us it is not working and I am the requester!  In case I put my self and one of them it is working and correctly ignoring me as I am the requester and that means the error that the user is invalid and not found in the organization is wrong. 

I rearranged the emails in initialize Variables but without no hope but earlier it succeeded!

Really I do not know what is the problem. 

Thanks, 

[WK-PA2020]

Hi, 

Any help on this issue? 

Thanks, 

Waleed

[tzucker]

This is close to what I want to do, but I can't get it to work. (I only want to exclude myself for now - so the script does not have to determine the address dynamically.  I am the only approver and don't want to have to approve all of my own uploads.)

Excuse my newbie questions - this is the first time I am using power automate.  I have attached the flow below.  I am not sure what it means by the error at the top of the page:

The power flow's logic app flow template was invalid. Unable to process template language expressions for action 'Apply_to_each' at line '1' and column '1480': Expected an expression, but found string literal 'varApprovers' instead. 

I thought I copied this from the suggestions on this page.

[ScottShearer]

@tzucker 

In you Apply to each loop you have typed in varApprovers.  Rather than typing it in, you need to select varApprovers from Dynamic properties.