SharePoint - library - get item for approval and getting a 403 error

[Hayes3d]

I am attempting to create a workflow from a document library using the "Complete a custom action for the selected item" template and modifying it slightly to update a column in the list using the "update file properties" action. Even though the "For a selected item" is not an "item" but rather a "file", I cannot get it to work for me. I keep getting a 403 error when it performs the "Get item" action. But I thought all of this was odd because, it's for "item" and not "file". I tried to create my own flow from scratch, not from the list, chose the "For a selected item" and I cannot choose the document library *red flag*

Oddly enough, I asked someone else to run my custom action for me, it worked for them....ok, so maybe the problem is me? Even though I am the Site Collection admin, I created the list, I created the document, and I created the flow...but I get a 403 access denied?

But then I thought this was interesting...I chose the template "Request manager approval for a selected item" which uses the "For a selected file" option. I didn't change anything for the flow and it worked?

So next I tried to modify this flow for my needs, as I was going to do an approval workflow anyways which needs to be triggered by an end user. After it does the "Get item", I want to update a column on the list to show that the workflow is running. I do this, I try to run it...whoops, 403 error is back. I ask someone else to run it and it works for them.

So two issues:

1. I get a 403 while no one else does when they run these flows
   1. I did re-auth all of my connections and used the flow troubleshooting guide
2. This is really confusing with "Item" and "file", why can't they be the same? And if they are not, how is "For a selected item" and "Get item" working on a document library from a template, but if you create it from scratch it doesn't?

Thanks for any insight I can get on this!

GetItem workflow created from a list using the "Complete a custom action for the selected item" template:

https://us.flow.microsoft.com/manage/environments/Default-0c33cce8-883c-4ba5-b615-34a6e2b8ff38/flows...

[v-xida-msft]

Hi @Hayes3d,

For your first question, the 403 error is an authentication error, please update the connection which has the error to fix the authentication error. More details about Authentication error, please check the following article:

Authentication failure

In addition, please consider take a try to clear the cache of your browser and re-create your flow to check if the issue is solved.

For your second question, I have made a test on my side and don't have the issue that you mentioned. I create my flow with the "Request manager approval for a selected item" template and my flow works successfully as below:

If you want to run the above flow, you should select an item of your SharePoint list or Library and choose this flow from the Flow menu. More details about start a flow from an item of your SharePoint library or list, please check the following article:

Introducing Microsoft Flow integration for SharePoint Document Libraries

If you create the flow from scratch or create the flow with above template in Microsoft Flow directly rather than from the SharePoint list or library, the flow would not be shown up within Flow menu of SharePoint list or library:

Best regards,

Kris 

[Hayes3d]

Thanks for replying. As I stated in my message, I have already looked into this being a 403 error and have updated the connection multiple times. I have cleared the cache of my browser. I have used 3 different browsers as well: IE, Edge, and Chrome.

I was not clear in my first message that I modified the template, I can run it without modifying it just fine, no 403 errors.

1. Using the "Request manager approval for a selected item" template, then editing it using the "update file properties" causes it to fail with a 403 error for me. I think part of the problem here is that it is doing a "Get Item" which is for a list item, not for a document library file. If I try to use that action, I cannot select the ID of the file because this flow is mixing "Item" actions in a document library.
2. I understand how to create a flow from a library, that is not the problem I was trying to highlight. It is because this template is using "item" in a document library. You cannot use "For a selected item" or "Get item" in a document library when creating a flow from scratch, but your template somehow allows this to happen. If nothing else, this will confuse people as they try to create a flow and "copy" how a template looks and wonder why they can't select a document library or get the properties of a file.

[Pieter_Veenstra]

I think you are not requesting what you think you are. Can you put the identifiers that you use for get item and so in variables. Then in your flow run check what these values are. Are these correct?

Also in your flow runs you might see urls that look like rest api calls. What do these look like?

[Hayes3d]

@Pieter_Veenstra The issue for the identifiers was resolved as the connection for the first two actions was using the wrong credentials. But even after correcting that (deleting the workflow and starting over), I ensured with a Microsoft engineer that I am using the correct credentials and I am still getting a 403. He was able to reproduce the issue.