Lecture Notes: Power Automate Approvals with SharePoint

Introduction

• Power Automate is widely used for approvals, especially with SharePoint lists or libraries.
• Challenge: Users might edit or delete items under approval.
• Solution: Define item-level security for creators and approvers in approval workflows.

Setting Up the Approval Process

1. Create a New List
   • Use "Expense Tracker" list template.
   • Add columns:
     • Status (Choice): "New", "Approved", "Under Review", "Rejected" (default: New)
     • Approval Info (multi-line text): Enable append changes, set enhanced rich text to "yes".
2. Form Customization
   • Remove "Status" from user-editable fields to restrict changes through the workflow only.

Building the Approval Workflow

1. Automated Cloud Flow
   • Trigger: When an item is created in SharePoint.
   • Connect to SharePoint site, set list to "Expense Tracker".
   • Initial Steps:
     • Update item: Set status to "Under Review", log initiation details in "Approval Info".
2. Approval Action
   • Use "Start and wait for an approval" action.
   • Approval Type: "Everyone must approve".
   • Dynamic approvers using Azure AD group members.
   • Handle email addresses using "Select" and "Join" operations.
   • Condition check for approval results:
     • If approved, update status to "Approved".
     • If rejected, update status to "Rejected".
3. Logging Approval Details
   • Create HTML table from approval responses.
   • Style and store in "Approval Info".

Security Considerations

• Stop Inheriting Permissions:
  • Restrict members to "Contribute" access, not "Edit".
• Modify Flow for Security:
  • Break item permissions upon creation.
  • Grant specific users (creator and approvers) view permissions.

Handling Rejected Items

• Modify the flow to trigger on item creation or modification.
• Use trigger conditions to prevent loops:
  • Check if status is "New" or "Rejected".
  • Ensure creator is the modifier.
• Post-rejection, grant edit permissions to the creator for resubmission.

Process Flow

• Upon item creation:
  • Status is "New".
  • Changes to "Under Review" on approval start.
• Approvers act:
  • Decision changes status to "Approved" or "Rejected".
• If "Rejected":
  • Creator can modify and resubmit.

Conclusion

• Once approved, items are locked; approval details are logged.
• Allows dynamic and secure approval processes centered on SharePoint and Power Automate.

Call to Action

• Encouragement to like, comment, and subscribe for more content.

These notes encapsulate the workflow creation, security configurations, and handling of approval statuses using Power Automate with SharePoint lists.