How to Update SharePoint List Items Using Power Automate?

In my recent Power Automate project, I needed to update a SharePoint list item. After researching, I found that using the Update item action from the SharePoint connector in Power Automate allows you to automatically change specific fields, like updating a status, assigning a new owner, and more.

In this tutorial, I will explain how to update SharePoint columns using Power Automate. Also, I will cover how to update different types of columns, including Choice, Date, Person or Group, Text, and Lookup fields.

Update item action from SharePoint in Power Automate

The Update item action in Power Automate is used to change an existing item in a SharePoint list.

Once this action runs, the item in SharePoint will change according to the update value. It’s useful when we want to update records in your list automatically, like marking a task as complete or updating a ticket’s status based on flow conditions.

Power Automate Update item action accepts parameters:

• Site Address: The URL of the SharePoint site where your list is located.
• List Name: The name of the SharePoint list containing the item you want to update.
• ID: The unique ID of the item you’re updating. This tells Power Automate which specific item in the list to modify.
• Advanced parameters: Any other fields in your list that you want to update. This could include columns like Status, Due Date, Assigned To, etc.

Each parameter helps Power Automate locate and update the correct item in the list with the values we provide.

Update SharePoint Choice Columns in Power Automate

Now, I will show you how to update the SharePoint Choice Column using Power Automate.

For this example, I created a SharePoint List called Project Tracker with the below columns:

Here, the default value of the Status column is set to “New.” However, I want it to automatically change to “In Progress” after creating any new item. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Create an automated cloud flow. Give the flow name and select the trigger When an item is created. Also, provide the Site Address and List Name.

2. Now, to update the choice column, add SharePoint Update item action and provide below parameters:

• Site Address: Select a specific SharePoint site from drop-down.
• List Name: Choose a particular list.
• Id: Select Id from dynamic content under When an item is created.

Then, click Show all to display the advanced parameters.

• Status Value: Select the value as In Progress from the drop-down menu.

Now save the flow and add an item into the sharepoint list.

After the flow runs successfully, go to the sharepoint list, and you can see the status column value change as in In Progress.

Update SharePoint Date Field to Today’s Date using Power Automate

Suppose your organization uses the Project Tracker SharePoint list to monitor ongoing Power Platform projects. One requirement is that when a project’s Status is updated to “Completed,” the End Date should automatically be set to today’s date, capturing the actual completion date.

Now follow the below steps to do this:

Create an automated cloud flow. Give the flow name and select the trigger When an item is created or modified. Also, provide the Site Address and List Name.

Now, we will add the Condition action to check whether the Status is Completed or not.

In this Condition action, select the status value (from When an item is created or modified action) value equal to Completed.

Next, add the update item action under the True condition and provide the below parameters:

• Site Address: Select a specific SharePoint site from drop-down.
• List Name: Choose a particular list.
• Id: Select Id from dynamic content under when an item is created or modified.

Then, click Show all to display the advanced parameters.

• End date: Add the value as utcNow() from the expression.

Now, save the flow. I have an item with a blank End Date and a Status value of In Progress in the SharePoint list. Now, I will update the Status value to Completed.

After the flow runs successfully, go to the SharePoint list, and you’ll see the End Date column updated with two dates.

How to Update the SharePoint Person column using Power Automate?

Let’s use the Project Tracker SharePoint list from our previous example. Suppose you need to update the Project Manager (Person or Group column) to a new person after the project’s status is updated to “In Progress.”

For this example, I added another item into the sharepoint list whose status value is Started, and the project manager is Lidia Holloway. When I update the status value to In Progress, I want the project manager to be Patti Fernandez.

To do this, follow the below steps:

1. Create an automated cloud flow. Give the flow name and select the trigger When an item is created or modified. Also, provide the Site Address and List Name.

2. Now, I will add the Condition action to check whether the Status is In Progress or not. Then select the status value (from the When an item is created or modified action) equal to In Progress.

3. Next, add the update item action under the True condition and provide the below parameters:

• Site Address: Select a specific SharePoint site from drop-down.
• List Name: Choose a particular list.
• Id: Select Id from dynamic content under when an item is created or modified.

Then, click Show all to display the advanced parameters.

Project Manager Claims: Add the value as Patti Fernandez.

Now, save the flow and change the Status value to In Progress. After the flow runs successfully, check that the Project Manager’s name has been updated from Lidia Holloway to Patti Fernandez.

How to Update a SharePoint Person Column with Multiple Values in Power Automate?

Let’s extend the Project Tracker example. Suppose a project requires multiple managers to be assigned to the Project Manager column. When the project’s Priority is set to “High,” we want to assign multiple managers.

We must enable the Allow multiple selections option in the Project Manager column to do this.

1. Create an automated cloud flow. Give the flow name and select the trigger When an item is created or modified. Also, provide the Site Address and List Name.

2. Add the Condition action and select the Priority value (from the When an item is created or modified action) equal to High.

3. Next, add the update item action under the True condition and provide the below parameters:

• Site Address: Select a specific SharePoint site from drop-down.
• List Name: Choose a particular list.
• Id: Select Id from dynamic content under when an item is created or modified.

Then, click Show all to display the advanced parameters.

• Project Manager: Add the value as Patti Fernandez and Lidia Holloway.

Set multiple users by clicking on +Add new item.

Now, save the flow and add an item. Set the Priority value to High and leave the Project Manager field blank.

Once the flow runs successfully, go to the SharePoint list, and you’ll see that the Multiple Person column has been updated.

How to Update a SharePoint Single line of text/Multiple lines of text column in Power Automate?

Using our Project Tracker example, let’s say you want to update the Description column (a multiple-line text field) to add a timestamp whenever the project’s status changes to In Progress.

Create an automated cloud flow, give the flow name, and select the trigger When an item is created or modified. Add the Condition action and select the Status value (from the When an item is created or modified action) equal to In Progress.

Next, add the Compose action under the True condition and provide the below expression:

concat('Project moved to In Progress on', utcNow() )

Then, add the update item action and provide the Site Address, List Name, and Id. Then select the description from Advanced parameters and provide the below expression:

concat(triggerBody()?['Description'],outputs('Compose'))

Save the flow, then go to the SharePoint list and change the Status of any item to In Progress.

Once the flow runs successfully, go to the SharePoint list and check the description.

In the same way, you can change a single line of text column in Power Automate.

How to Update the SharePoint List Lookup Field in Power Automate?

I created two Sharepoint lists for this example: Departments List and Employee Directory.

Departments List: Contains information about each department with columns like:

Employee Directory: A list for storing employee information with columns:

In this example, I want to update the Department lookup field in the Employee Directory based on the Department Code provided by the employee.

Now follow the below steps:

Create an automated cloud flow. When an item is created, trigger for the Employee Directory list.

Add a Switch control flow action. Provide the below parameter:

• On: provide below expression:

int(triggerBody()?['Department Code'])

Click + Add case to add the first switch case. Manually enter the value 1 inside the parameter.

Then, add the update item action and provide the Site Address, List Name, and Id. Then select the Department Id as Software Development because 1 is the Department code for Software Development.

In the same way, add three cases for Department codes 2, 3, and 4.

Now save the flow, go to the SharePoint list Employee Directory, and add an item that does not need to be given to the department.

After the flow runs successfully, go to the SharePoint list, and you can see the department value is present.

How to Update SharePoint List Number Column in Power Automate?

Imagine you’re managing a SharePoint list called “Employee Expenses,” where you track each employee’s monthly expenses. The list has the below columns:

• Employee Name (Title column, Single line of text)
• Monthly Expenses (Number column) – This column stores the total expenses for the month.
• Additional Allowance (Currency column) – This column stores any extra allowance provided to the employee.

I want to use Power Automate to calculate a new total based on the expenses and allowance and then update the Monthly Expenses column in the list.

Now follow the below steps:

Create an automated cloud flow, give the flow name, and select the trigger When an item is created.

Add a compose action and provide the below expression:

add(triggerBody()?['MonthlyExpenses'],triggerBody()?['AdditionalAllowance'])

Then, add the Update item action. Provide the Site Address, List Name, and ID. In the advanced parameters, select the Monthly Expenses column and set it to the dynamic content output from the Compose action.

Now save the flow and add an item to the SharePoint list Employee Expenses.

After the flow runs successfully, you will see the updated total based on the Monthly Expenses and Additional Allowance, with the Monthly Expenses column updated accordingly.

This way, you can update the SharePoint number and currency columns using Power Automate.

In this tutorial, I covered how to update various types of columns in a SharePoint list using Power Automate, focusing on practical scenarios. We started with the basics of the Update item action.

Then we explored updating Choice columns, Date fields, Person or Group columns (including handling multiple values), Single line of text and Multiple lines of text fields with a timestamp, and finally, Lookup fields.

You may like the following Power Automate tutorials:

• Reassign An Approval Using Power Automate
• formatDateTime() Function in Power Automate
• Update SharePoint Multiselect Column in Power Automate
• Send Approval to a Microsoft 365 Group in Power Automate
• Update SharePoint list item only one field using Power Automate
• Update a SharePoint List Item from another SharePoint List Using Power Automate

Bijay Kumar

After working for more than 18 years in Microsoft technologies like SharePoint, Microsoft 365, and Power Platform (Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI), I thought will share my SharePoint expertise knowledge with the world. Our audiences are from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, etc. For my expertise knowledge and SharePoint tutorials, Microsoft has been awarded a Microsoft SharePoint MVP (12 times). I have also worked in companies like HP, TCS, KPIT, etc.