SharePoint Document Issues

How to Automatically Populate SharePoint List Columns from User Profiles

John Wilson Oct 10, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs a method to auto-fill specific SharePoint list columns with data from a user's profile once a person is selected in a list item.

How to Automatically Populate SharePoint List Columns from User Profiles

Product: SharePoint Online
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Creating or modifying a SharePoint list item where selecting a username should automatically populate associated fields such as email or department.
Observed behavior: SharePoint does not automatically populate related list columns from a username selection by default, requiring a custom automation workflow.

Before you start

Ensure you have the necessary edit permissions for the target SharePoint list and that you have access to Microsoft Power Automate to build and test cloud flows.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Power Automate Flow to Fetch User Attributes

Since SharePoint lacks built-in auto-population for user attributes, creating an automated cloud flow using Power Automate is the recommended method to map profile data to list columns.

This solution relies on the Office 365 Users connector to retrieve the selected person's organizational details and updates the SharePoint item with those specific values.

Add a Person Column to Your List

Navigate to your SharePoint list, click 'Add column', select 'Person', and give it a clear name (e.g., 'Employee Name'). Ensure you also create the text columns for the data you want to populate, such as 'Department' or 'Email'.

Create an Automated Cloud Flow

Open Microsoft Power Automate, click 'Create', and choose 'Automated cloud flow'. Select the SharePoint trigger 'When an item is created or modified', and link it to your specific Site Address and List Name.

Retrieve the User Profile

Add a new action and search for 'Get user profile (V2)' under the Office 365 Users connector. In the 'User (UPN)' field, insert the dynamic content corresponding to the Email of the Person column from your trigger.

Update the SharePoint Item

Add an 'Update item' action for SharePoint. Provide the same Site Address and List Name, and map the 'ID' and 'Title' using dynamic content from the trigger. Then, map the specific fields (like Department) using the dynamic content retrieved from the 'Get user profile (V2)' action, and save your flow.

Create a Power Automate Flow to Fetch User Attributes

Connection Authorization: You will need active and authorized connections for both SharePoint and Office 365 Users within your Power Automate environment for the flow to execute successfully.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I populate SharePoint columns using calculated columns instead of Power Automate?

No. Calculated columns in SharePoint cannot directly reference fields from a 'Person or Group' column to extract nested attributes like Department or Phone Number. You must use Power Automate to retrieve and write this data.

Will the Power Automate flow update existing list items?

If you use the 'When an item is created or modified' trigger, the flow will run and update the user attributes anytime an existing item is edited and saved. It will not retroactively update all old items unless they are modified.

Why is the 'Get user profile' action failing in my flow?

This typically occurs if the email address or UPN passed to the action is blank or formatted incorrectly. Ensure you are passing the 'Email' dynamic content specifically from the selected Person column, rather than a display name.

Can I pull custom attributes from a user's Active Directory profile?

Yes, as long as the custom attributes are synchronized to Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and exposed through the Office 365 Users connector. You may need to use advanced properties or graph API queries if the attribute is not listed by default.

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