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Fix Power Automate Flow Losing Multiple Selections in SharePoint

Maira Mehtab Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where an approval flow overwrites a SharePoint multi-select choice column, leaving only a single value instead of the original multiple selections.

Product: Power Automate and SharePoint
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Updating an existing SharePoint list item using a Power Automate approval flow after data entry via a Power Apps form.
Observed behavior: The flow updates the item successfully, but the multi-select choice column loses its multiple selections and retains only one value.

Before you start

Before modifying your Power Automate flow, manually update a SharePoint list item to verify that the multi-select column itself is functioning correctly outside of the automated environment.

Solution 1Recommended

Isolate the Issue and Format Array Values for Multi-Select Columns

Determine if the issue stems from Power Apps or Power Automate by performing a manual test, then ensure your flow uses a proper array format to append multiple choice values.

SharePoint multi-select choice columns require incoming data to be formatted as an array of objects. When mapping data directly from a dynamic string, Power Automate may fail to parse the multiple values, resulting in data loss.

Perform a manual update test

Go directly to your SharePoint list and manually edit the item that has multiple selections. If the multi-select choices save correctly, the issue is isolated to your Power Automate flow rather than Power Apps or SharePoint.

Review the 'Update Item' action

Open your Power Automate flow in edit mode and locate the 'Update item' action that is triggered after the approval step.

Format choices as an array

Ensure you are passing the choices as an array variable. You may need to use a 'Select' action or 'Append to array variable' action to structure the choices correctly before passing them to the SharePoint update action.

Consult the Power Platform community

If formatting the data into an array does not resolve the issue, post your specific flow architecture and JSON payload in the Microsoft Power Platform Community for advanced assistance.

Array structure requirement: The array for a SharePoint choice column typically expects the format [{'Value': 'Choice 1'}, {'Value': 'Choice 2'}].

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my SharePoint choice column only show one value after a Power Automate update?

This usually occurs because Power Automate treats multi-select choice columns as arrays. If you map a string or a single dynamic value directly into the update field, it overwrites the array, resulting in only one choice being saved.

How do I pass multiple values to a SharePoint choice column in Power Automate?

You must construct an array containing objects with a 'Value' key for each choice. You can use the 'Select' data operation or initialize an Array variable to properly build this structure before passing it to the 'Update item' action.

Can Power Apps cause multi-select values to drop before reaching Power Automate?

Yes, if the Power Apps form is not configured to submit a table of selected items properly, it might pass only the first selected item to SharePoint. Testing data entry manually in SharePoint helps verify if the issue originates in Power Apps or Power Automate.

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