Fix Power Automate Flow Not Retrieving Planner Task Information
Question details
The user needs to troubleshoot a Power Automate flow that reports success but returns an empty body or empty array instead of retrieving Planner task information for a SharePoint list update.
- Product
- Microsoft Power Automate and Microsoft Planner
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- A flow is designed to update a SharePoint list item when a Planner task is completed, but the run finishes without error and produces no usable task data.
- Observed behavior
- The flow completes without an error while returning an empty body or an empty array, so the SharePoint list item cannot be updated with the expected Planner task information.
Before changing the flow, open the Power Automate run history for the affected flow and note the exact trigger output, action inputs, and dynamic content that returned an empty body or empty array.
Check the Planner trigger and task ID mapping in Power Automate
Use this first when the flow completes without error but returns an empty Planner task body, because an incorrect trigger or missing task ID is the most common cause.
The Planner task completion trigger must output a task ID that later actions can use. If the trigger is configured for the wrong plan or the dynamic content is not selected, the flow can succeed without retrieving task details.
In Power Automate, go to My flows, select the flow that updates the SharePoint list, and open it in edit mode.
Select the Planner task completion trigger card, open Settings, and confirm that the correct plan and trigger condition are selected.
Select the action that retrieves Planner task details or updates SharePoint, expand the dynamic content picker, and confirm the Planner task ID is passed from the trigger instead of left blank or hard-coded.
Click Save, then use Test > Manually to run the flow and check whether the Planner task details action now returns a non-empty body.
Confirm the Planner task belongs to the expected plan and the SharePoint lookup matches
Use this if the trigger and task ID are correct but the flow still returns an empty array from the SharePoint lookup.
Use WPS Office as a Free Alternative for Everyday Document and Spreadsheet Workflows
WPS Office does not repair Power Automate flows, but it offers a free, lightweight alternative for creating and editing Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files with Microsoft Office format compatibility, a familiar ribbon interface, and seamless migration from Microsoft Office.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Go to the WPS Office download page and click Download WPS Office Free to install the suite on your device.
- 2. Open an existing Office document: Launch WPS Office, click Open, and select the Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file you want to edit.
- 3. Save in Microsoft format: Make your changes, click File > Save As, and choose .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx to keep Microsoft Office format compatibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Power Automate flow say it succeeded but return an empty Planner task body?
This usually means the trigger ran but the task ID was not passed into the Planner task details action or the trigger is watching the wrong plan. Open the flow in edit mode, select the Planner trigger, and verify the plan and dynamic task ID mapping.
How do I check which plan a Planner trigger is configured to watch?
In Power Automate, open the flow, select the Planner task completion trigger card, and view the plan field under trigger settings. Compare it with the plan where the task actually exists.
Why does my SharePoint lookup return an empty array after a Planner task is completed?
The lookup may not match the Planner task ID or title in the SharePoint list. Open the SharePoint list item and the flow action, then make sure the filter query references the exact trigger value.
Can WPS Office repair a broken Power Automate flow?
No, WPS Office does not manage Power Automate flows. However, WPS Office is a free Microsoft Office alternative for creating and editing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations with native format compatibility.
