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Fix Power Automate Treating Forwarded Emails as Responses

Maira Mehtab Sep 20, 2026 868 views

Question details

Users need to understand why forwarding an 'Email with Options' message in Power Automate triggers an unintended approval or rejection response, and how to resolve this issue.

Product: Microsoft Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: A colleague forwards an 'Email with Options' message as a reminder, inadvertently triggering a response in the flow.
Observed behavior: The Power Automate flow incorrectly records the forwarded email as an actual response, registering it as Approved or Rejected.

Before you start

Review your Power Automate flow run history to verify which user account triggered the unintended response and confirm if the original email was forwarded by the recipient.

Solution 1Recommended

Stop Forwarding 'Email with Options' Messages

The most straightforward workaround is to prevent users from forwarding the action emails, as the embedded actionable buttons remain tied to the flow.

When an 'Email with Options' message is forwarded, the actionable HTML buttons are retained. If the new recipient clicks a button, or if the email client's security scanner pre-fetches the links, Power Automate may register this as a genuine response from the original recipient.

Instruct users not to forward

Inform your team that clicking the 'Forward' button in Outlook for an 'Email with Options' message retains the active buttons and can disrupt workflow data.

Use manual reminders

Instruct users to click 'New Email' in Outlook to write a separate plain text reminder instead of forwarding the automated message.

Alternative Security: Consider applying an Information Rights Management (IRM) policy to disable the forward button on these specific emails.

Solution 2

Redesign the Flow for Automated Reminders

Modify your flow to automatically send reminder emails instead of relying on manual forwards from colleagues.

Solution 3

Consult Microsoft Support and Community Forums

Since this involves complex behavior with actionable messages, you may need expert troubleshooting to identify exactly how the response is being triggered.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Automate register a forwarded email as a response?

The 'Email with Options' action embeds actionable HTML buttons. When forwarded, the recipient's email client may interact with these embedded links, or the new recipient might click them, which Power Automate records as a valid response.

Can I use the Approvals connector instead of Email with Options?

Yes. Replacing 'Email with Options' with the built-in 'Start and wait for an approval' action provides a more secure way to handle requests, as it tracks the specific assigned user's identity and prevents unauthorized responses.

How do I stop users from forwarding emails in Office 365?

You can configure your flow or Exchange settings to send emails with a sensitivity label or Information Rights Management (IRM) policy that natively disables the 'Forward' button in the recipient's Outlook client.

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