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Fix Project Online Workflow Stuck Processing with Disabled Submit Button
Question details
The user needs to resolve an issue where a Project Online workflow stays stuck in a 'Processing' state and the Submit button is disabled after publishing.
- Product
- Project Online / SharePoint Designer 2013
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Publishing a newly created project with an associated SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow.
- Observed behavior
- The workflow validates successfully during creation, but hangs in the Processing state, and the Submit button remains grayed out or disabled.
Ensure you have full administrative or designer permissions for the Project Web App (PWA) site and verify that SharePoint Designer 2013 is fully updated.
Gather Diagnostic Data and Consult Microsoft Q&A
Because this is a specialized development issue, compiling configuration details and consulting SharePoint workflow specialists is the most effective approach.
Project Online workflow development involves deep integration with SharePoint Designer 2013. Standard user troubleshooting is often insufficient for hanging workflows.
Document your Enterprise Project Type (EPT) settings and the exact logical steps used to build the workflow in SharePoint Designer 2013.
Navigate to the workflow history list in your Project Web App to look for internal server errors, suspension flags, or stalled stages.
Review your Project Detail Pages (PDPs) to ensure no required custom fields are left blank, which can silently prevent submission.
Visit the Microsoft Q&A SharePoint Development section. Post your issue including the collected configurations, workflow history, and any correlation IDs.
Verify Enterprise Project Type and Project Detail Pages
Incorrect associations between your workflow, EPT, and PDPs can cause the workflow to hang.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Project Online workflow say 'Processing' indefinitely?
This usually occurs due to backend server communication issues, missing required field inputs on a Project Detail Page (PDP), or a logical loop/error within the SharePoint Designer 2013 workflow structure.
Why is the Submit button disabled in my Project Online workflow?
The Submit button generally remains disabled if the workflow hasn't finished its initiation phase, if mandatory fields on the PDP are incomplete, or if there is a permission issue preventing the user from advancing the workflow stage.
How do I find the correlation ID for a SharePoint workflow error?
If a workflow fails or suspends, you can usually find a correlation ID in the Workflow History list or by asking your SharePoint administrator to check the Unified Logging Service (ULS) logs in the SharePoint admin center.
Is SharePoint Designer 2013 still supported for Project Online?
SharePoint Designer 2013 is a legacy tool. While it is still used for classic Project Online workflows, Microsoft encourages users to migrate to Power Automate for modern workflow and enterprise automation needs.
