How to Automatically Update Excel Approval Dates Using Power Automate
Question details
The user wants to automatically record the approver's name, decision status, and approval timestamp into an Excel table when a PDF document is approved.
- Product
- Power Automate and Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Tracking online PDF document approvals across a team using a centralized Excel index or table.
- Observed behavior
- Requires a workflow setup that captures the outcome of an approval action and writes the exact approval date and status to the corresponding row in an Excel file.
Ensure that your Excel tracking file is saved in a supported cloud storage location (like OneDrive for Business or SharePoint) and that the data range is formatted as a Table (Ctrl + T) with a unique identifier column for each document.
Create a Power Automate Workflow to Update Excel Rows
Set up an automated approval workflow that triggers an update to your Excel tracker immediately upon a manager's decision.
Power Automate uses the 'Update a row' action to modify Excel files stored in the cloud. By mapping the dynamic content from the approval step to your Excel table headers, you can automate the entire tracking process.
In your Power Automate flow, add the 'Start and wait for an approval' action. Configure the approval type (e.g., 'Approve/Reject - First to respond'), enter the title, and assign it to the respective manager's email address.
Click 'New step' and add a 'Condition' control. Set the condition to check if the 'Outcome' (dynamic content from the approval step) is equal to 'Approve'.
In the 'If yes' branch, add the Excel Online 'Update a row' action. Select your Location, Document Library, File, and Table from the dropdown menus.
Select the unique 'Key Column' (such as Document ID) and provide the 'Key Value' to locate the correct row. In the Approval Date and Status fields, insert the 'Completion Date' and 'Outcome' dynamic content from the approval step.
Manage Your Approval Trackers Seamlessly with WPS Office
While Power Automate handles your cloud automation workflows, WPS Office is the perfect lightweight alternative for creating, editing, and managing your Excel tracking tables. Enjoy full compatibility with Microsoft Office formats without the heavy subscription fees.
- 1. Download and Install WPS Office: Get the free WPS Office suite from the official website and install it on your device.
- 2. Create your tracking table: Open WPS Spreadsheet, design your approval tracker, highlight the data, and format it as a Table.
- 3. Save to the cloud: Save your file as a standard .xlsx document to your OneDrive or SharePoint folder to link it with Power Automate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Power Automate failing to update my Excel row?
This usually happens if your Excel data is not formatted as an official Table. Ensure you have highlighted your data and pressed Ctrl + T to create a Table. Additionally, verify that the file is not currently locked or opened in the desktop app by another user during the workflow run.
Can I record multiple approvers in the same Excel cell?
Yes. In Power Automate, if you have multiple approvers, you can use the 'Apply to each' loop or a 'Join' data operation to combine multiple approver names and email addresses from the approval responses into a single comma-separated string before writing it to the Excel row.
How do I format the Power Automate timestamp differently in Excel?
You can use the formatDateTime expression directly in your Power Automate flow. For example, typing formatDateTime(triggerOutputs()?['body/completionDate'], 'MM/dd/yyyy') in the expression builder will ensure the date writes to your Excel table in a standard US date format.
Does WPS Office support the Excel tables required for Power Automate?
Yes, WPS Office fully supports creating, editing, and saving standard Excel Tables. Files saved as .xlsx with formatted Tables in WPS Office will work perfectly with Microsoft Power Automate workflows when stored in OneDrive or SharePoint.
