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How to Build a Complex Microsoft Forms Approval Flow in Power Automate

Nimra Malik Oct 15, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to construct a sophisticated approval workflow integrating Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, and SharePoint, specifically handling attachments and executing conditional routing based on approval outcomes.

How to Build a Complex Microsoft Forms Approval Flow in Power Automate

Product: Microsoft Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating document and data management for form submissions with conditional approval logic and file storage.
Observed behavior: Approved submissions need to be saved with specific SharePoint permissions, while denied submissions must be rejected without data storage or file sharing.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active Microsoft 365 subscription with access to Microsoft Forms, Power Automate, and SharePoint, and verify you have the necessary permissions to create cloud flows and SharePoint list items.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Conditional Approval Flow in Power Automate

Build a step-by-step workflow triggered by Microsoft Forms to handle approvals, attachments, and SharePoint permissions dynamically.

This solution connects your form directly to an approval process. It uses conditional branching to ensure that only approved requests consume SharePoint storage and trigger permission grants.

Set up the trigger

In Power Automate, select 'Create' and choose 'Automated cloud flow'. Select the 'When a new response is submitted' trigger and select your specific Microsoft Form from the dropdown menu.

Retrieve form data

Add the 'Get response details' action. Map the Form ID and Response ID dynamic content to fetch the user's answers, including any uploaded PDF attachments.

Initialize the approval process

Add the 'Start and wait for an approval' action. Choose an approval type (e.g., 'Approve/Reject - First to respond'), assign it to the relevant approver emails, and insert dynamic content from the form into the details field.

Add conditional logic

Insert a 'Condition' control. Set the parameters to evaluate if the 'Outcome' of the approval is equal to 'Approve'.

Configure the 'If yes' branch

In the 'If yes' section, add an action to 'Create item' in your target SharePoint list. Use standard SharePoint actions to save the PDF attachment to a Document Library and use 'Grant access to an item or a folder' to apply the required permissions.

Configure the 'If no' branch

In the 'If no' section, add a 'Send an email (V2)' action to notify the submitter that their request was denied. Leave out any SharePoint storage actions to ensure rejected data is not saved.

Create a Conditional Approval Flow in Power Automate

Handling Form Attachments: To correctly process attachments from Microsoft Forms, you may need to add a 'Parse JSON' action to format the attachment array before creating the file in SharePoint.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How do I extract PDF attachments from Microsoft Forms in Power Automate?

You can extract attachments by adding the 'Get response details' action, then using a 'Parse JSON' action on the attachment output to retrieve the file content and dynamically map it to the 'Create file' action in SharePoint.

Why is my Power Automate approval flow failing to save SharePoint list items?

This usually happens due to missing site permissions or incorrect dynamic content mapping. Ensure the account running the flow has Edit or Owner permissions on the target SharePoint list.

Can I conditionally route Microsoft Forms approvals to different managers?

Yes. Before the 'Start and wait for an approval' action, add a 'Condition' or 'Switch' control based on a specific form response (e.g., department name) to route the approval to the corresponding manager's email address.

Is there a limit to the number of attachments a Microsoft Form can accept?

Microsoft Forms allows respondents to upload up to 10 files per question, with a maximum file size limit of 1GB per file, depending on your organization's specific OneDrive or SharePoint storage settings.

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