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How to Filter Finished Rows in Power Automate Excel Get Row Action

Nimra Malik Oct 10, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a way to filter out rows marked as 'Finished' when retrieving data using the Power Automate Excel Get Row action.

How to Filter Finished Rows in Power Automate Excel Get Row Action

Product: Microsoft Power Automate / Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up a Power Automate flow to retrieve specific unfinished records from an Excel workbook where multiple rows may share the same key.
Observed behavior: The Excel Get Row action retrieves the first matching record and ignores any filters applied directly in the Excel workbook, resulting in finished rows being returned.

Before you start

Verify that your Excel table has a dedicated column for row status (e.g., 'Finished') and that the file is stored in a cloud location accessible by Power Automate, such as OneDrive or SharePoint.

Solution 1Recommended

Seek Assistance in the Microsoft Power Automate Community

Since native Excel filters are ignored by Power Automate, consulting the Microsoft Power Automate Community is the official recommendation for getting custom flow configurations.

Power Automate's 'Get a row' action fetches data by a unique key and does not support OData filter queries natively. For complex filtering, community experts often recommend alternative actions or custom queries.

Visit the Community Forum

Open your web browser and navigate to the Microsoft Power Automate Community's 'Building Flows' board at https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Building-Flows/bd-p/BuildingFlows.

Search for OData Filter Solutions

Use the forum's search function to look for topics like 'Filter Excel Get Row' or 'Exclude finished rows' to find previously answered queries.

Create a New Post

If you cannot find a solution, start a new thread. Describe your Excel table structure, the key column you are using, and specify that you need to exclude rows with a 'Finished' status.

Seek Assistance in the Microsoft Power Automate Community

Alternative Approach: Experts frequently suggest replacing the 'Get a row' action with 'List rows present in a table'. The List rows action allows you to use an OData Filter Query (e.g., Status ne 'Finished') to pull only the relevant unfinished records.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why doesn't Power Automate respect my Excel workbook filters?

Power Automate reads the raw data directly from the Excel table's backend. Any visual filters, hidden rows, or views applied in the Excel desktop or web application are ignored by Power Automate actions.

Can I use an OData filter in the Excel 'Get a row' action?

No, the 'Get a row' action in Power Automate requires a Key Column and Key Value and does not support OData filter queries. To use OData filters, you must use the 'List rows present in a table' action instead.

What happens if multiple rows share the same key in Get Row?

If there are duplicate keys in your Excel table, the 'Get a row' action will only return the very first matching record it encounters, which is why it might return a 'Finished' row instead of an active one.

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