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How to Prevent Duplicate Approvers in Power Automate Flows

Anum Mushtaq Oct 14, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs a method to prevent the same person from receiving multiple approval requests in a multi-tier Power Automate workflow.

How to Prevent Duplicate Approvers in Power Automate Flows

Product: Microsoft Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Setting up a two-tier approval process where the original submitter's manager may also be included in the second-tier approval group.
Observed behavior: Power Automate does not automatically detect and remove duplicate approvers across different tiers or groups, resulting in redundant approval notifications being sent to the same user.

Before you start

Ensure you have edit permissions for the Power Automate flow and that you know the exact dynamic content names used to retrieve the manager's email and the group members.

Solution 1Recommended

Filter the Approval Group Array to Exclude the Manager

Use a Filter Array action to dynamically compare and remove the manager's email address from the second-tier approval group before sending the request.

By comparing the manager's email address against the list of emails in the approval group, you can dynamically exclude them from the second tier, effectively preventing duplicate notifications.

Retrieve the Manager's Email

Add a 'Get manager' action to your flow to pull the submitter's manager profile and store their email address as a dynamic variable.

List Group Members

Add an action to list the members of your second-tier approval group (such as 'List group members' for an Office 365 Group).

Add a Filter Array Action

Insert a 'Filter array' action into the flow. Set the 'From' field to the output array of the group members.

Configure the Filter Condition

Set the condition to check if the group member's email 'is not equal to' the manager's email address. Use the 'toLower()' expression for both values to ensure a case-insensitive comparison.

Create the Approval

Use the output body of the 'Filter array' action as the 'Assigned to' recipient list for the subsequent approval action.

Filter the Approval Group Array to Exclude the Manager

Case Sensitivity Precaution: Email addresses in Power Automate can sometimes have inconsistent casing. Wrapping both email addresses in the toLower() expression during the comparison ensures high accuracy.

Solution 2

Consult the Power Automate Community for Complex Arrays

For highly complex flows involving nested groups or advanced unique array building, utilize the official Microsoft Power Automate Community.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Power Automate send duplicate approval requests to the same person?

Power Automate processes the recipient list exactly as provided. If an individual is listed as an independent approver (like a direct manager) and also belongs to an assigned group (like a department approval team), the system will send an approval request for each instance unless you explicitly filter out the duplicate.

Can I use the 'union' function to remove duplicate emails in Power Automate?

Yes, the union() expression can be used to combine two arrays and will automatically remove duplicate string values. This is a highly effective method if you are combining multiple individual approvers into a single unique array before passing it to the approval action.

How do I handle case-sensitive email comparisons when filtering approvers?

Use the toLower() expression within your flow's condition or 'Filter array' action. By wrapping both the manager's email and the group member's email in toLower(), you ensure that a reliable match is made regardless of how the addresses were originally capitalized in the directory.

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