How to Remove or Update Duplicate SharePoint List Responses in Power Automate
Question details
The user wants to manage duplicate entries in a SharePoint or Microsoft List when a person submits a form multiple times on the same date.
- Product
- Microsoft Power Automate
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Processing form submissions and preventing or updating duplicate records in a list.
- Observed behavior
- Multiple form submissions by the same user on the same date create unwanted duplicate items in the SharePoint list instead of updating the existing record.
Ensure you have owner or edit permissions for the target SharePoint list and sufficient privileges to create or modify flows in Microsoft Power Automate.
Create a Check-and-Update Flow in Power Automate
Build an automated flow that retrieves existing items and applies logic to either update the existing record or delete it before adding the new response.
By using the 'Get items' action with an OData filter query, you can instruct Power Automate to search your SharePoint list for existing records matching the specific person and date. Based on the results, a condition can dictate whether to update the item or create a new one.
Create an automated cloud flow triggered by 'When a new response is submitted' (if using Microsoft Forms) or your specific list trigger event.
Add a 'Get items' SharePoint action. Configure the 'Filter Query' field to match the submitter's email and the submission date (e.g., Email eq 'trigger_email' and Date eq 'trigger_date').
Insert a 'Condition' control to check if the length of the returned items from the previous step is greater than 0.
In the 'If yes' branch, add an 'Update item' or 'Delete item' action using the ID from the 'Get items' step to manage the previous response.
In the 'If no' branch, add a 'Create item' action to save the new response, as no duplicate was found for that date.
Enhance Your Productivity with WPS Office
While Power Automate handles your complex SharePoint workflows, you still need a reliable suite for your everyday documents, spreadsheets, and presentations. WPS Office is a highly compatible, free, and lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office.
- 1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
- 2. Install the software: Run the installer and follow the quick on-screen instructions to set up WPS Office on your computer.
- 3. Open your documents: Launch WPS Office to immediately start creating or editing Word, Excel, or PowerPoint compatible files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Power Automate prevent a user from submitting a duplicate form entirely?
Power Automate runs after a form is submitted, so it cannot prevent the initial submission. However, you can configure your form settings (such as in Microsoft Forms) to limit responses to 'One response per person' to prevent duplicates at the source.
How do I filter existing SharePoint items by date in Power Automate?
You can use an OData filter query in the 'Get items' action. To match dates precisely, you often need to format the trigger date using the formatDateTime() expression to ensure it exactly matches the SharePoint list date format (usually yyyy-MM-dd).
Will deleting duplicate responses in SharePoint affect my original form data?
No. Deleting the item in the SharePoint list via Power Automate only removes it from that specific list. The original submission record will still exist in the source form's results, such as the Microsoft Forms Excel export.
