How to Send an Email When SharePoint List Ownership Is Assigned
Question details
The user needs a way to automatically trigger and send an email notification when ownership of a task or issue is assigned within a SharePoint list.
- Product
- SharePoint
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Assigning ownership to a specific issue or task item within a SharePoint list tracking system.
- Observed behavior
- The native SharePoint list Advanced Settings page lacks an option to trigger email notifications upon the assignment of ownership.
Ensure you have the necessary Microsoft 365 permissions to access Power Automate and create flows linked to your target SharePoint list.
Create a Power Automate Flow to Send Notifications
Use Microsoft Power Automate to detect when a SharePoint list item is modified or created and send an automated email to the newly assigned owner.
Since modern SharePoint lists do not include a built-in alert for specific field updates like ownership assignment, Power Automate is the standard method to handle this logic. You can build a flow that listens for list item changes and triggers an email action conditionally.
Navigate to the Power Automate portal (make.powerautomate.com) and sign in using your Microsoft 365 credentials.
Click on 'Create' in the left menu, select 'Automated cloud flow', give your flow a descriptive name, and select 'When an item is created or modified' (SharePoint) as the trigger.
In the trigger settings, select your target Site Address and the specific List Name from the dropdown menus where the tasks or issues are tracked.
Click 'New step' and add a 'Condition'. Configure the logic to check if the 'Assigned To' or 'Owner' field contains data, or use trigger conditions to ensure the flow only fires when the assignment changes.
In the 'If yes' branch, add the 'Send an email (V2)' action. Click the 'To' field and use dynamic content to insert the assigned user's email address. Customize the Subject and Body with details from the SharePoint list item.
Click 'Save' at the top right. Go to your SharePoint list, create a new item or modify an existing one by assigning it to a user, and check if the email notification is successfully received.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send an email from a SharePoint list without using Power Automate?
Historically, users relied on native SharePoint Alerts or SharePoint Designer workflows. However, native alerts are generic and apply to all changes, not specifically ownership assignments. For conditional, customized email triggers in modern SharePoint, Power Automate is required.
Why aren't my Power Automate emails being delivered to the assigned user?
Double-check that the 'To' field in the 'Send an email (V2)' step is populated with the assigned user's dynamic email property, not their display name. Also, verify your flow run history to ensure the condition logic is evaluating to 'true' when a change is made.
Does this automated flow trigger every time any detail in the item is modified?
By default, the 'When an item is created or modified' trigger fires on any change. To restrict this so emails are only sent upon assignment, you should add a 'Get changes for an item or a file' step or use advanced Trigger Conditions in the flow's settings.
Do users need a special license to receive these automated emails?
No, the recipient of the email does not need a Power Automate license. Only the user who creates and maintains the workflow needs the appropriate Microsoft 365 licensing to utilize Power Automate.
