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How to Troubleshoot SharePoint 2016 Workflows Stuck in Progress

Camila Milosovich Sep 29, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue where SharePoint 2013 workflows hosted in SharePoint 2016 are failing to progress.

How to Troubleshoot SharePoint 2016 Workflows Stuck in Progress

Product: SharePoint 2016
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Executing a SharePoint 2013 platform workflow in a SharePoint 2016 environment, but the workflow fails to move forward.
Observed behavior: Workflows remain stuck in the 'In Progress' state. Diagnostic logs show empty Workflow Manager farm results and ULS connectivity warnings.

Before you start

Ensure you have Farm Administrator privileges and administrative access to the server where Workflow Manager is installed before running PowerShell diagnostics or modifying configuration settings.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Central Administration Services and Re-register Workflow Manager

Use this solution to confirm that the required SharePoint services are running and to re-establish the connection between SharePoint and Workflow Manager via PowerShell.

SharePoint 2013 workflows require an active and properly registered connection to the Workflow Manager. If the connection is broken, workflows will stall.

Verify Required Service Applications

Open SharePoint Central Administration. Navigate to 'Application Management' and select 'Manage service applications'. Ensure that the Workflow Service Application Proxy is listed and connected.

Check App Management and Site Subscription

In Central Administration, go to 'Manage services on server'. Confirm that both the 'App Management Service' and 'Microsoft SharePoint Foundation Subscription Settings Service' are started.

Re-register the Workflow Service

Open the SharePoint Management Shell as an administrator. Run the registration command: Register-SPWorkflowService -SPSite "https://your-site-collection" -WorkflowHostUri "https://WorkflowServer:12290" -ScopeName "SharePoint" (Replace the URLs with your actual environment details).

Verify Central Administration Services and Re-register Workflow Manager

Restart Stalled Workflows: After successfully re-registering the workflow service, you must terminate the existing stalled workflow instances and start new ones for them to process correctly.

Solution 2

Diagnose Workflow Manager Server Health

If SharePoint registration fails, the underlying Workflow Manager server itself may be unhealthy and require service restarts or farm repairs.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my SharePoint 2013 workflows get stuck on 'Starting' or 'In Progress'?

This generally happens when SharePoint loses its connection to the external Workflow Manager service. Common culprits include stopped Service Bus services, expired OAuth certificates, or missing DNS configurations.

What PowerShell command connects SharePoint to Workflow Manager?

You can establish or repair the connection by using the `Register-SPWorkflowService` cmdlet in the SharePoint Management Shell, providing your SPSite URL and WorkflowHostUri.

Do I absolutely need Workflow Manager for SharePoint 2016 workflows?

Yes, if you intend to use the SharePoint 2013 workflow platform. SharePoint 2016 does not have a built-in workflow engine for the 2013 platform and relies entirely on the separate Workflow Manager installation.

How can I check if my Workflow Manager farm is healthy?

On the server hosting Workflow Manager, open the Workflow Manager PowerShell console and run `Get-WFFarmStatus` and `Get-SBFarmStatus`. Both commands should list the node statuses as 'Running'.

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