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How to Use Microsoft Forms Emails as Power Automate Approvers

Steve K Sep 30, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to dynamically assign Power Automate approvals by extracting email addresses entered into a Microsoft Forms response.

How to Use Microsoft Forms Emails as Power Automate Approvers

Product: Power Automate
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Routing an automated approval request where the requestor must specify the approvers within a form due to varying reporting structures.
Observed behavior: Setting up a flow to capture the forms response, extract the email addresses, and assign the approval accurately.

Before you start

Ensure you have an active license for Power Automate and Microsoft Forms, and verify that your form contains a text field specifically designed to collect the approver's email address.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Dynamic Approval Flow Using Forms Responses

Build a flow that triggers upon form submission, extracts the email address, and dynamically uses it to assign an approval action.

This method involves passing the dynamic content from your Microsoft Forms response directly into the 'Assigned to' field of an Approval action in Power Automate.

Set up the Form Trigger

In Power Automate, create an Automated Cloud Flow. Choose the trigger 'When a new response is submitted' (Microsoft Forms) and select your specific form from the dropdown.

Retrieve Form Data

Add the action 'Get response details'. Select your form ID again, and map the 'Response Id' field using the Dynamic Content from the trigger.

Initialize the Approval

Add the action 'Start and wait for an approval'. Choose your preferred approval type, such as 'Approve/Reject - First to respond'.

Assign the Dynamic Approver

Click into the 'Assigned to' field. From the Dynamic Content menu, select the specific question from your form that captured the approver's email address.

Handle the Outcome

Add a 'Condition' block to check if the 'Outcome' is equal to 'Approve'. Add email notification actions in the 'If yes' and 'If no' branches to inform the requestor of the result.

Create a Dynamic Approval Flow Using Forms Responses

Tip: You can optionally add a 'Create item' action in SharePoint after the form is submitted to store the request details and track the approval status automatically.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I assign multiple approvers from a single Microsoft Form?

Yes. Ask the user to enter multiple email addresses separated by semicolons (;) in the form. Power Automate will recognize this string and assign the approval to all specified users in the 'Assigned to' field.

What happens if a user enters an invalid email address in the form?

The Power Automate flow will fail at the approval step because it cannot resolve the email. To prevent this, use Forms restrictions to require an email format, or add a condition in your flow to validate the email string before triggering the approval.

How can I log the form responses and approval history?

You can add SharePoint actions to your flow. Use 'Create item' immediately after getting the form response to log the request, and use 'Update item' after the 'Start and wait for an approval' action to record the final outcome and comments.

Where can I find complex Power Automate templates?

If you need advanced logic for reporting structures, the Microsoft Power Automate Community is a great resource. You can search for existing templates related to dynamic approvals and SharePoint list items.

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