SharePoint Online - Wait for event in list item

Use the SharePoint Online - Wait for event in list item action A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows. to pause a workflow until a selected event occurs in the specified SharePoint Online list. The workflow pauses and resumes only when the event occurs. You can add conditions to specify a particular item or field that has to be updated or added for the workflow to resume.

Before you start 

SharePoint Online is a cloud-based service hosted by Microsoft that helps organizations share and manage content, knowledge, and applications. You can create sites to share documents and information with colleagues, partners, and customers. For more information, see Introduction to SharePoint Online.

A SharePoint site is a website that contains different SharePoint components such as Lists, Document Libraries, Calendars, and Task Lists. SharePoint sites can have one or more pages to display content to users.

A SharePoint site collection is a collection of SharePoint sites. Each site collection contains a single top-level site and subsites below it.

A SharePoint list is used to store a collection of data and organize information. Add columns for different types of data, such as text, currency, or multiple choice. You can sort, group, format, and filter lists that can include people, links, pictures, dates, and more.

A document library is used to store files that teams can work on together. The default SharePoint Online site and any new sites that you create include a document library, and you can create additional document libraries. For example, you can use a document library on a site in SharePoint Online to store all files related to a specific project.

A document set organizes multiple related documents into a single view where they can be worked on and managed as a single entity. You can create a document set involving different file formats (for example, Word documents, OneNote notebooks, PowerPoint presentations, Visio diagrams, Excel workbooks, and so on). When a document set content type is added to a library, users can create new instances of the document set in the same way that they create a single document. For more information, see Introduction to Document Sets.

Variables allow you to store and manipulate data and files in your workflows. They can be created by start events, forms, tasks, workflow actions, or automatically created when a workflow is run. For more information, see Variables.

You can start a workflow whenever a new or updated file is detected (example: Box - New file), upload files on start or at any point in the workflow, generate documents from tagged templates, send and receive files via email, and manipulate files. You can set up file handling in your workflow start event The connector and event for triggering the workflow to run, including required configuration. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder. and actions A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows..

Note: Your tenancy's default file storage location must be configured to hold files for later reference by the workflow. This location is used for uploaded files and for files stored as output from actions.

  • Generate documents from tagged templates using Generate document
  • Send and receive files via email; for example, see Assign a task
  • Manipulate files in services (see Connectors): 

  • For example, store any email attachments received by the task assignee.

    1. On the Designer canvas, click the action you want to configure.

    2. Find the output field for storing the file or set of files.

      For example, to store attachments received in task assignee email replies when they may attach multiple files, use the Assign a task Multiple file attachments option for the Store output field.

    3. In the output field, select a variable or specify a file path: 

      • Select a variable. For outputs storing multiple files, select a collection variable. For outputs storing a single file, select a file variable.

      • Specify a file path. You can use any combination of text and variables, beginning with the root folder. If available, use the folder browse icon on the right of the path field to navigate to the folder and any subfolders that you want, and then edit the path as desired to include variables and different text.

      The availability of variable or path options for storing files varies by action. For more information, see Connectors and Workflow actions.

  • For example, reference the new Box file that started the workflow to attach it to a task email notification or reference an image received by the task assignee to generate an invoice document.

    1. On the Designer canvas, click the action you want to configure.
    2. Find the field where you want to reference the stored file select a variable or specify a file path:

      • Select the file variable associated with the stored file. For example, select the variable for the new Box file that started the workflow or select the variable storing Multiple file attachments output from a task action.

      • Specify the file path where the file is stored. You can use any combination of text and variables, beginning with the root folder. If available, use the folder browse icon on the right of the path field to navigate to the folder and any subfolders that you want, and then edit the path as desired to include variables and different text.

        Both a file variable and a file path are used in the example image below for the Dropbox Business - Copy a file action. A file variable is selected for Source and a file path is specified for Destination.

        The variables "CountryVariable" and "Program" insert the values into the file path as determined by earlier workflow logic (in this case, fields in a submitted form). For example, if the person submitting the form selects Australia for country and specifies Inspire2017 for program, then the resulting file path is "/SpecialProgramNDAs/Australia/Inspire2017NDA.docx."

Configure the SharePoint Online - Wait for event in list item action

The steps required to configure the action are given below. The SharePoint Online - Wait for event in list item action fields and settings table describes all the required and optional configuration fields.

    1. Find the action in the SharePoint Online action group in the action toolbox.

      2. or

      Type the action name in the Search field at the top of the action toolbar.

    1. Drag the SharePoint Online -Wait for event in list item action onto the designer canvas.
    2. Click the action to open the configuration.
  2. Select the Event that has to happen for the workflow to resume.
  3. Select a SharePoint Online Connection.

    Note: Only the connections created with the List and libraries authentication method are available in the drop-down. For more information about authentication methods for SharePoint Online connections, see Authentication methods for SharePoint Online connections.

    1. In the Connection drop-down list, select Add connection.

    2. Type a Connection name.
    3. Type the SharePoint Online tenant URL.
    4. Click Connect.

      5. The entered URL is validated for uniqueness. If credentials are not stored in the browser for the selected connector service, then you are prompted for credentials. If credentials are stored you are prompted to select an account to use.

    5. Select an account.
    1. In the Connection permissions window, complete one of the following tasks:
      • Add Owners and Users and click Save permissions.
      • Click Cancel if you don't want to assign other owners or users.

  4. Type a SharePoint site URL.

    Example:https://domain.sharepoint.com/sites/hr

  5. Click Retrieve lists to retrieve the lists from the SharePoint site.

  6. Select the List name.

SharePoint Online - Wait for event in list item action fields and settings

Section

 Field Description Variable types
(unlabeled) Event

The event that should occur in the specified list for the workflow to resume. Select from one of these options:

  • New list item: The workflow pauses and waits until a new item is added to the list. The workflow resumes only when this event occurs.

  • Update list item: The workflow pauses and waits until an item in the list is updated. The workflow resumes only when this event occurs.

  • Update or new list item: The workflow pauses and waits until a new item is added to the list or an existing item in the list is updated. The workflow resumes only when one of these events occur.

 Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
(unlabeled)

Connection Credentials and other settings required to pass data between the workflow and the indicated service, which could be a cloud service, business application, or content store.

The SharePoint Online connection for the SharePoint Online site that you want to access.

To refresh the available connections , click .

 (n/a)
List item

SharePoint site URL

The URL of the SharePoint Online site that has the list or document library you want to use.

To retrieve the lists for the SharePoint site URL, type the SharePoint site URL and click Retrieve lists.

Example: https://domain.sharepoint.com/sites/hr

Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
 

List name

The list that the event should happen in for the workflow to resume.

The values in the drop-down list is limited to lists and document libraries within the site specified in the SharePoint site URL field.

Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
Conditions Add conditions/Edit conditions

Add conditions if you want to specify which item in the list has to be updated or added for the workflow to resume.

Displays the Condition builder to define new conditions or edit existing conditions.

  • Add conditions: Displayed when there are no existing conditions specified for the action.

  • Edit conditions: Displayed when there are existing conditions set for the action. You can edit the conditions.

The Condition builder supports nested conditions, enabling you to create conditions within another condition.

(n/a)
Condition builder When

Displays the items from the Column field of the selected list.

Note: 

The following columns are not supported in the Condition builder:

  • Calculated

  • Hyperlink

  • Managed Metadata

  • Multiple lines of text

 Text, Decimal, Integer, Boolean, DateTime, Collection
  Operator

How the item from the When drop-down and Value are compared. Select from the drop-down.

The operators available in the drop-down depend on the data type of the item selected from the When drop-down.

 (n/a)
  Value

The value you are expecting in the column (field) specified for When.

The data type of Value must match the data type of the item selected in the When drop-down.

 (varies)
  Add

Adds a new condition. When adding a new condition you have to select the level of the condition.

Select Nested condition to nest the new condition within the condition above it.

(n/a)
  And/Or

The connecting operator to use for the conditions. If you select:

And: The workflow resumes when the item that is added matches all the conditions.

Or: The workflow resumes when the item that is added matches any one of the conditions.

 (n/a)
  Edit

Displays the following options menu for a condition. The following options are available:

  • Promote: Promotes the condition to a higher level. Promote option is shown if the condition is nested within another condition and allows you to move it to a higher level.

  • Demote: Demotes the condition to a lowel level. If you demote a condition it is moved to a lower level making it nested within the condition immediately above it.

  • Delete: Deletes the selected condition.

 (n/a)
Output Result

Stores the result of the action as an object with multiple variables.

Object