SharePoint Online - New or update list item

Use the SharePoint - New or update list item  start event An event that triggers a workflow to run when it occurs. An example is Box - New file, which triggers the workflow to run when a new file is uploaded to the specified folder. to start your workflow whenever a new item is added or an existing item is updated in a specified SharePoint Online list.

For more information about the SharePoint Online connector A software component that allows seamless integration with third-party services, business applications, and content stores. Examples include Salesforce, Box, and Microsoft SharePoint. Connectors are used to create connections required for workflow and agentflow actions and start events., see SharePoint Online.

Before you begin: 

Tip: 

  • If a workflow uses both a SharePoint - New or update list item start event and a SharePoint Online - Update items action A tool for building the processes, logic, and direction within workflows. Actions are the steps the workflow performs to complete a process. that references the same SharePoint Online list, we recommend that you add a condition to the SharePoint Online start event so that the workflow does not repeatedly start new instances of itself in an infinite loop. If you do not add a condition, the item updates from the workflow will subsequently start a new instance in reaction to the item update. For example, assume the credential used in the SharePoint Online connection for the SharePoint Online - Update items action is serviceaccount@contoso.com. Set the condition on the start event as 'Modified By (Username) does not equal (≠) serviceaccount@contoso.com'. This will allow the workflow to be started by any item update event except for updates the workflow itself has made.

Jump to:

Configure the SharePoint - New or update list item start event

  1. Open the Workflow designer. For more information, see Open the Workflow designer.

  2. If the Start event configuration panel does not automatically open, click Start event. For more information, see Start event configuration panel.

    Important: 

    If invalid variables are detected, a message is displayed at the top of the Start event configuration panel. It can be due to changes that have been made to the start event, such as:

    • The start event configuration may have been changed.

    • The start event may have been changed completely. For example, the start event connector changed to a new connector or changed from a connector to a Nintex event.

    • The source configured in the start event configuration may have been changed or deleted. For example, after a workflow is configured to start when a new item is added to a SharePoint list, a column in the SharePoint list is deleted or the list is deleted.

    If you see this message it is recommended that you update the variables. You can update the variables or delete them as required in the Variables panel.

    If there are invalid references they will be deleted when the workflow is published. Deleting variables may result in unconfigured actions and you will have to update the configuration of the impacted actions.

  3. In Start from, select SharePoint Online.

    Caution: After you have selected and configured your start event and you begin designing the workflow and using start event variables in any of your actions, you can no longer change Start from and Event.

    A warning message appears when one or more start event variables are referenced by actions within the workflow. The connector and event cannot be changed until the variables are no longer referenced within the workflow.

  4. In Event, select SharePoint - New or update list item.

    The Configuration section is displayed to configure the start event.

  5. Select a Connection. If you do not have a connection, see Add a connection.

    Caution: Changing the account for the connection, will cause the start event to not start. It will require you to create a new connection and then change the connection on the event.

    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.

  6. Type a SharePoint site URL and click Retrieve lists.

    All the lists in the specified site are displayed in the List name drop-down field.

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

  7. Select the List name that you want to monitor for this start event.

View start event variables

Start event variables A variable associated with the start event. Often referenced by actions in the workflow. For example, a start event variable might capture input in a form field. are automatically added to the workflow. They are passed as parameters in the HTTP call to start the workflow.

At the top of the Start event configuration panel, click Show variables. The list of start event variables is populated.

Alternatively, click Hide variables to hide them.

The start event variables are contained in an object called Start variable and include the following variables:

Note: These are the variables displayed for a list with the default columns available when you create a new list in SharePoint Online. If the list you select has additional columns there will be more start event variables displayed depending on the columns.

  • Site Context: (Object) that includes the following variables:
    • Site ID: (Text) The unique identifier of the site selected for the workflow.
    • Site URL: (Text) The URL of the site selected for the workflow.
    • Site Title: (Text) The title of the site selected for the workflow.
    • List ID: (Text) The unique identifier of the list selected for the workflow.
    • List URL: (Text) The URL of the list selected for the workflow.
    • List Name: (Text) The name of the list selected for the workflow.
  • Attachments: (Boolean) The attachments of the item that starts the workflow.
  • Compliance Asset Id: (Text) The unique identifier of the compliance asset of the item that starts the workflow.
  • Content Type ID: (Text) The unique identifier for the content type of the item that starts the workflow.
  • Created: (DateTime) The created date of the item that starts the workflow.
  • Created By (Display Name): (Text) The display name of the user that created the item that starts the workflow.
  • Created By (Email): (Text) The email of the user that created the item that starts the workflow.
  • Created By (ID): (Integer) The unique identifier of the user that created the item that starts the workflow.
  • Created By (Username): (Text) The username of the user that created the item that starts the workflow.
  • File Type: (Text) The type of the file of an the item in a document library that is updated to start the workflow.
  • GUID: (Text) The Global Unique Identifier of the monitored list item.
  • ID: (Integer) The unique identifier of the created item in the monitored SharePoint Online list
  • Item Attachments: (Collection) The attachment(s) included in the list item. IF there are attachments, the following variables will be returned:
    • Name: Name of the attachment file(s).
    • Url: Link to the attachment file(s)
  • Item URL: (Text) The link to the newly added item in the monitored SharePoint Online list.
  • Modified: (DateTime) The timestamp of the item being created or edited.
  • Modified By (Display Name): (Text) The display name configured for the user who modified or created the item in the monitored SharePoint Online list.
  • Modified By (Email): (Text) The email address of the user who modified or created the itemin the monitored SharePoint Online list.
  • Modified By (ID): (Integer) The unique id of the user who modified or created the item in the monitored SharePoint Online list.
  • Modified By (Username): (Text) The username of the user who modified or created the item in the monitored SharePoint Online list.
  • Title: (Text) The title provided for the new item created in the monitored SharePoint Online list.
  • Version: (Text) The version of the newly added item in the monitored SharePoint Online list

SharePoint - New list item start event fields and settings

Section Field Description
Start event Show variables

Displays variables that are available to use throughout the start event. Variables are classified based on how they are created or generated.

Selection

Description

Name Internal name to identify your variable within the workflow or start event.
Type

The data type of your variable.

You can assign only the variable type that a workflow or start event expects. For example, if you want to capture a Date entry in a form, then you must create a variable of the DateTime type.
Used in Indicates the number of workflow actions using the variable.
Delete Cancels adding the variable to the workflow. You cannot cancel the selection of start event variables that are used in any actions in the workflow.
  Hide variables Closes the Variables pane.
(unlabeled) Start from

The connector or Nintex event that starts the workflow.

To trigger the workflow when an event occurs in SharePoint Online, under CONNECTORS, select SharePoint Online.
  Event

The event that must occur in the selected connector to trigger the workflow.

Select SharePoint - New or update list item to trigger the workflow whenever a new item is added or an existing item is updated in a specified SharePoint Online list.

Configuration Connection Credentials and other settings that enables workflows to communicate with external systems, services, or applications. It's required to pass data between the workflow and the indicated service, which could be a cloud service, business application, or content store.

The connection to use for the start event.

To add a connection, select Add connection.

To refresh the available connections, click .
 

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
 

List name

The name of the SharePoint Online list that you want to monitor for this start event. When a new item is added or an existing item is updated in the selected list, the workflow will be started.