Is it possible to have data pull from a SharePoint List and autofill into a Microsoft Teams Approval template?

Hi Nicolette,

Thank you for reaching out. My name is Furkaan, a user just like you. I’d be happy to help you with your concerns. While directly auto-filling a Teams Approval template from a SharePoint list isn't currently possible, there are a couple of workarounds to achieve a similar outcome:

Power Automate Workflow:

This method uses Microsoft Power Automate to create a workflow that triggers when a new item is added to your SharePoint list. The workflow can then extract the relevant data and pre-populate the corresponding fields in a new Teams Approval. Here's a breakdown:

The trigger: When a new item is created in your SharePoint list. The action: Create a new approval in Teams using the "Create an approval" action within Power Automate. Within the action, you can map the data points from the SharePoint list item to the corresponding fields in the Teams Approval template.

Pre-populated Links:

You can create a link to a pre-filled Teams Approval template with specific details. When a new item is added to the SharePoint list, include a hyperlink in a designated column that points to this pre-populated Teams Approval. Here's how to achieve this:

Create a Teams Approval template with some sample data in the required fields. Copy the link to this template. In your SharePoint list, add a new column for the hyperlink. Use Power Automate (or manual editing) to populate the hyperlink column with the pre-filled Teams Approval template link, dynamically inserting the relevant data points from the new SharePoint list item using dynamic values. This approach requires users to click the hyperlink and won't automatically populate the Teams Approval, but it streamlines the process by pre-filling most of the information.

Choosing the right method:

Power Automate offers more automation but requires some setup effort. Pre-populated links are simpler to set up but require manual action by the user.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below. Best Regards, Furkaan

Hi Nicolette,

You're right, the "Create an approval" action in Power Automate doesn't directly accept the Teams Approval template name. Here's how to work around this limitation:

1. Get the Teams Approval Template ID:

Open the Teams Approval template you want to use in Microsoft Teams. Click the three dots (...) next to the template name and select "Edit in Power Apps." (This might require appropriate permissions) In Power Apps, navigate to the "BrowseGallery1" control in the treeview on the left. In the properties panel on the right, locate the "Items" property. The value for "Items" will be a formula that includes the Teams Approval template ID. This ID will look something like "xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx". 2. Use the ID in Power Automate:

In your Power Automate flow, within the "Create an approval" action settings: For "Approval Type," choose "Enter custom value." Paste the Teams Approval Template ID you copied from Power Apps into the value field. Here's a breakdown of the steps:

Access the Template ID: Open the Teams Approval template in Teams and access its edit view in Power Apps. Locate the ID: Find the "BrowseGallery1" control and its "Items" property within the Power Apps edit view. The formula in the "Items" property contains the template ID. Use the ID in Power Automate: Paste the copied ID into the "Approval Type" field within the "Create an approval" action settings, choosing "Enter custom value." By following these steps, you can use the Teams Approval template ID within Power Automate to trigger the creation of approvals based on your chosen template.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below. Best Regards, Furkaan

I keep getting an error. It doesn't allow me to put in the Teams Template name in the Approval Type section. Is there a way you could walk me through this?

Thanks,

Nicolette

Hi Nicolette,

Glad I could help! Here's how to map data points from your SharePoint list to Teams Approval fields using the "Create an approval" action in Power Automate:

1. Add the "Create an approval" action:

In your existing Power Automate flow, after the trigger for the new SharePoint list item, add a new action. Search for "Create an approval" and select the action from Microsoft Teams. 2. Configure the "Create an approval" action:

Approval Type: Choose the Teams Approval template you want to use. Title: Enter the title for your approval. You can use dynamic content from your SharePoint list item here. Click "Show advanced options" to access dynamic content. Select the appropriate SharePoint list item field that corresponds to the title in your Teams Approval template. Details: This section allows you to pre-populate details within the Teams Approval body. You can use dynamic content here as well. Click "Add a row" to create multiple detail entries. In the "Key" field, enter the name of the field in your Teams Approval template (e.g., "Description"). In the "Value" field, click "Show advanced options" and select the corresponding field from your SharePoint list item. 3. Mapping additional fields:

The "Create an approval" action offers additional fields you can map dynamically: Assigned To: Assign the approval to a specific user by selecting the relevant SharePoint list item field containing the email address. Start Date & Due Date: Use dynamic content from date/time columns in your SharePoint list. 4. Save and Test:

Once you've mapped all the desired fields, save your Power Automate flow. Use the "Test" functionality within Power Automate to simulate a new SharePoint list item and verify that the data is being mapped correctly to the Teams Approval template.

If you have any additional questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Give back to the Community. Help the next person who has this issue by indicating if this reply solved your problem. Click Yes or No below. Best Regards, Furkaan

Hi Furkaan,

Thank you for your response. It was very helpful. How do I map data points from my SharePoint list items into the corresponding fields in the Teams Approval Template using the "Create an approval" action within Power Automate? I actually already had a flow set up for this, so the trigger was already in place, I just need the action.

Thanks,

Nicolette