Power Automate is a powerful automation tool, but like any platform, it comes with its own set of challenges. Understanding common errors and how to troubleshoot them can save you hours of frustration.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
The most common Power Automate errors
How to troubleshoot and fix each issue
Best practices for error handling
1. Authentication and Connection Issues
Error: “Invalid Connection” or “Authentication Failed”
Cause: Expired credentials, missing permissions, or API changes.
Fix:
✔️ Go to Power Automate > Data > Connections and check if the connection is still valid.
✔️ If expired, re-authenticate by clicking “Fix connection.”
✔️ Ensure the connected account has the correct permissions for the service.
✔️ For APIs, verify that API keys, OAuth tokens, or credentials are updated.
2. Action Failed Due to Data Type Mismatch
Error: “The input is of type ‘String’ but expected ‘Integer'”
Cause: The flow is trying to use the wrong data type (e.g., text instead of a number).
Fix:
✔️ Use “Format Number” action to convert text to a number.
✔️ Apply “Convert Time Zone” to standardize date formats.
✔️ For JSON responses, use “Parse JSON” to extract and format data correctly.
✔️ Use “Coalesce()” function to handle null values and set a default.
Example Fix:
int('123') → Converts "123" (text) into 123 (integer)
float('12.5') → Converts "12.5" (text) into 12.5 (decimal)
3. Flow Runs in an Infinite Loop
Error: The flow keeps triggering itself repeatedly.
Cause: The flow is set to trigger when a record is updated, but the update is caused by the flow itself.
Fix:
✔️ Add a “Trigger Condition” to prevent the flow from triggering unnecessarily.
✔️ Use “Concurrency Control” to limit the number of simultaneous runs.
✔️ Store the last updated timestamp and check if the update is legitimate before proceeding.
Example Trigger Condition to Avoid Infinite Loops:
@equals(triggerOutputs()?['body/ModifiedBy'], 'System Account')
This prevents the flow from running if the modification was made by Power Automate itself.
4. API Call Failed (429, 403, or 500 Errors)
Error: “429 Too Many Requests” / “403 Forbidden” / “500 Internal Server Error”
Cause: API rate limits, authentication issues, or server-side errors.
Fix:
✔️ 429 Error (Rate Limit Exceeded)
- Add a “Delay” action to slow down API requests.
- Use batch processing instead of calling APIs in a loop.
✔️ 403 Error (Forbidden)
- Ensure the account has API access permissions.
- Check if the API requires special headers or tokens.
✔️ 500 Error (Server Issue)
- If the API is unreliable, wrap the action in a “Retry Policy”.
- Use “Scope” to handle failed API calls gracefully.
Example Retry Policy:
{
"type": "exponential",
"intervalInMilliseconds": 5000,
"maxRetryCount": 3
}
This retries the API request up to 3 times with a 5-second delay between attempts.
5. Power Automate Timeout Issues
Error: “The action timed out after waiting for X seconds”
Cause: An external service is taking too long to respond, or the flow is processing too much data at once.
Fix:
✔️ Use pagination for large data sets instead of retrieving everything at once.
✔️ Increase the timeout setting (for premium connectors only).
✔️ If using loops, reduce the number of iterations or process in batches.
Example: Enabling Pagination in Power Automate
1️⃣ Open the action (e.g., “Get Items”)
2️⃣ Click “Settings”
3️⃣ Enable “Pagination” and set a higher limit
6. “Access Denied” or “Insufficient Permissions” Errors
Error: “You do not have permission to perform this action”
Cause: The user or service account lacks the required access.
Fix:
✔️ Go to Admin Center and check user permissions.
✔️ Ensure the flow owner has access to SharePoint, Dataverse, or external services.
✔️ If using a service account, verify its role assignments.
Example:
For SharePoint actions, ensure the user has at least “Edit” permissions on the list.
7. Flows Not Triggering Properly
Error: “The flow did not trigger as expected”
Cause: The trigger conditions aren’t met, or there’s a delay in event processing.
Fix:
✔️ Check the “Trigger Condition” settings.
✔️ Verify that data changes match the expected format.
✔️ Manually trigger the flow and inspect the logs.
✔️ Ensure the connection to the source (e.g., SharePoint, Power Apps) is active.
Example Trigger Condition (Only Run When “Status” Changes to Approved):
@equals(triggerOutputs()?['body/Status'], 'Approved')
8. “Flow Has Been Disabled Due to Inactivity”
Error: The flow stops running after a period of inactivity.
Cause: Power Automate automatically disables flows that aren’t used for 90 days.
Fix:
✔️ Manually re-enable the flow in Power Automate.
✔️ Set up a dummy trigger (e.g., schedule a run every 85 days) to keep it active.
Example: Dummy Trigger to Prevent Flow From Being Disabled
Use a “Recurrence” trigger that runs every 85 days and logs a message.
9. Flow Takes Too Long to Run
Error: “Flow execution exceeded the maximum duration”
Cause: The flow is processing too much data or has long wait times.
Fix:
✔️ Optimize loops by using parallel processing.
✔️ Reduce API calls by caching responses in SharePoint or Dataverse.
✔️ If using “Approval” actions, ensure users respond quickly to avoid timeout.
Example: Using Parallel Branches to Speed Up Execution
1️⃣ Instead of running actions sequentially, split them into parallel branches.
2️⃣ This allows multiple actions to execute at the same time.