Power Automate enforces limits on the number of items a trigger can process at once. If the trigger exceeds this limit, the flow fails with the error:
“The trigger is processing more items than it’s allowed.”
This guide explains:
Why this error occurs.
How to check and monitor the number of items processed by the trigger.
How to optimize your trigger settings to stay within the limits.
Step 1: Understanding Trigger Item Limits in Power Automate
1.1. Common Triggers That Process Multiple Items
Certain triggers attempt to retrieve large datasets, causing this error. The most common are:
| Trigger Type | Common Issue |
|---|---|
| When an item is created or modified (SharePoint, Dataverse, SQL, etc.) | Too many records updated at once. |
| When a file is created or modified (OneDrive, SharePoint, etc.) | Processing too many files at once. |
| When a new email arrives (Outlook, Gmail, etc.) | Too many emails processed simultaneously. |
| Recurrence trigger (Scheduled flows) | Trying to retrieve too many records in one run. |
| “When an HTTP request is received” | Large payloads being sent to the flow. |
1.2. Power Automate Item Processing Limits
| Power Automate Plan | Max Items Processed per Trigger |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 Plan (Standard) | 5,000 items per 24 hours |
| Per-User Plan / Per-Flow Plan | 100,000 items per 24 hours |
| Power Automate Process Plan | Higher Limits |
| Azure Logic Apps (Alternative) | Higher Customizable Limits |
Step 2: Identifying the Issue
2.1. Check Flow Run History for Item Count
- Open Power Automate (https://make.powerautomate.com).
- Click on My Flows → Select the affected flow.
- Go to Run History → Open a failed run.
- Look for the error message:
The trigger is processing more items than it’s allowed.
2.2. Check the Number of Items Processed in Each Trigger
- Open the trigger action in the flow editor.
- Expand the “Trigger Outputs” section.
- Look for “total count” to see how many items the trigger is processing.
Step 3: Resolving the Issue
3.1. Use Filtering to Reduce Triggered Items
If the trigger is retrieving too many records, filter the data before processing.
Example: SharePoint “When an Item is Created or Modified” Trigger
Inefficient:
- The trigger fires for every update, even for irrelevant changes.
Optimized:
- Use Trigger Conditions to filter only necessary updates.
- Example Trigger Condition (Only trigger when Status = “Approved”):
@equals(triggerOutputs()?['body/Status'], 'Approved')
3.2. Limit the Number of Records Retrieved
If the trigger fetches too many items, limit the records retrieved.
Example: Using OData Filters in SharePoint or Dataverse
Instead of retrieving all records, use OData filter queries:
Filter Query: Status eq 'Active'
This ensures the flow only triggers for relevant records, reducing the load.
3.3. Reduce Trigger Frequency in Recurrence-Based Flows
If a scheduled flow retrieves too many items, increase the interval.
Inefficient:
- A flow runs every minute, processing thousands of records.
Optimized:
- Change the recurrence trigger to run every hour or every day.
How to update:
- Open the Recurrence trigger.
- Set Frequency to Hourly/Daily.
- Use “Top Count” to limit retrieved items (e.g., 100 per run).
3.4. Enable Trigger Concurrency Control
If the trigger processes too many items simultaneously, enable Concurrency Control.
Steps to Enable Concurrency Control:
- Open the trigger action in edit mode.
- Click on Settings.
- Turn on Concurrency Control.
- Set a lower Degree of Parallelism (e.g.,
5).
This prevents too many items from being processed at once, reducing failures.
3.5. Use Pagination to Process Data in Batches
If the trigger retrieves too many items in one go, enable pagination.
Example: Enable Pagination for SharePoint or Dataverse Queries
- Open the “Get Items” action.
- Click on Settings.
- Turn on Pagination and set a limit (e.g.,
1000).
This retrieves data in batches, preventing trigger overload.
3.6. Move Processing to Azure Logic Apps
If Power Automate’s trigger limits are too restrictive, use Azure Logic Apps:
- Open Azure Portal → Go to Logic Apps.
- Create a Logic App for high-volume processing.
- Trigger Power Automate flows from Logic Apps.
Azure Logic Apps allow higher trigger processing limits, making them ideal for large-scale automation.
3.7. Upgrade to a Higher Power Automate Plan
If your flow frequently exceeds trigger limits, consider upgrading your plan.
- Open Microsoft 365 Admin Center (https://admin.microsoft.com).
- Navigate to Billing → Purchase Services.
- Choose a Power Automate Per-User Plan or Per-Flow Plan.
Higher plans allow more trigger executions and higher item limits.
Step 4: Preventing Future Trigger Limit Issues
4.1. Best Practices to Reduce Triggered Items
✅ Use filtering in triggers – Only trigger flows when necessary.
✅ Limit retrieved data – Use OData filters and “Top Count” in queries.
✅ Adjust recurrence frequency – Reduce the number of times a flow triggers.
✅ Enable concurrency control – Prevent simultaneous executions.
✅ Use pagination – Process data in batches instead of all at once.
✅ Monitor Power Automate usage – Check run history to identify overload patterns.
4.2. Set Up Alerts for High Trigger Activity
- Open Power Platform Admin Center.
- Set up alerts for flows processing more than X items per run.
This helps detect excessive trigger activity before it causes failures.