Skip to main content
Nintex Community Menu Bar
Solved

Start component workflow manually

  • August 22, 2023
  • 6 replies
  • 313 views
B
Forum|alt.badge.img+15

We need assistance with sharepoint list JSON and starting a component workflow. 

What we want: 

A button embedded into sharepoint list field using JSON and that button triggers component workflow built in NAC. 

How can we achieve this using JSON and API endpoints provided on our component workflows? Below is a test workflow I created that has an integer as a start event (we wanted to pass the list item ID into this component workflow to run later on throughout the workflow). Please help!

 



The thread below was great to allow users to go to a NAC start event form, but we need them to have the ability to trigger a component workflow. At present, this is not an option in NAC for business owners, let alone participants working in a sharepoint list environment. 

Start workflow manually with a Nintex form start event | Community

Best answer by MarkduToit

Hi @brandiwoodson,

Okay, the requirement is a lot clearer now. Without creating an actual button, one way that it could be done is to use the “New or update list item” as per the below:

SharePoint Start Event

 

 

Thereafter, point to the Library in question:

Documents Library in SharePoint Online

 

Create a condition around one of the fields being set to a specified value:

Condition relating to SharePoint Library Column

 

For context, this relates to the Library, and column within the Library below:

SharePoint Library

 

This will then make the document variables available in the Start Event within Automation Cloud, as follows:

SharePoint Online Start Event Object

 

This will allow you to interact with SharePoint Online using any information contained in the start event object. Would that work for your requirement?

 

Kind Regards,

Mark.

6 replies

MarkduToit
Nintex Employee
Forum|alt.badge.img+7
  • MarkduToitNintex Employee
  • Nintex Employee
  • August 28, 2023

Hi @brandiwoodson,

Just a few quick questions before trying to suggest a solution, as I haven’t got any historic context of what has been tried and what not 😊

  1. Is this for SharePoint Online?
  2. If so, has any consideration been given regarding using a Sharepoint Online start event (as per the below)?
SharePoint Online Start Events

 

Kind Regards,

Mark.

B
Forum|alt.badge.img+15
  • brandiwoodson
  • Author
  • Communicator
  • August 28, 2023

Hi @brandiwoodson,

Just a few quick questions before trying to suggest a solution, as I haven’t got any historic context of what has been tried and what not 😊

  1. Is this for SharePoint Online?
  2. If so, has any consideration been given regarding using a Sharepoint Online start event (as per the below)?
SharePoint Online Start Events

 

Kind Regards,

Mark.

That is correct it’s for SharePoint Online. 

Yes, in most cases we do, or at least for lists. However libraries for document review, collaboration and/or approvals have been a nightmare for us since we have migrated to NAC.

We do not want to make users require to complete a form to update specific data to trigger a workflow. As you may already know, the steps are more depending on severeal variables - is document check in/out enabled and properties have to be brought up. Users can not easily access a Nintex form in a library without being trained how to do so. Lists are fairly straightforward. You open the item, edit it and click submit.

MS Power Automate offers built in menu options to send for document off for approval. Our goal was to have this also available in the menu of a list or library but still waiting on a solution for that from you guys. 

For now, we thought maybe just putting a button in a SharePoint field that  triggers a component workflow off but using JSON somehow to link a button in a field.

MarkduToit
Nintex Employee
Forum|alt.badge.img+7
  • MarkduToitNintex Employee
  • Nintex Employee
  • August 29, 2023

Hi @brandiwoodson,

Okay, thanks for the clarification. Just to ensure we are not talking cross purposes, are you wanting to act on changes to documents in a SharePoint Library, or would you want to act on data in a SharePoint list? If it’s the latter, you could select the “New or Update List Item” start event, and then configure the conditions you would like the workflow to start under e.g. that a certain field is set to a specific value, etc.

If however you want to customise the SharePoint Library functionality to have a button that triggers a workflow to approve the document in question, the customisation would need to be on the SharePoint Online side i.e. the button would need to be configured to call the Automation Cloud endpoint you create for the component workflow.

The workflow you create can have properties/variables defined within the start event which would be fields you could map from the SharePoint Online call to Automation Cloud, as per the example below:

Start Event Variables

These are then exposed via the start event:

Start Event Variables in Request Body

Would this meet your requirements?

Kind Regards,

Mark.

B
Forum|alt.badge.img+15
  • brandiwoodson
  • Author
  • Communicator
  • August 29, 2023

Hi @brandiwoodson,

Okay, thanks for the clarification. Just to ensure we are not talking cross purposes, are you wanting to act on changes to documents in a SharePoint Library, or would you want to act on data in a SharePoint list? If it’s the latter, you could select the “New or Update List Item” start event, and then configure the conditions you would like the workflow to start under e.g. that a certain field is set to a specific value, etc.

If however you want to customise the SharePoint Library functionality to have a button that triggers a workflow to approve the document in question, the customisation would need to be on the SharePoint Online side i.e. the button would need to be configured to call the Automation Cloud endpoint you create for the component workflow.

The workflow you create can have properties/variables defined within the start event which would be fields you could map from the SharePoint Online call to Automation Cloud, as per the example below:

Start Event Variables

These are then exposed via the start event:

Start Event Variables in Request Body

Would this meet your requirements?

Kind Regards,

Mark.

Yes. A library but we need to understand how to use the request body in JSON for a field in a library. 

 

I tried and couldn't figure it out. Yes i have start variables in my component workflow. 

MarkduToit
Nintex Employee
Forum|alt.badge.img+7
  • MarkduToitNintex Employee
  • Nintex Employee
  • Answer
  • August 29, 2023

Hi @brandiwoodson,

Okay, the requirement is a lot clearer now. Without creating an actual button, one way that it could be done is to use the “New or update list item” as per the below:

SharePoint Start Event

 

 

Thereafter, point to the Library in question:

Documents Library in SharePoint Online

 

Create a condition around one of the fields being set to a specified value:

Condition relating to SharePoint Library Column

 

For context, this relates to the Library, and column within the Library below:

SharePoint Library

 

This will then make the document variables available in the Start Event within Automation Cloud, as follows:

SharePoint Online Start Event Object

 

This will allow you to interact with SharePoint Online using any information contained in the start event object. Would that work for your requirement?

 

Kind Regards,

Mark.

B
B
Forum|alt.badge.img+15
  • brandiwoodson
  • Author
  • Communicator
  • August 31, 2023

Thanks. 
 

Sidebar Buttons
Nintex Community Home Contact Nintex Support Email Nintex Community Check Nintex Status
Terms & ConditionsCookie SettingsAccessibility statement