Flexi-task action sends email before creating the Workflow task


Badge +7

SharePoint 2013 on-premises.

We have a strange behaviour on 2 separate environments (read: different server, sql database).

When the Flexi-Task action is processed user gets the approval request email and if he /she clicks the Workflow Task link from the email, SharePoint shows the "item not found or has been deleted " message.

Now wait 10 seconds, click the link again: page item opens ok.

This seems to be that the workflow item is not yet created, despite the workflow action having sent the email notification.

Is there any way to accelerating the task creation, but more realistically how to not send the approval email before the workflow task is finished creating ?

I have tested on a VM environment and it works as expected, so I am puzzled by what is happening in the environment above, and more strange that this is happening on 2 distinct farms, but not my own VM.

many thanks.

François.


8 replies

Badge +11

Hi Francois,

funny issue, have you ever witnessed general health problems in these two farms? All the timer jobs running smoothly? SQL Databases not running out of bounds or having any other problems? Something odd in the event viewer? ULS logs without issues?

However, would it be possible for you to just not use the in-built task notification mail and send a customized one? You could let the workflow wait for some minutes between creating/assigning the task and sending out the notification to make sure noone receive a mail with a link that doesn't work.

Regards

Philipp

Badge +7

yes, I checked all that but so far not yet obvious visible.

Badge +7

Philipp Lucas‌ I have recently started seeing this in a workflow that has been running smoothly without this issue for some time. How can we postpone a task email? It appears that this is not possible

Badge +11

Hi Josh,

if you use the regular task notification from your flexi task, it is not possible. However, you could deactivate this regular email and use parallel paths to send a customized task notification.

Cheers

Philipp

Badge +7

Thank for your reply.

I believe I understand your theory, but do you mind giving a little more detail as to how to make it happen?
Would I select "User Preference" from the delivery method in the Task Notification? and if so where do i insert the pause action. It appears that I'm unable to add a pause between between the creation of the task and the notification.

Badge +11

I was thinking about something like that:

213890_pastedImage_1.png

For the "Delivery Type" you choose "None" to deactivate the regular task notification. Instead you use the send notification action from the left path to build your own task notification. Bad thing is you will not have all the context variables available like "Approval Url".

Cheers

Philipp

Badge +7

Thanks for your quick replies.

That is kind of what i was thinking you meant, but how would you suggest getting the approver to the task

Badge +11

Hi Josh,

unfortunately I dont see any easy way to provide a link to the task inside that custom notification. The task action provides the possibility to save the task ID in a variable but it won't be available in the other path.

You could, however, use a query list action to get the url to the task before sending the notification. Maybe you can create some own ID based on a timestamp or something and use that ID for the task name (so the task name should be unique). This way you know the name of the task and can query for that to get the url of the task item and use it inside your notification.

Cheers

Philipp

Reply