Retrieve latest item workaround

Retrieving an item is a common task that ensures your workflow can interact with data efficiently. This is especially crucial when working with actions like Branch by Stage, Update Item, or Wait for Item Update, where you need to fetch the most recent. 

In Nintex Workflow for O365, when you update an item or set a condition to wait for an item update within your workflow, the workflow and SharePoint work together smoothly. The workflow automatically retrieves and uses the latest data from SharePoint as soon as the item is updated. This integration ensures that your workflow runs with the most up-to-date information, keeping the workflow actions in sync with SharePoint data. 

In Nintex Automation Cloud, the process is a bit different. When you update an item within your workflow, the platform does not automatically fetch the latest data from SharePoint. To make sure the workflow has the most recent information, you need to add an action called retrieve an Item to retrieve the updated data from SharePoint after making the update. This step ensures that the workflow actions are based on the latest item data available in SharePoint. 

This is particularly useful in the following scenarios: 

• Branch by Stage: Your workflow needs to make decisions based on the most recent state of an item. You workflow switched between different stages going back and forward where by the item might be updated between stages. 

• Update Item: Your workflow updates an item, after updating the item your workflow uses that update date. 

• Wait for Item Update: Your workflow pauses until a specific record is updated before proceeding. 

Step-by-Step Guide to Retrieve an Item 

1. Log in to your Nintex Automation Cloud tenant. 
2. Navigate to your workflow and Open the workflow. 
3. Drag and Drop the Retrieve an Item action onto your workflow designer from the Nintex Actions panel 

4. Configure the Action: 

   • SharePoint site URL: Specify your SharePoint list URL. Click Retrieve list. 

   • SharePoint List: Select your SharePoint list. 

   • Item ID: Specify your Item ID from the start event variable. 

   • Results: Create Object variable for the result output. 

5. Use variables in your actions that refence the object variable output of your Retrieve an item action.