Zapier to MS SharePoint List filter to look for changes in one column only

Hi ​@rethink 

Review the available SharePoint Zap app triggers/actions: https://zapier.com/apps/sharepoint/integrations#triggers-and-actions

Which trigger event are you trying to use? (see screenshot below)

​@Troy Tessalone  The trigger is when a list item has been updated, but I want to add a filter after so it only continues if it was one field in particular that has changed. 

​@rethink 

You can add a Filter as Zap step 2: https://zapier.com/apps/filter/integrations#help

NOTE: You should update the SharePoint List Item after it has been processed by the Zap the first time so you do not reprocess that SharePoint List Item again.

Example Filter conditions:

• Field A = X
  • This condition would be used to check for your desired field condition on the Item
• AND
• Field B is empty
  • This condition would be used to indicate the Zap processed the Item

​@Troy Tessalone  I do not believe that this will work, this is due to the fact that this field may change several times and we must process them each time. 

The backstory here is the field is who is assigned to the task, and that assignee may change several times and each time we want to process the rest of the zap. 
 

​@rethink 

Unless SharePoint indicates which field changed and potentially the OLD/NEW values, you will have to blindly process each triggered Zap Run with minimal Filter conditions.

EXAMPLE

Say you want to check only for changes to Field X.

Say you have a Filter step with conditions Field X exists, meaning it checks that there is a value for Field X.

Now say the Item A is updated for Field X = 0, ok that would match the Filter step condition and the Zap Run would process.

Now say Item A is updated again for but for Field Y = 1.

Well now for Item A, you have Field X = 0 still and Field Y = 1, so that means the Filter step condition would evaluate to true and the Zap Run would process again, even though nothing changed with Field X.

In that case, you can have a lot of Zap Runs fire and process that do not actually mean your desired Field was updated.

This can potentially use/waste a lot of Tasks in those Zap Runs.

​@Troy Tessalone  so I can filter this natively in Power Automate, and I believe Make as well. it seems like Zapier is limited here and doesnt offer this functionality. 

​@rethink 

It would make sense that you can filter it natively in Power Automate since that is also a Microsoft product.

I can’t speak for Make capabilities with SharePoint as I do not have a SharePoint account to check/test with.

One option in Zapier would be to use a Zapier Table to log/check changes for that fields to be able to use in logic for the filter conditions.

NOTE: Using Zapier Tables in Zap steps count as 0 Tasks.

Zapier Tables Zap App: https://zapier.com/apps/zapier-tables/integrations#triggers-and-actions

Hi ​@rethink 👋

Just came across this and wanted to check how you’re getting on. Did the alternative approach Troy suggested of using Zapier Tables to help log/check the changes allow you to filter out changes that aren’t made the assignee field?

Keep us posted on your progress, keen to help get this up and running! 🙂