When the owner of a Power Automate flow leaves your organization or loses their license, the flow stops running. This is a common problem for SharePoint automations that handle approval requests, document moves, or list updates. The root cause is that Power Automate requires a valid owner with an active license and Microsoft Entra ID account to execute the flow. This article explains why the flow fails, provides step-by-step instructions to reassign ownership, and covers related failure patterns such as broken connections and shared mailbox issues.
Key Takeaways: How to Restart a SharePoint Flow After the Owner Leaves
- Power Automate > My flows > Flow details > Manage ownership: Reassign the flow to a new owner with a valid Power Automate license.
- Connections > Update connection credentials: Replace the former owner’s credentials in all SharePoint and Outlook connections used by the flow.
- Microsoft Entra admin center > Deleted users > Restore user: Temporarily restore the former owner to recover the flow if no other owner exists.
Why the Flow Stops When the Owner Leaves
Power Automate flows are owned by a single Microsoft Entra ID account. The flow runs under the owner’s identity and uses their licenses for connectors like SharePoint, Outlook, and Teams. When the owner leaves the company, the IT department typically disables or deletes the user account in Microsoft Entra ID. Once the account is disabled, Power Automate cannot authenticate any connections that belong to that user. The flow enters a suspended state and shows the error “Owner not found” or “Connection not authorized.”
If the flow has only one owner and that account is deleted, the flow becomes uneditable and cannot be turned on. The flow is not deleted, but it is stuck in an offline state until a new owner is assigned. This applies to all flow types including scheduled flows, automated flows, and instant flows that use SharePoint triggers such as “When an item is created or modified.”
The Role of Licenses and Service Principals
Each flow owner needs a Power Automate license (free, per-user, or per-flow plan). If the former owner had a per-user license that was removed, the flow stops even if the account is still active in Microsoft Entra ID. Flows created by a service principal are not affected by user departures, but most SharePoint automations are created by named users. The fix requires assigning a new owner with a valid license and updating all connection references.
Steps to Reassign the Flow to a New Owner
- Sign in to Power Automate as a global admin or flow co-owner
Go to https://make.powerautomate.com. Use an account that has the Global Administrator role in Microsoft Entra ID or is already a co-owner of the flow. - Locate the suspended flow
In the left navigation, select My flows. Switch to the Shared with me tab if the flow was created by the former owner. Look for the flow with a warning icon and a status of Suspended. - Open the flow details
Select the flow name to open the details page. You will see an alert banner that says “Owner not found” or “This flow has no valid owner.” - Add a new owner
Select Manage ownership from the command bar. In the panel, select Add owner. Enter the email address of a user who has a Power Automate license and an active Microsoft Entra ID account. Select the user and then select Add. - Remove the former owner
After the new owner is added, find the former owner in the owner list. Select the three dots next to their name and choose Remove. This step is required because a flow cannot have a deleted or disabled account as its primary owner. - Update all connection references
Select Edit on the flow. Go to the Data section and expand Connections. For each connection that shows a red error icon, select Change connection and create a new connection using the new owner’s credentials. This applies to SharePoint connections, Outlook connections, and any other service the flow uses. - Save and turn on the flow
Select Save at the top of the editor. Then select Turn on. The flow should now show a status of On and run on its next scheduled trigger or when a new SharePoint event occurs.
If SharePoint Automation Still Has Issues After the Main Fix
Flow Shows “Connection not authorized” After Owner Change
This error appears when the new owner does not have permission to access the SharePoint site or library referenced in the flow. The flow’s connections use the new owner’s identity, so that user must have at least Edit or Contribute permissions on the SharePoint site. To fix this, go to the SharePoint site, select Settings > Site permissions, and add the new owner as a member. Then return to Power Automate and test the flow by selecting Test in the editor.
Former Owner’s Account Was Permanently Deleted and No Co-owners Exist
If the former owner’s account is permanently deleted and no co-owners were added, the flow cannot be edited or reassigned through the normal Power Automate interface. The only way to recover the flow is to restore the deleted user account in Microsoft Entra ID. Go to the Microsoft Entra admin center, select Identity > Users > Deleted users, find the former owner, and select Restore user. After restoration, follow the steps in the main fix to add a new owner. Once the new owner is in place, you can delete the restored account again.
Flow Uses a Shared Mailbox or Service Account
Some organizations create flows using a shared mailbox or a generic service account. When the person who manages that account leaves, the flow stops because the underlying account may be disabled. The fix is to change the flow’s owner to a named user who has a license. If the shared mailbox is still needed for sending email notifications, create a new connection using that mailbox’s credentials and update the flow. Note that shared mailboxes require an Exchange Online license and a Power Automate license to be used as a connection owner.
Flow Owner Types and Recovery Options
| Item | Named user account | Service principal |
|---|---|---|
| Owner type | Individual Microsoft Entra ID user | Application registered in Microsoft Entra ID |
| License required | Power Automate per-user or per-flow plan | Per-flow plan or pay-as-you-go plan |
| Recovery when owner leaves | Reassign ownership and update connections | Not affected — service principal does not leave |
| Best for | Small teams, ad-hoc automations | Enterprise-wide automations, critical SharePoint flows |
The main difference between these two owner types is how they handle personnel changes. Named user accounts are easy to set up but require manual intervention when the owner leaves. Service principals do not depend on individual users, so the flow continues running even when employees change roles. For long-running SharePoint automations that handle document approvals or data syncs, consider converting the flow to use a service principal to avoid future disruptions.
You can now reassign ownership of a suspended Power Automate flow and update its connections to restore SharePoint automation. To prevent this problem in the future, add at least one co-owner to every flow and use service principals for critical automations. As an advanced tip, create a monitoring flow that sends an alert if any flow enters a suspended state due to an owner change.