SharePoint Power Automate Flow Does Not Trigger on File Upload: What Site Owners Should Check

You created a Power Automate flow to run when a file is uploaded to a SharePoint document library, but the flow does not start. The trigger condition seems correct and the flow appears enabled, yet no action occurs after uploading files. This problem usually happens because of a misconfiguration in the trigger settings, the library versioning settings, or the site permissions for the flow service account. This article explains the exact technical causes for this failure and gives site owners a clear set of checks to make the flow work reliably.

Why a SharePoint Power Automate Flow Does Not Trigger on File Upload

The most common root cause is a mismatch between the trigger type and the actual upload behavior. The ‘When a file is created’ trigger in Power Automate fires only when a new file appears in the library. However, if the user uploads a file and immediately overwrites it with the same name, the trigger sees the event as a modification, not a creation. The ‘When a file is created or modified’ trigger handles both cases but may produce duplicate runs.

Another frequent cause involves versioning settings. When a library has versioning enabled and requires content approval, a file upload creates a minor version (draft). Many Power Automate triggers are configured to fire only on major version publish. The flow never sees the minor version event and therefore does not run.

A third cause relates to permissions. The flow owner, which is the account that created or last edited the flow, must have at least Contribute permissions on the document library. If the flow owner loses access or if the site permissions change, the trigger stops working silently. Power Automate does not generate an error in these cases; the flow simply does not start.

Steps to Check and Fix the Trigger Configuration

1. Verify the trigger type in Power Automate
   Open the flow in the Power Automate maker portal. Under the trigger step, check whether you selected ‘When a file is created’ or ‘When a file is created or modified’. For upload-only scenarios, use ‘When a file is created’. If you need to catch overwrites too, use ‘When a file is created or modified’ and add a condition later to filter duplicates.
2. Check the library versioning settings
   Go to the SharePoint document library. Select Settings > Library Settings > Versioning settings. Under ‘Require content approval for submitted items?’, choose ‘No’ unless approval is mandatory. Under ‘Document Version History’, set ‘Create major versions’ if you want the trigger to fire on every upload. If you need minor versions, change the trigger to include ‘created or modified’ and test with a minor version upload.
3. Confirm the flow owner has library permissions
   In SharePoint, go to the document library. Select Settings > Library permissions. Check that the flow owner’s account appears in the list with at least Contribute permission. If the owner is not listed, add them. If the owner is a service account or a Microsoft 365 group, ensure that account has direct access to the library.
4. Test the trigger with a simple upload
   Upload a new file with a unique name to the library. Wait 60 seconds and check the flow run history in Power Automate. Go to the flow details page and select ‘Run history’. If no run appears, the trigger did not fire. If a run appears but fails, examine the error message in the run details.
5. Review the trigger condition filters
   In the trigger step, expand ‘Show advanced options’. Look for ‘Trigger conditions’. If any condition is set, remove it temporarily and test again. Common filters like ‘Folder’ or ‘File extension’ can block the trigger if they do not match the uploaded file.
6. Check for library event receiver conflicts
   If the library has custom event receivers or other third-party add-ins, they may interfere with the trigger. Remove or disable any custom event receivers temporarily and test the flow again. You can check for event receivers using SharePoint Designer or PowerShell.

If the Flow Still Does Not Trigger After Configuration Checks

Flow run history shows ‘Skipped’ status

A ‘Skipped’ status means the trigger fired but the condition evaluated to false. Review the trigger condition settings again. Remove all conditions and test. If the run now succeeds, add conditions back one at a time to find the blocking filter. Also check that the file meets the condition criteria, such as being in a specific folder or having a certain file extension.

Flow run history shows ‘Failed’ status with ‘403 Forbidden’ error

A 403 error indicates a permissions problem. The flow owner account lacks access to the SharePoint site or library. Go to SharePoint site permissions and ensure the flow owner has at least Contribute permission. If the flow uses a connection that references a different account, update the connection to use the correct account.

Flow does not trigger when uploading via Microsoft Teams or mobile app

Uploads from Teams or the SharePoint mobile app go through the same trigger as web uploads. However, these uploads may use a different folder path or create the file in a temporary location before moving it. Check whether the trigger condition includes the correct folder path. If the condition is too restrictive, the flow skips the upload. Remove folder filters and test again.

Flow triggers only for some users but not others

This symptom usually points to a permission difference. The users whose uploads do not trigger the flow may have only Read permission on the library. Power Automate triggers require at least Contribute permission for the uploading user if the flow uses ‘When a file is created’ with the ‘SharePoint’ connector. Verify the permission levels for all users who need to trigger the flow.

Power Automate Trigger Types for SharePoint File Upload: Comparison

Item	When a file is created	When a file is created or modified
Trigger event	New file added to the library	New file or modification of existing file
Handles overwrite upload	No	Yes
Handles minor version (draft)	Only if trigger setting includes minor	Only if trigger setting includes minor
Duplicate runs risk	Low	Possible if file is created then immediately modified
Recommended use case	Upload-only workflows with unique file names	Workflows that need to catch overwrites or edits

You can now systematically check the trigger type, versioning settings, and permissions to restore your Power Automate flow. Start by testing with a simple upload of a unique file name after removing all trigger conditions. If the flow runs, add conditions gradually. As an advanced tip, use the ‘When a file is created or modified’ trigger and add a condition that checks the file’s ‘Created’ timestamp equals the ‘Modified’ timestamp to filter out modifications that are not new uploads.