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Power Automate Approval Showing Flow Owner Name Instead of Actual SharePoint Form Submitter

Vinay Shivakoti 0 Reputation points
2026-05-26T02:27:21.44+00:00

Hi Team,

We have created a Power Automate approval workflow integrated with a SharePoint form/list.

Scenario:

  • Users submit a SharePoint form
  • Flow triggers successfully
  • Approval email is sent correctly
  • Actual requester details are also populated dynamically inside the approval body

However, in the approval email header, the following line always shows the flow owner/developer account name:

“Requested by”

Example: Even when user “John” submits the form, the approval card displays: “Requested by Siri” who created the workflow on power automate

Questions:

  1. Is there any way to override or customize the “Requested by” field in standard Power Automate approvals?
  2. Can we dynamically display the actual SharePoint form submitter instead of the flow owner?
  3. Is this expected behavior/limitation of the Approval connector?

We are unable to use a shared/service account in this environment, so looking for alternative approaches or best practices.

Thanks.

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  1. Sophie N 15,040 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-26T05:45:47.12+00:00

    Dear @Vinay Shivakoti,

    Thank you for your question, and I completely understand the confusion regarding the“Requested by” field in your approval flow.

    By default, when using the Start and wait for an approval action in Power Automate, the approval request is created using the connection of the flow owner (or the account running the flow). Because of this design, the“Requested by” field will always display the name of the flow owner, rather than the actual SharePoint form submitter.

    At the moment, this behavior cannot be changed directly in the approval action.

    However, as a workaround, you can include the actual submitter’s name (for example, from SharePoint or Forms) in the Title or Details field of the approval. This allows approvers to clearly see who initiated the request.

    Please refer to this document: Create and test an approval workflow with Power Automate

    For example:

    • Choose title: “Approval request from [Submitter Name]” > Choose lightning icon button > Created by DisplayName User's image
    • Details: Include additional information such as the submitter’s name, request data, or item link. User's image This is an example result test for setup

    I know this is a temporary workaround, but it's a step to help you find a solution when you submit feedback so the Power Automate team can improve the service for you. I hope you find this helpful.

    This approach is commonly used to make the approval request clearer for reviewers, even though the system header still shows the flow owner.

    If you'd like, you can also submit feedback to the Power Automate product team to request enhancement of this behavior in future updates.

    Please let me know if you need help configuring this workaround or adjusting your flow. I’m happy to assist further.

    If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".   

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