Create Requests and WorkQueue

In Requests, keep Title required. In WorkQueue, create these columns with the names below so their internal names remain predictable.

SharePoint supports unique single-line text columns; uniqueness is case-insensitive and requires an index [2]. Enable the constraint before testing. Restrict deletion and key editing to authorised maintainers; hiding a field on a form is not security.

Build a stable operation key

Create an automated cloud flow with SharePoint’s When an item is created trigger pointing to Requests. Add a Compose action named RequestKey. Replace the example list GUID with the actual Requests list GUID, retaining a consistent lower-case representation.

concat(
  'requests-11111111-2222-3333-4444-555555555555:',
  string(triggerBody()?['ID']),
  ':create-work-item'
)

The same source item and operation must always produce the same key. Do not include utcNow(), the flow run ID or a deployment version. A routine release must not accidentally create a new business operation. Never reuse this namespace for a replacement source list.

Attempt the write directly

Add a Scope named AttemptCreate. Inside, add SharePoint Create item targeting WorkQueue. Map RequestKey to outputs('RequestKey'), SourceItemID to the trigger ID, SourceListKey to the same source-list GUID, Title to the trigger Title, and WorkStatus to New.

Keep unrelated side effects out of this scope. The destination uniqueness rule protects overlapping create attempts. Review the action’s retry settings in your environment; even a retry after a committed write can return a duplicate error, so recovery remains necessary.

Resolve failure and timeout by checking the destination

Add a Scope named RecoverCreate. Configure its Run after on AttemptCreate for has failed and has timed out. Run-after rules and scopes support outcome-specific error handling [3].

Inside RecoverCreate, add Get items on WorkQueue, named FindExisting. Set Top Count to 2 and enter this expression in Filter Query. The key is composed only of controlled text, a GUID and an integer, so it contains no user-supplied quote characters.

concat(
  'RequestKey eq ',
  decodeUriComponent('%27'),
  outputs('RequestKey'),
  decodeUriComponent('%27')
)

Then use a Condition:

equals(length(body('FindExisting')?['value']), 1)

In the Yes branch only, read first(body('FindExisting')?['value']). Verify its SourceItemID and SourceListKey match the expected source. Record its destination ID and a “Recovered existing item” outcome. Do not overwrite its Title or WorkStatus: someone may already be working on it.

If the lookup returns no item, multiple items, a mismatched source or an error, leave the request unresolved and terminate as Failed. A permission error is not evidence of a duplicate. Do not use a catch-all “Succeeded” termination. If a just-committed item is temporarily unavailable, investigate or retry recovery later using the same key.

Keep operational evidence separate

Create an append-only AttemptLog list with RequestKey, RunID, Outcome, DestinationID, OccurredUTC and ErrorSummary. Log Created after a successful create, Recovered after verified lookup, and Unresolved where logging remains available. Multiple attempt records for one key are intentional.

workflow()?['run']?['name']
utcNow()

These expressions supply the run identifier and log timestamp; they do not belong in RequestKey. If SharePoint is unavailable, logging there may fail too. Retain a monitored failed-run path and a documented support route. Do not let a failed logging step trigger another business create outside the protected operation.