A very effective tool in connection with Power Automate is the automatic approval of certain data. To do this, you create a data tab in your template in which you can display the core data of the template. The data tab is exported in JSON format. In this format, the data can be read by Power Automate and thus initiate an approval process. In the following, we would like to explain how this works:

1. Export a sample document with the data tab

Your template will look something like this and must contain a data tab. This is exported in JSON format. You can open this file with various programs. However, you must add an addition to the file.

After you enter the required data the exported JSON file will look like this:

{"PowerBI HR Dashboard": {
	"email":"john@doe.com",
	"Firstname":"John",
	"Lastname":"Doe",
	"Gender":"Female",
	"Residence":"Berlin",
	"Salary":2500,
	"Startdate":"December 01, 2023",
	"Minijob":"No",
	"Probationary_period":"Yes",
	"Field_of_application":"Job title",
	"Place_of_activity":"Place"
	}
}

Now you must add the following addition: {"Metadata": { __JSON-file__ }}. 

{"Metadata": {
	"PowerBI HR Dashboard": {
		"email":"john@doe.com",
		"Firstname":"John",
		"Lastname":"Doe",
		"Gender":"Female",
		"Residence":"Berlin",
		"Salary":2500,
		"Startdate":"December 01, 2023",
		"Minijob":"No",
		"Probationary_period":"Yes",
		"Field_of_application":"Job title",
		"Place_of_activity":"Place"
		}
	}
}

2. Setting up the PowerAutomate Workflow:

Now you are ready to create a new Flow in PowerAutomate. The starting point is the LAWLIFT trigger for exporting documents. From here on you create the approval process.

The next step is to prepare PowerAutomate to use your metadata. To do this, select "Parse JSON" as the next step. Then you have to select “Custom data object” as the Content in the first line and generate a schema from an example. To do this you have to click on “Use sample payload to generate schema”.

You will now be asked for the example JSON file that we created earlier. You can insert it in this window. 

If you click on "Done", the specified format is changed so that it can be read by Power Automate. In the end our schema will look like this:

With this, you have prepared the groundwork for integrating the metadata into your flow. Note: If you specify a file type for all variables ("string" or "integer"), values have to be inserted for the respective variables for each export. Otherwise the flow will not work.

3. Setting up the conditions for the approval process.

At this point, you can use the metadata you just stored to set a condition that triggers your approval process. To do this, select "Condition" as the next step. 

You are now given the option to select the appropriate one from your properties. Here we select the salary.

Once you have set the condition, you can choose which steps are to be triggered by it. At this point, select "Create an approval". Here it has been determined that approval must be obtained for the exported document for a salary higher than 40 000. If this is not the case, only an e-mail notification is to be sent. 

You have the possibility to make all settings regarding the approval, such as who is to approve, what title it should have, or who the author is. Here, too, you can fall back on the properties defined above. The same applies to the negative approval on the right-hand side.

The approval process is now set up and ready to go. After you apply it to your publication, it will run with each export or interview submission (depending on which trigger you choose).