My flow works for me but fails when my team runs it
A Microsoft 365 power user builds a Power Automate flow that works under their own account, then the same flow fails, hangs, or never creates a run when colleagues use the connected app, SharePoint button, Power BI button, or run-only entry point. The validated pain is team-run execution context and connection/permission confusion, not long-term owner handover.
Context
The problem in plain English
If you're unfamiliar with this industry, start here.
Power Automate flows often run under different user and connection contexts depending on how they are shared. A flow can work perfectly for the maker, then fail for colleagues because the app, report, data source, connection, or environment access is different for the person running it.
Key Terms
Industry jargon explained
Click any term to see its definition.
The Reality
A day in their life
Operations lead or Microsoft 365 power user sharing a flow with colleagues
I start the morning with a small win: the flow works from my account. I press the button, the item updates, and the confirmation email lands exactly where it should. For a moment it feels ready to share.
Then the first colleague tries it. Their app says nothing useful, the flow does not appear in the run history I expected, or it fails on a connection I never had to think about. I check SharePoint permissions, run-only users, and the app sharing settings while they wait for a process that was supposed to save time.
By lunch I have a theory: the flow was never really tested as them. It was tested as me. That is a painful distinction because every connector has its own idea of whose access matters.
What I want is a rollout checklist that proves the flow runs under the right user context before I announce it to the team. I do not need a lecture on enterprise governance. I need to know which connection belongs to me, which belongs to the runner, and what a real user test must prove.
The People
Who experiences this problem
Operations lead or Microsoft 365 power user sharing a flow with colleagues
28-55 • Beginner to intermediate Power Automate maker
Skills
Basic flow building
SharePoint/Teams/Outlook process knowledge
Power Apps or Power BI button use
Team support
Frustrations
- The flow works in the maker's test but not in the team's hands
- No run appears, or the error is hidden from the person who needs to fix it
- The maker cannot tell whether the issue is app sharing, run-only users, connections, data permissions, or environment access
Goals
- Launch a shared flow that runs reliably for the intended users
- Know which connections should be embedded and which should be provided by the runner
- Test the flow as a real user before rollout
Team member trying to run the flow
Uses the app, button, or shared process and reports that the automation does not work for them even though it worked in the maker's demo.
Also affected by this problem. Often shares the same frustrations or creates additional pressure.
Top Objections
- I do not want to maintain hundreds of run-only users manually
- I am not an admin
- The users already have access to the SharePoint list
- It works perfectly for me, so I do not know where to look
How They Talk
Use These Words
flowrun-only usersconnectionspermissionsSharePoint listPower Apps buttonPower BI buttonshared mailboxrun history
Avoid
OAuth grant architecturetenant-wide RBACservice principal automationenterprise ALM
Learning Pathway
Shared Flow Rollout Safety
Share Power Automate flows with proof they work for real users, not only the maker.
Showing 1 of 1 recommendation
Course
Start Here
◆◆◆◆◆Excellent Fit
Test a Shared Power Automate Flow Before Your Team Uses It
4 lessons90 minbeginner
You'll build: A completed Shared Flow Rollout Pack for one flow: connection map, permission checklist, real-user test result, and team-ready support note.
Run-only usersEmbedded versus user-provided connectionsPower Apps and Power BI buttons+2 more
Root Cause
Finding where this problem actually starts
We traced backward through five layers of "why" until we hit the source. Here's what's really driving this.
1
Why does the team-run flow fail?
Because the flow was tested under the maker's identity and permissions, but colleagues run it with a different identity, app context, or connection requirement.
2
Why did testing miss it?
The first test proved the logic works for the owner, not that each action, trigger, and connector can run for a run-only user or app user.
3
Why is the fix unclear?
Power Automate has embedded connections, run-only user connections, app sharing, flow sharing, environment access, data-source permissions, and connector-specific limits that interact.
4
Why does it persist?
Citizen makers often learn by testing their own account first and only discover user-context design once the automation is shared.
5
Why does the maker not catch this before rollout?
The flow was tested only under the maker account, so the shared execution model, app/report/list access, and user connection requirements were never proven with a real non-maker user.
Root Cause
The root cause is a mismatch between who built the flow, whose connection the action uses, who is allowed to run it, and which environment or data source the runner can access.
The Numbers
How this stacks up
Key metrics that determine the opportunity value.
Overall Impact Score
82/100
Urgency
8/10
They need this fixed now
Build Difficulty
8/10
Complex, needs deep expertise
Market Size
6/10
Healthy demand exists
Competition Gap
8/10
Major gap in the market
"the buttons worked fine for me, but they showed only other users "Unsuccessful""
Power BI button flow worked for the maker but failed for other users. — Microsoft Fabric Community, 2024-08-16
More Evidence
What others are saying
"everything works fine for me, the issue I'm facing is that when ever anyone else apart from me clicks on the button, the flow will not run"
Power Apps button flow did not run for other users and showed no clear app error. — Power Platform Community, checked 2026-06-08
"it works for everyone else - they just made that binding before the solutions... were updated"
Recent user-context/button-flow issue involving run-only users and connection references. — Reddit r/MicrosoftFlow, 2026-02-10
"all works in a development environment"
SharePoint button-triggered Power Automate flow failed in test while working in development; licensing/connector behavior was discussed. — Microsoft Q&A, 2026-05-12
The Landscape
What solutions exist today?
Current market solutions and where there are opportunities.
Leader
S
Share a cloud flow / run-only users
Approach: Microsoft documents owners, run-only users, and connection options.
Pricing: Included with platform access
Weakness: Mechanism guidance does not give a full team-rollout test routine for non-developers.
Leader
M
Manage Power Automate connections
Approach: Review and fix connections used by apps and flows.
Pricing: Included with platform access
Weakness: It helps inspect connections but does not tell a maker how to test a shared flow as a colleague.
Niche
F
Forum troubleshooting
Approach: Case-specific help for app/flow/run-only failures.
Pricing: Free
Weakness: Useful but scattered; advice depends heavily on trigger, connector, app, environment, and user permissions.
The Fix
What a solution needs to succeed
The non-negotiables and nice-to-haves for any product or service tackling this problem.
The 3 Wishes
A shared-flow rollout checklist that proves the flow works for a real colleague, with the right connection model and permissions, before the team relies on it.
Must Have
Connection map for every action
Run-only versus embedded connection decision
Real-user test plan
Data-source permission check
App/report/list sharing check
Failure evidence capture when no run appears
Nice to Have
Template for a support handoff to IT/admin
Checklist for Power Apps and Power BI button scenarios
Shared mailbox permission note
Out of Scope
Tenant-wide DLP policy design
Service principal architecture
Enterprise ALM pipeline
Guaranteeing every connector supports every run-only model
Success Metrics
A non-maker test user can run the flow successfully
The maker can explain which actions run as the owner and which run as the user
The test captures a clear failure path if no run appears
The rollout note lists required groups, app/report/list access, and connection expectations
Solution Strategy
Which approach fits you?
A briefing could explain run-only users, but the useful asset is a practical test-and-rollout workflow with one real user. A build spec is not earned because the job is to configure and test an existing flow, not build new software.
What we recommend
Create one atomic technical workflow course with a reusable connection map, user test script, and rollout checklist.
For Creators
Content Ideas
Marketing hooks, SEO keywords, and buying triggers to help you create content around this problem.
Buying Triggers
Events that make people search for solutions
- A flow works in the maker's demo but fails for colleagues
- A Power Apps or Power BI button appears to do nothing for users
- The maker has to add or troubleshoot run-only users before rollout
- A shared mailbox, SharePoint list, or dataset action fails for other users
Content Angles
Attention-grabbing hooks for your content
- Why your Power Automate flow works for you but not your team
- Run-only users are not a rollout test
- The shared-flow checklist to run before announcing automation
- Owner connections versus user connections in plain English
Search Keywords
What people type when looking for solutions
Power Automate works for me not other usersPower Automate run-only users connectionsPower Apps button flow does not run for usersPower BI Power Automate button unsuccessful other usersPower Automate shared flow permissions
The Evidence
Where this came from
Every claim in this report is backed by public sources. Verify anything.
1.2.3.4.5.
Flow Buttons - Connection "Provided-by-run-only-users" is missing in Power Automate
community.fabric.microsoft.com
Power Automate Flow - Won't run for other users, no error message
community.powerplatform.com
Flow does not trigger for one user with run-only connection references
reddit.com
Share a cloud flow - Power Automate
learn.microsoft.com
Manage connections in Power Automate
learn.microsoft.com
8 sources referenced in this report
Collab365 Research • Collab365 Spaces
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