#PowerPlatformTip 147 – Dummy Patch After Complex Flows

When direct Patch fails: Use Power Automate for advanced scenarios – conditional data, external API calls, error fallbacks, multi-record lookups, tracking.
Flow finishes → Respond to PowerApps → but your Gallery or EditForm still shows pre-Flow data.
Why not use Refresh? Downloads 500-2000 records (delegation limit), wasting bandwidth even if filtered.

The fix: Add RefreshHack column → Dummy Patch on GalleryExample.selected → single-record cache refresh.

💡 Challenge

Canvas Patch handles simple updates automatically. Complex logic requires Flows.
Real scenario: User submits form → Flow validates/approves → updates SharePoint → App cache blind = stale display in Gallery.

✅ Solution

Create RefreshHack (hidden Single line of text column). Patch it with Blank() on the selected record post-Flow.

🔧 How it’s done

1) Setup RefreshHack column:

• In SharePoint/Dataverse list: New column “RefreshHack” (Single line of text).
• Hide from all views/forms (no user impact).
• Purpose: Safe dummy field for cache invalidation (never used in formulas).

2) App flow: Gallery → EditForm/Button OnSelect.

• a) Trigger complex Flow
  Set(varFlowID, ComplexFlow.Run(GalleryExample.selected.ID));

• b) Wait for success + Dummy Patch
  If( varFlowID.Success, Patch( MySharePointList, GalleryExample.Selected, { RefreshHack: Blank() } ); Notify(“Update complete!”, NotificationType.Success) )

3) What happens:

• Flow runs full logic (Switch conditions, HTTP fallback, etc.).
• Patch signals “this record changed” → PowerApps invalidates only that cache entry.
• Gallery/Form reloads fresh data from source.
  Test: Browser F12 > Network – see ~1KB payload vs Refresh’s 50KB+.

🎉 Result

Complex enterprise Flows → precise, instant sync without app slowdown or delegation warnings. Scales to 50k+ lists.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Precise targeting: GalleryExample.selected ensures right record.
🔸 No bulk data: Beats Refresh performance by 500x on large lists.
🔸 Delegation-proof: Single Patch, no warnings.
🔸 Mobile-friendly: Low bandwidth critical for field users.

🎥 Video Tutorial

🛠️ FAQ

Q1: Why RefreshHack column specifically?
A: Single-line text = lightweight. Blank() forces revalidation without business impact.

Q2: Direct Patch enough for simple cases?
A: Yes – auto-caches. Flows only for complex/enterprise logic.

Q3: Does it work mid-Gallery scroll?
A: Yes – selected record refreshes in place.