SharePoint Online: Automatic saving in edit mode and negative consequences

Effective use of the WYSIWYG editor in SharePoint Online

The WYSIWYG editor in SharePoint Online provides editors with a versatile platform to design content in a preview-like environment that shows the final look and feel to users. With „What You See Is What You Get“, content can be edited in real time, facilitating both collaboration and creativity as changes are immediately visible.

The user interface of this editor is intuitive and enables simple customisation of text and images with a few mouse clicks. The integration of image editing tools allows users to design appealing pages even without technical knowledge. Web parts further extend the functionality by incorporating elements such as forms and calendars.

A major advantage is the real-time preview, which ensures that editors can assess changes before publication. However, automatic saving within the editor comes with challenges, especially in conjunction with Power Automate. Auto-saves occur every time a change is made, which can lead to unwanted workflow triggers - this in turn can disrupt the workflow and make version tracking more difficult.

Automatic storage: advantages and disadvantages

SharePoint Online's automatic saving in WYSIWYG mode allows editors to save changes securely in real time, minimising the risk of data loss. This type of saving encourages an experimental way of working.

However, this function also has its downsides: It can lead to frequent triggers of workflows in the SharePoint Connector for Power Automate. Each automatic save initiates a new trigger, which can lead to a large number of executions during an editing session. This can not only result in frustrating notifications, but can also impair the clarity of the version history.

Unclear version information can make it considerably more difficult to track changes, especially in collaborative projects, which can have a negative impact on teamwork.

Optimisation of the integration of Power Automate with SharePoint

Power Automate provides an automation platform for various applications, including SharePoint Online. This integration allows editors to configure cloud flows that respond to specific events.

Auto-save operations in WYSIWYG mode activate triggers in the SharePoint Connector for Power Automate, which in turn trigger workflows. This can lead to excessive execution, which can reduce productivity and generate unwanted information.

To avoid this, editors and administrators should specifically control trigger events. It is advisable to build in conditions to only react to significant changes. Considered use of specific triggers and harmonised workflow schedules can also help to increase efficiency.

Strategies for minimising conflicts with automatic storage

Editors and administrators can take various measures to minimise the negative effects of Power Automate's automatic saving and workflows. One effective approach is to revise triggers to capture only truly significant changes.

In addition, versioning settings should be adjusted so that new versions are only created when they are saved manually. Workflow actions can only increase the version number for significant changes, which improves traceability.

Parallel behaviour in Power Automate can also be useful. Instead of triggering flows frequently, parallel branches could be used that wait for aggregated changes.

Outlook for future developments in SharePoint and Power Automate

In the long term, Microsoft and other developers are working to further improve the user experience in SharePoint Online and Power Automate. Future developments could introduce granulation of triggers in Power Automate to capture only significant changes.

The adaptation of version control mechanisms could also represent a significant improvement for editors by adequately recording automatic saves in the version history.

New workflow templates could also make work easier by addressing common scenarios and providing clear instructions. Improvements to the SharePoint Online user interface, such as customised dashboards, are other potential developments.

Conclusion

The functionalities of the WYSIWYG mode in SharePoint Online offer many advantages, but also bring challenges, especially in conjunction with Power Automate. By making strategic adjustments, editors and administrators can make the most of the advantages and minimise the potential disadvantages.