Copilot Studio approval flow in Teams still prompts users for connection despite using flow author credentials #430
Description
I am facing an issue while using Copilot Studio with a Power Automate flow that includes Approvals in Microsoft Teams.
Scenario
The flow is triggered from a Copilot Studio agent.
The flow contains a Teams approval (Standard Approvals) action.
Under Run-only permissions, I have configured:
✅ Use flow author’s connection for new actions
✅ For Connections Used → Standard approvals, selected Use this connection (Standard approvals)
The flow owner (author) has a valid and active connection.
End users should not be required to authenticate or provide their own connections.
Expected Behavior
When the flow runs from Copilot Studio:
The approval request should be created and sent using the flow author’s credentials
Users interacting with the Copilot should not be prompted to sign in or manage connections
Actual Behavior
When the flow reaches the Approval step, it redirects to Connection Manager
Users are prompted to authenticate or are blocked due to missing permissions
This happens even though the flow is explicitly configured to use the author’s connection
Additional Notes
This issue occurs specifically when the flow is executed via Copilot Studio (Teams channel, M365 Chat)
The same flow works correctly when triggered manually from Power Automate
The problem appears to be related to how Copilot Studio handles approval connectors and run-only connections
Impact
This blocks production usage because:
End users should not be asked to authenticate
The agent is intended to run using service/author credentials only
Request
Please clarify:
Whether this is a known limitation or bug in Copilot Studio approvals
If there is a recommended or supported approach to ensure approvals always use the flow author’s credentials
Whether a service principal or alternative approval pattern is required for Copilot StudioI am facing an issue while using Copilot Studio with a Power Automate flow that includes Approvals in Microsoft Teams.
Scenario
The flow is triggered from a Copilot Studio agent.
The flow contains a Teams approval (Standard Approvals) action.
Under Run-only permissions, I have configured:
✅ Use flow author’s connection for new actions
✅ For Connections Used → Standard approvals, selected Use this connection (Standard approvals)
The flow owner (author) has a valid and active connection.
End users should not be required to authenticate or provide their own connections.
Expected Behavior
When the flow runs from Copilot Studio:
The approval request should be created and sent using the flow author’s credentials
Users interacting with the Copilot should not be prompted to sign in or manage connections
Actual Behavior
When the flow reaches the Approval step, it redirects to Connection Manager
Users are prompted to authenticate or are blocked due to missing permissions
This happens even though the flow is explicitly configured to use the author’s connection
Additional Notes
This issue occurs specifically when the flow is executed via Copilot Studio (Teams channel)
The same flow works correctly when triggered manually from Power Automate
The problem appears to be related to how Copilot Studio handles approval connectors and run-only connections
Impact
This blocks production usage because:
End users should not be asked to authenticate
The agent is intended to run using service/author credentials only
Request
Please clarify:
Whether this is a known limitation or bug in Copilot Studio approvals
If there is a recommended or supported approach to ensure approvals always use the flow author’s credentials
