Troubleshooting Email Workflow Issues In Sharepoint Designer

Common Email Workflow Errors

Email workflows in SharePoint Designer often encounter errors that prevent emails from being sent properly. Some common errors include:

• Failed to start workflow – This means the workflow failed to initialize. Potential causes include incorrect permissions, the workflow being too complex, or platform resource limitations.
• Workflow stuck on a step – A workflow pausing indefinitely on a particular action indicates logic, syntax, or platform issues. Investigating workflow history can uncover where and why it is stuck.
• Email not sending – With correct workflow logic, a failure to send emails suggests configuration problems with the SMTP server, credentials, or permissions.

Diagnosing the root causes requires reviewing workflow processes, configurations, and logs to pinpoint where and how execution failed. Common sources of failure include resource bottlenecks, permissions errors, faulty logic, configuration issues, and exceptions within workflow actions.

Debugging Workflow Email Issues

SharePoint Designer provides debugging capabilities to test workflows and uncover email issues:

• Enable debugging mode – Turns on step-by-step execution to pause workflow at each action to view status and output.
• Add logging actions – Insert Log to History actions to capture variables, statuses, and exceptions during execution.
• Review workflow history – The workflow history lets you check step statuses, execution params, and error messages.
• Check debug logs – ULS and event logs record workflow processes including email send attempts and failures.

Follow the workflow path to identify where failures occur. Check configurations, server resources, permissions, and email server logs as needed to get details on the source of errors.

Fixing Email Connection Problems

Problems sending workflow emails most often stem from incorrectly configured or inaccessible SMTP servers. To test workflow email connections:

• Check SMTP settings – Confirm server name, port, encryption match the email server configurations.
• Verify credentials – Check workflow and account permissions to send mail through the SMTP server.
• Test sending manually – Use Send Email workflow action to attempt sending to validate the connection.

Also confirm adequate server resources, throttling policies, exceptions in SMTP logs, and network connectivity. Adjust configurations and permissions until manually sending emails succeeds.

Optimizing Large Distribution Lists

High-volume distribution lists often require workflow optimizations:

• Split workflow into batches – Process fewer recipients at once to reduce load and completion time.
• Add delays between batches – Throttle workflow to avoid overwhelming resources and triggering throttling limits.
• Check for throttling policies – Review server policies on resource usage limits and email sending restrictions.

Test batched workflows with small test groups before full distribution. Confirm sufficient server capacity and adjust batch sizes and timing to smooth workflow processes.

Example Email Workflow Code Snippets

Common email-related actions to use within SharePoint Designer workflows include:

• Sending emails – Use the Send Email action to specify recipient, subject, body, attachments.

Send Email
   To: [Current Item:Requester Email]
   Subject: Request [Current Item:Title] Submitted
   Body: Your request [#Current Item:RequestID] has been received...

• Logging errors – Log exceptions to history for diagnosis.

 
Try
   Send Email
Catch
   Log 'Email failed to send, error: ' + WorkflowExceptionMessage to History List

• Batching – Process items in small batches using a ForEach loop.

ForEach [GetTargetUsers] in CurrentBatche
   Send Email
Next
Pause for 00:05:00  

See Microsoft documentation for detailed syntax, usage, and examples applying these and other available workflow actions.

Additional Email Workflow Tips

Follow these best practices when configuring workflows:

• Design for stability – Avoid overly complex logic, use error handling, confirm platform resources can handle maximum load.
• Monitor closely at first – Check workflow histories and logs frequently when first launched to catch any issues.
• Build custom when needed – For advanced scenarios with unique needs, custom .NET solutions may provide more flexibility.

Testing rigorously during development and continuing to monitor workflows over time is key to maintaining smooth, uninterrupted services for end users.