Workflow App Step error "Item does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user."

Question

SP 2019 OnPrem:

I have written a workflow that needs to copy a document from one library to another secure library where most users don't have rights. I'm doing this using an App Step. I set up the App Step according to these guidelines:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sharepoint/dev/general-development/create-a-workflow-with-elevated-permissions-by-using-the-sharepoint-workflo

It went through easily and without any issues, but the workflow still gets the following error:

>     Suspend this workflow
>     Activity in progress
>     
>     Retrying last request. Next attempt scheduled in less than one minute. Details of last request: HTTP NotFound to
> https://mydomain/sites/707857/_api/web/lists(guid'c17dcd5a-dcae-47b5-8ef9-15ccbf16c110')/Items(183)?%24select=ID%2CFileDirRef
> Correlation Id: fa2716b6-6d10-bc6b-8aa2-eb93b260f821 Instance Id:
> 451ecf36-6a81-420e-a462-b62f1edcaf85
>     
>     Item does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user.
>     Retry now

The important part being: Item does not exist. It may have been deleted by another user.

If I remove the App Step and run the workflow normally it runs through correctly, so I know my workflow is fine. It only fails when I add the App Step. (It works for me without the App Step because I have access to both libraries, but most users don't.)

My assumption is that the part where we grant the workflow full permissions to the site isn't registering correctly. Therefore it doesn't have the required access level to the libraries. But I followed the directions to the letter.

Any ideas on what else I can check?

Are there settings for the Workflow Manager that I can check? Or ways to test permissions for a workflow?

Thank you

Answer 1

To test if it's the issue about workflow manager, try to use SharePoint 2010 workflow platform and "Impersonation Step" in SharePoint Designer to copy document to another document library, and check if the issue exists.

What's the permission of normal users in the source document library?

Try to add "log to history list" action before each action in the workflow, check which action cause this issue.

Answer 2

Solved.

Turns out the source document wasn't Checked In.

Once I did that before calling the App Step the workflow ran fine.