Power Automate flow suspended by a DLP policy: what it means and what to tell your admin

Short answer: a data loss prevention (DLP) policy is a rule your administrator sets. It controls which connectors flows may use. Microsoft says: "Administrators control DLP policies. If a DLP policy is blocking your flows from running, contact your administrator." You cannot change the policy yourself.

How to confirm it is a DLP suspension

Open https://make.powerautomate.com and select My flows.
Open the flow and check the status at the top right. Microsoft says Suspended means Power Automate suspended the flow. Its page describes repeated failures as one cause, so DLP is not the only reason.
Select Properties on the flow details page. Microsoft says: "If you see a DLP violation message, the flow uses connectors that are now in different policy groups."

Exact names may differ on your screen.

Microsoft also says suspended flows show as suspended in the maker portal and in the Power Platform admin center. Admins can see the reason in the data as FlowSuspensionReason=CompanyDlpViolation.

What the policy groups mean

Your admin sorts connectors into policy groups. A DLP violation message means your flow now uses connectors that sit in different groups. For desktop flows, Microsoft names the groups Business, Non-business, and Blocked. Ask your admin which group each of your connectors is in.

When it can happen

Microsoft says: "DLP policy changes take effect immediately and can block flows without warning. If multiple flows broke at the same time, a DLP change is the most likely cause." Another Microsoft page says a background job scans all active flows after a policy is created or changed, and enforcement "occurs within 24 hours."

Message to send your admin

Our advice, not a Microsoft rule. Copy this and fill the brackets:
"My flow [flow name] in environment [environment name] shows Suspended. The Properties page shows a DLP violation. It uses these connectors: [list each connector name, for example SharePoint, Outlook, HTTP]. Which policy changed, and which connector group should these be in? If the connector is blocked, can you approve it, or tell me which one to use instead?"

To list your connectors: open the flow in edit mode and read the name on each action card. Ask your admin for anything past that.

After the fix

Ask your admin. Microsoft says active cloud flows suspended in the previous seven days are re-activated automatically if they no longer violate any DLP policy. If yours was suspended more than seven days ago, turn it back on after your admin confirms the fix. Microsoft says if a flow turns off again right away, check for a DLP violation.

What to avoid

Do not rebuild the flow with another connector to get around the rule. Ask first.
Do not copy company data into a personal account to dodge the block.
Do not keep re-saving the flow to clear the error. Microsoft says a maker can't save a flow that uses a connector a data policy blocks.

If your flow turned off for another reason, see "Power Automate flow turned off automatically".

When to get help

You can build all of this yourself in Microsoft 365. If you would rather have it built and tested for your team, I do that. A tracker like this is a fixed price: $5,000 for one, built in 2 weeks. See "What a SharePoint tracker costs to build". Bring one example of the problem to a free call.

Tell me what's still manual

I am Al Davies. I run 250 High Street LLC and build SharePoint trackers and Power Automate flows for operations teams. I work remotely. The first call is free, and I will not try to sell you anything.

See trackers I built: Tools I built

FAQ

Why was my Power Automate flow suspended?

Microsoft lists repeated failures and DLP policy violations as reasons. Open Properties on the flow details page to look for a DLP message.

What is a DLP policy in Power Automate?

Microsoft says it defines which connectors can access and share business data. Administrators control it.

Can I fix a DLP violation myself?

Microsoft says to contact your administrator.

How long until a DLP change suspends my flow?

Microsoft says DLP changes can block flows without warning. After a policy is created or changed, a background job scans active flows, and enforcement occurs within 24 hours.

Will a suspended flow turn back on?

Microsoft says active cloud flows suspended in the previous seven days are re-activated automatically if they no longer violate any DLP policy.