Many SharePoint compliance management systems incorporate automated processes powered by workflows to streamline repetitive business processes and keep operations moving. Workflows help streamline manual tasks to maximize resources and increase efficiency. When these workflows break, companies can experience stalled approvals, missed communications, and shift back to manual workarounds.

Recently, many workflows in SharePoint stopped working. So, what happened?

The Root Cause: End of SharePoint Designer Workflows

For years SharePoint relied on workflows built in SharePoint Designer to automate repetitive business processes like approvals, notifications, and task management. However, these workflows were built on legacy technology that does not align with Microsoft’s modern, cloud-first direction. As a result, Microsoft set April 2, 2026, as the official end-of-life for the legacy workflows.

In short, that means workflows that have worked seamlessly for years have been turned off, with no warnings for when the workflows don’t run. In most cases, the only sign of an issue is that critical business processes suddenly stop functioning. This leads to inconsistent manual workarounds, or, in some cases, important tasks just not being completed.

Modern Workflow Solutions

The good news is that legacy workflows can be replaced with modern Microsoft tools, such as Power Automate, Azure Logic Apps, and Co-Pilot Agent Flows.

• Power Automate provides a user-friendly, low-code platform for building approval processes, notifications, and integrations directly within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
• Azure Logic Apps offer advanced capabilities, including robust integration and greater control over workflow logic for more complex or enterprise-scale scenarios.
• Co-Pilot Agent Flows introduce deep artificial intelligence (AI) integration into the traditional workflow process, enhancing automation with intelligent decision-making.

These modern tools offer several key advantages to legacy Designer workflows:

• Enhanced Functionality: Modern workflows integrate with hundreds of connectors across Microsoft 365 and third-party services (e.g., Teams, Outlook, Dynamics, Salesforce).
• User-Friendly Design: The user interfaces feature a low-code/no-code interface that simplifies workflow creation and maintenance, making automation more accessible to business users.
• Improved Monitoring and Governance: Built-in analytics and monitoring tools provide greater visibility into workflow performance.
• AI-Driven Automation: Modern workflows incorporate AI to enhance decision-making, automate content generation, and provide intelligent recommendations.

Getting Your Workflows Working

If you think your workflows are no longer working, leveraging SharePoint experts who can take a structured approach to replacing Designer workflows can help effectively restore them:

• Assess: Inventory all existing workflows, evaluate which workflows aren’t functioning, identify critical processes, and determine what needs to be migrated, redesigned, or retired.
• Plan: Determine how each workflow will be recreated, accounting for functional differences and opportunities for improvement.
• Migrate: Rebuild workflows using modern tools, testing thoroughly to ensure they meet business requirements and function as expected.
• Optimize: Take advantage of modern capabilities to enhance workflows, integrate additional systems, and improve overall efficiency.

It’s important to note that there is no direct one-to-one conversion from SharePoint Designer workflows to modern workflows. Many workflows will need to be reimagined rather than simply recreated. While this requires effort, it also presents an opportunity to improve processes and reduce complexity.

Moving Forward

The end of SharePoint Designer workflows is no longer a distant future consideration; it is a current reality that organizations must address. Without migration to modern solutions, business processes will continue to fail, leading to disruptions and inefficiencies.

If your organization relied on SharePoint Designer workflows, KTL can help you navigate this required transition by assessing your current environment, redesigning workflows, and implementing modern solutions that restore and improve functionality. Reach out today to schedule a no-obligation demo and ensure your SharePoint environment continues to run effectively.