Stop/Start workflow for SharePoint Online using PowerShell Script

With SharePoint Online, PowerShell is as a connected bridge so that it itself brings a big dedication. I always think about PS script whenever get a new request.

Start/Start workflow for list item of large list is one of tasks that I have been worked on and it was so excited. This article is just sharing the script code with a little explanation to avoid the error while it's executing.

Common Script

$username = "YOUR_TENANTACC" 

$password = "YOUR_PASS" 

$url = "YOUR_SITE_URL"

$securePassword = ConvertTo-SecureString $Password -AsPlainText -Force 

# the path here may need to change if you used e.g. C:\Lib.. 

Add-Type -Path "c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll" 

Add-Type -Path "c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll" 

Add-Type -Path "c:\Program Files\Common Files\microsoft shared\Web Server Extensions\15\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.WorkflowServices.dll" 

# connect/authenticate to SharePoint Online and get ClientContext object.. 

$clientContext = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($url) 

$credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($username, $securePassword) 

$clientContext.Credentials = $credentials 

$web = $clientContext.Web

$clientContext.Load($web)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

$lists = $web.Lists

$clientContext.Load($lists)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

$lst = $lists.GetByTitle("YOUR_LIST")

$clientContext.Load($lst)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

#get all workflow subscription in your web/sub-site

$wfServicesManager = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.WorkflowServices.WorkflowServicesManager($clientContext, $web)

$wfSubscriptionService = $wfServicesManager.GetWorkflowSubscriptionService()

$wfSubscriptions = $wfSubscriptionService.EnumerateSubscriptions()

$wfInstanceSevice = $wfServicesManager.GetWorkflowInstanceService()

$clientContext.Load($wfSubscriptions)

$clientContext.Load($wfInstanceSevice)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

#initalize the parameters for workflow

$dictionary = New-Object 'system.collections.generic.dictionary[string,object]'

$dictionary.Add("YOUR_VARIABLE", "YOUR_VALUE")

#in case, if you need to start workflow on some items, you could execute the query and start on those items    

$qry = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.CamlQuery

$qry.ViewXML = "<View><Query><Where>YOUR_QUERY</Where></Query></View>"

                

$items = $lst.GetItems($qry)

$clientContext.Load($items)

$clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

$srb = $wfSubscriptions | Where-Object { $_.Name -eq "YOUR_WORKFLOW_NAME" }

Start Workflow

$cnt = 0

foreach($itm in $items)

{

    $workflowInstances = $wfInstanceSevice.EnumerateInstancesForListItem($lst.ID, $itm.ID)

    $clientContext.Load($workflowInstances)

    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    # bypass the item which the workflow instance was started

    $instance = $workflowInstances | Where-Object { $_.WorkflowSubscriptionId -eq  $srb.Id -and $_.Status -ne "Started" }

    

    if ($instance -ne $null)

    {

        $resultid = $wfInstanceSevice.StartWorkflowOnListItem($srb, $itm.Id, $dictionary)

        $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

        Write-Host "Started workfkow [" $srb.Name  "] on item ["  $itm.Id  "]: " $resultid.Value -foregroundcolor Green

        Start-Sleep -s 1

        $cnt++

    }

}

Write-Host $cnt " are effected - Done!"

Stop Workflow 

$cnt = 0

foreach($itm in $items)

{

    $workflowInstances = $wfInstanceSevice.EnumerateInstancesForListItem($lst.ID, $itm.ID)

    $clientContext.Load($workflowInstances)

    $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

    # bypass the item which the workflow instance was started

    $instance = $workflowInstances | Where-Object { $_.WorkflowSubscriptionId -eq  $srb.Id -and $_.Status -eq "Started" }

    

    if ($instance -ne $null)

        {

            $wfInstanceSevice.CancelWorkflow($instance)

            $clientContext.ExecuteQuery()

            Write-Host "Cancel Workfkow [" $instance.Id  "] on item ["  $itm.Id  "] " $instance.Status -foregroundcolor Red

            $cnt++

            Start-Sleep -s 1

        }

}

Write-Host $cnt " are effected - Done!"

Notes

• Regarding to limitation on SharePoint Online, it only can start 5 workflows instance in a second. So, it should be delayed 1 second for each loop statement.
• Just start a workflow if the workflow instance did not start and stop workflow if the workflow instance is running.