Parse Compare From

Parse Compare From is a utility action.

It decodes a TriggerWindowStartToken or raw SharePoint change token so the flow can inspect the timestamp before calling the main Alert Relay actions.

Why this action exists

Sometimes you may want to inspect the trigger token before using it.

You may want to:

• understand what timestamp is inside the token
• compare the token time to a specific date
• decide whether to use the token or a fixed baseline date

When to use this action

Use Parse Compare From when:

• you are building a flow with cutover or migration logic
• you want to ignore older changes before a specific start date
• you want to inspect token details for troubleshooting

Inputs

Compare From (compareFrom)

Type: string.

Use a TriggerWindowStartToken or a raw SharePoint change token.

This action supports token values such as:

• TriggerWindowStartToken
• a raw SharePoint change token

It does not parse:

• version labels
• ISO dates
• ISO date-time values

Timezone (timezone)

Type: string.

Use this if you also want the output to include a local time value as well as UTC.

Defaults to returning only the UTC value when no timezone is supplied.

Outputs

The response includes:

• Success (success): boolean. true if the token was parsed successfully.
• Message (message): string. A human-readable message describing the result.
• Token Date Time UTC (tokenDateTimeUTC): date-time. The timestamp from the token in UTC.
• Token Date Time Local (tokenDateTimeLocal): date-time. The timestamp converted to the selected timezone, when a timezone is supplied.
• Decoded Token (decodedToken): string. The decoded raw token value.
• Is Base64 Token (isBase64Token): boolean. true if the input token was base64 encoded.
• Sequence (sequence): integer. The SharePoint change sequence value inside the token.
• List GUID (listGuid): guid. The list or library GUID inside the token.
• Token Version (tokenVersion): integer. The token version number.
• Token Type (tokenType): integer. The SharePoint token type number.
• Error (error): string. Error details when parsing fails.

Typical usage pattern

1. start with a SharePoint trigger
2. pass TriggerWindowStartToken into Parse Compare From
3. compare Token Date Time UTC (tokenDateTimeUTC) or Token Date Time Local (tokenDateTimeLocal) against your chosen specific date
4. decide whether the main Alert Relay action should use:
   • the original trigger token, or
   • an explicit baseline date

Example scenario

You launch a new flow on April 20, 2026 and only want comparisons from that point onward.

You can:

1. parse the trigger token
2. compare the parsed timestamp to 2026-04-20
3. if the token is earlier than that date, use 2026-04-20
4. otherwise use the token directly

Related pages

• Compare From Baselines
• Use Detailed JSON Changes
• Troubleshooting