Are you new to Power Automate and business process automation? This article provides a beginner’s guide to Power Automate, including an overview of its key features and benefits, as well as step-by-step instructions for creating your first workflow. In addition, multiple real-world examples and advanced techniques are discussed.

Introduction

Did you know that at least a third of daily tasks could be automated in 60% of occupations? The triggering of processes, updating data, and sharing of information are all tasks that many of us perform every day. How then do we make time to concentrate on the tasks that are truly important?

Power Automate, formerly known as Microsoft Flow, is a cloud-based service that is available in Office 365, Teams, and OneDrive, and it allows users to automate tasks and processes by creating workflows. It allows repetitive tasks, such as sending emails and updating spreadsheets, to be automated. We will explore the basics of Power Automate in this guide, and show how it can be used in real-life scenarios. So, what is Power Automate in Office 365, in Teams, and in OneDrive? It is a tool that can streamline workflows and increase productivity for individuals and teams.

With Power Automate, you can create custom workflows that can be triggered by a variety of events, such as the receipt of an email or the completion of a task in another application. This guide will provide an overview of Power Automate and offer examples of how it can be used in real-world scenarios. Whether you are new to automation or a seasoned pro, coder or non-coder Power Automate can be used by anyone. This guide will provide valuable insights into the capabilities of Power Automate and how it can help streamline your workflows.

What is Power Automate?

Power Automate is a cloud-based service that enables users to automate tasks and workflows across a wide range of applications and services. It is part of the Microsoft Power Platform, which also includes Power BI for data visualization and PowerApps for building custom business applications.

 

With the help of Power Automate organizations can now automate their business processes using Teams, Office 365, Microsoft 365, Azure, and many other apps in a painless way. Power Automate is one of the most popular business process automation tools used in the industry. Before we dive deep into Power Automate’s working, let’s learn more about business process automation tools.

What is a business process automation tool?

A business process automation tool is software that allows organizations to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks. These tools often provide a user-friendly interface that allows users to create and manage complex workflows without the need for coding or technical expertise.

Many organizations rely on manual data entry to capture and record information, which can be time-consuming and prone to errors. By using a business process automation tool, organizations can automate the data entry process, reducing the risk of errors and freeing up time for employees to focus on more value-added tasks. Other examples of business processes that can be automated include invoicing, payroll, and customer service.

By automating these processes, organizations can reduce the time and resources needed to complete them, freeing up employees to focus on more important tasks.

With business process automation tools, users can automate processes related to data generation, distribution, and consumption, as well as a host of other functions.

Check our article: Power Automate Functions Overview: Definition, Cheat Sheet, Best Practices

How does Power Automate differ from other automation tools?

Power Automate is different from other automation tools in several ways. One of the main differences is that it is designed to be user-friendly and easy to use, with a simple drag-and-drop interface that allows users to build workflows without the need for programming skills. It also integrates seamlessly with a wide range of Microsoft products, such as Office 365, Dynamics 365, and Azure, as well as a variety of third-party services, including Salesforce, Slack, and Google Drive.

Another key difference is that Power Automate is designed to be highly scalable and flexible, with support for both simple and complex workflows. It also offers a range of advanced features, such as error handling, data mapping, and conditional logic, which make it well-suited for use in enterprise environments.

Some examples of other automation tools that are similar to Power Automate include Zapier and IFTTT (If This Then That). These tools also allow users to create automated workflows between various applications and services, but may not offer the same level of integration with Microsoft products and services as Power Automate.

What does Power Automate do?

Microsoft Power Automate can be used for a wide range of purposes, making it a valuable tool for businesses of all sizes. Here are five such tasks:

1. Sending emails: Power Automate can be used to automate the sending of emails, such as sending a daily or weekly summary of important events or tasks.
2. Creating and updating records: Power Automate can be used to automate the creation and updating of records in databases, such as creating a new customer record in a CRM system or updating project status in a project management tool.
3. Synchronizing files: Power Automate can be used to synchronize files between different cloud storage services, such as copying files from OneDrive to Dropbox or vice versa.
4. Automating business processes: Power Automate can be used to automate business processes, such as an onboarding process or a sales process, by guiding users through the process and ensuring that all necessary steps are completed in the correct order.
5. Integrating applications: Power Automate can be used to integrate different applications and services, such as integrating a CRM system with an email marketing platform or a project management tool with a social media platform.

What Power Automate can do for your business

There are many ways that Power Automate can benefit businesses, some of which include:

• Streamlining and automating business processes: Power Automate allows users to automate and streamline business processes by creating and automating workflows between various applications and services. This can help businesses save time and effort, as well as reduce the risk of errors and mistakes.
• Improving efficiency and productivity: By automating repetitive tasks and processes, Power Automate can help businesses improve efficiency and productivity. This can free up time and resources that can be redirected towards more valuable activities.
• Automate Data Collection: Power Automate allows you to collect and store flow data questionnaire results in a SharePoint list automatically. Alternatively, you could keep track of results in an Excel spreadsheet and add them to a report on a regular basis. You can use Power Automate to create a flow that streamlines data entry for all users by using a simple, automated form.
• Enhancing collaboration and communication: Power Automate can help businesses improve collaboration and communication by enabling users to automate the sharing of information and resources between different departments and teams.
• Increasing flexibility and adaptability: Power Automate allows users to set conditions and rules for their workflows, so that certain actions are only taken if certain conditions are met. This can help businesses increase their flexibility and adaptability, as they can create workflows that can adapt to changing business needs.

How does Power Automate Work?

To use Power Automate, users first need to sign up for an account and connect their desired applications and services. Once connected, users can then create workflows using a visual designer or pre-built connectors and templates.

A workflow in Power Automate consists of a series of steps, or “actions,” that are triggered by a specific event or condition. For example, a workflow might be triggered when a new email arrives in a specific mailbox, or when a new row is added to an Excel spreadsheet.

Once a workflow is triggered, it will execute the actions that have been configured in the workflow. These actions can include things like sending an email, creating a new record in a database, or posting a message to a team chat application.

Power Automate also allows users to set conditions and rules for their workflows, so that certain actions are only taken if certain conditions are met. This allows users to create more complex and sophisticated workflows that can adapt to changing business needs.

In addition to its automation capabilities, Power Automate also offers a number of features and tools to help users manage and monitor their workflows. For example, users can use the “Run History” page to view the status and details of each run of a workflow, and the “Alerts” page to set up notifications for when a workflow fails or succeeds.

Getting started with Power Automate

Creating an account and setting up Power Automate

First, go to https://flow.microsoft.com/ which will direct you to Power Automate’s official website

When you sign in to Power Automate, you will be taken to the home page, which is the central hub for managing your workflows and connectors. The layout of the home page can vary slightly depending on the version of Power Automate you are using and any customization that has been applied to your account.

Exploring the user interface and common elements

In general, the Power Automate home page consists of a number of different areas and features that allow you to manage and monitor your workflows and connectors. On the left, you can switch to different pages and explore Power Automate’s different functionalities.

These may include:

• Navigation menu: This allows you to access different areas of the Power Automate portal, such as the “My Flows” page, the “Connectors” page, and the “Resources” page.
• The canvas: This is the main area where you build and configure your flow. It includes the flow diagram, which shows the different steps in the flow, and the action panel, which contains the various actions and triggers that you can use to build your flow.
• The ribbon: This is the top menu bar that provides access to various features and options, such as saving and publishing your flow, accessing the flow history, and managing connections.
• A list of your workflows: This displays a list of your workflows, including their names, statuses, and any alerts or notifications associated with them.
• A list of your connectors: This displays a list of your connectors, including their names, statuses, and any alerts or notifications associated with them.
• Dashboard: This displays a summary of your workflows and connectors, including their statuses, run histories, and any alerts or notifications.
• The connectors tab: This tab displays a list of all the available connectors that you can use to connect to various applications and services.

Connecting to external data sources and services

One of the key benefits of using Power Automate is the ability to connect to a wide range of external data sources and services. This allows you to automate workflows and tasks that involve data from multiple sources, making it a powerful tool for integrating systems and processes.

To connect to an external data source or service in Power Automate, you will need to use a connector. Connectors are pre-built integrations that allow you to connect to specific applications and services.

Power Automate includes a wide range of connectors for popular services, such as Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and Google Workspace, as well as connectors for custom APIs and other data sources. To connect to a data source or service, you will need to authenticate your connection by providing your login credentials or an API key. Once you have authenticated the connection, you can use the connector to access data and perform actions within the connected service.

Building your first Power Automate workflow

Types of workflows

As we’ve already mentioned, Power Automate offers a variety of pre-defined templates from which you can select to begin working right away. Users have the option of choosing one of these workflows from the templates or starting from scratch to create their workflow.

Based on the trigger of any workflow, all of these workflows can be further divided into three main types as follows: Cloud flows, desktop flows, and business process flows can all be made. Let’s examine how each of these flows functions.

Cloud Flows

Cloud flows in Power Automate, also known as “cloud-only” flows, are flows that are created and run entirely in the cloud. They do not require any on-premises infrastructure or resources and can be accessed and managed from anywhere with an internet connection.

Cloud flows are triggered by events or actions that occur in the cloud, such as the creation of a new record in a cloud-based database or the arrival of a new email in an Office 365 mailbox. They can also be triggered by user actions, such as clicking a button on a web page or mobile app, or by schedule, such as running every day at a specific time.

Cloud flows can be used to automate a wide range of tasks and processes, such as sending emails, creating and updating records in databases, and synchronizing files between different cloud storage services. They are an ideal choice for organizations that want to automate their workflows and improve efficiency, without the need for on-premises infrastructure or technical expertise.

Desktop Flows

Desktop flows in Power Automate are flows that are created and run on a desktop computer, rather than in the cloud. They can be used to automate tasks and processes that involve on-premises resources, such as local files, folders, and applications.

These flows are triggered by events or actions that occur on the desktop computer, such as the creation of a new file in a local folder or the arrival of a new email in an Outlook inbox.

They can also be triggered by user actions, such as clicking a button in a desktop application or web page, or by schedule, such as running every day at a specific time.

To create a desktop flow in Power Automate, users can install the Power Automate Desktop app on their desktop computer and use it to create and manage flows. The app includes a range of connectors and triggers that can be used to connect to local resources and create custom automation workflows.

Business process Flows

Business process flows in Power Automate are flows that are designed to guide users through a specific business process, such as a sales process or an onboarding process. They are typically used to ensure that all necessary steps in the process are completed in the correct order and that relevant information is collected and stored at each stage.

Business process flows are triggered by events or actions that occur in a connected system, such as the creation of a new record in a database or the arrival of a new email. They can also be triggered by user actions, such as clicking a button in a web page or mobile app, or by schedule, such as running every day at a specific time.

To create a business process flow in Power Automate, users can select the “Business process flow” option when creating a new flow. They can then specify the stages in the process and the actions that should be performed at each stage. Business process flows can be customized to include different conditions and rules, depending on the specific requirements of the process.

Overall, business process flows are a useful feature of Power Automate that can be used to streamline and standardize a wide range of business processes and tasks.

Setting up Trigger Conditions & Actions in Power Automate

In Power Automate, trigger conditions are events or conditions that start a flow. When a trigger condition is activated, it causes the flow to run and perform a specific action or series of actions.

There are many trigger conditions available in Power Automate, and they can be customized to fit the specific needs of a workflow. Here are examples of trigger conditions and how they can be used in Power Automate.

When a new email arrives in your mailbox, that could be a trigger for a flow. Or, when a new item is added to a SharePoint list, that could be a trigger for a flow. These triggers can be set as part of manual, scheduled, or automatic flows.

Actions are the tasks that the flow performs when the trigger occurs. For example, if the trigger is a new email arriving in your mailbox, an action could be to send a response email or to save the email attachment to OneDrive. Or, if the trigger is a new item being added to a SharePoint list, an action could be to send a notification or to update a field in the list item.

Here are the actions that Office 365 Outlook connector offers by default.

You can create flows in Power Automate using a variety of triggers and actions from a wide range of connectors, including connectors for popular cloud services such as Office 365, Salesforce, and Dropbox.

You can also create custom triggers and actions using Azure Functions or HTTP webhooks. To create a flow in Power Automate, you start by selecting a trigger and then adding actions to perform when the trigger occurs. One can also add conditions, loops, and other elements to control the flow of your automation.

Testing & Debugging Workflows

Testing and debugging workflows in Power Automate is an important step in ensuring that your flows function properly and achieve their intended purpose

There are several tools and techniques you can use to test and debug your flows in Power Automate. One of the simplest ways to test a flow is to use the “Test” button in the flow designer. This will allow you to simulate the trigger and run the flow as if it had been triggered in the real world. You can then review the results of the flow to see if it performed as expected.

Another useful tool for testing and debugging is the “Run History” tab in the flow designer. This tab shows a list of all the flow runs, including the input and output for each run. You can use this tab to see what happened during a specific run and to identify any issues that may have arisen.

You can also use the “Debug” button in the flow designer to step through the flow and see what is happening at each step. This can be especially useful if you are having trouble identifying the cause of an issue.

Finally, you can use the “Diagnostics” tab in the flow designer to view detailed log information about the flow. This can help you identify any issues or errors that may have occurred during a run.

Advanced Power Automate techniques

Using variables and expressions

Variables and expressions are powerful tools in Power Automate that allow users to store, manipulate, and reuse data within their flows. A variable is a named storage location that holds a value, such as a text string, a number, or a date. An expression is a formula or equation that performs a specific calculation or operation on data.

Here is an example of how you can use a variable and an expression in a Power Automate flow:

1. Define a variable named “Current_Time” of type “Date and Time”
2. Use the “Current time” action to set the value of the “Current_Time” variable to the current time
3. Define a second variable named “Format_Time” of type “String”
4. Use the expression formatDateTime(variables(‘currentTime’), ‘hh:mm tt’) to set the value of the “Format_Time” variable to the current time in the format “hh:mm tt” (e.g. “09:00 PM”) Use the “Send an email” action to send an email with the subject “Current Time: {Format_Time}”

In this example, the “Current_Time” variable is used to store the current time, and the “Format_Time” variable is used to store the current time in a specific format. The “formatDateTime” function is used in an expression to format the value of the “Current_Time” variable, and the resulting value is then used to set the value of the “Format_Time” variable. Finally, the “Format_Time” variable is used in the subject line of an email that is sent by the flow.

Learn more in our detailed article: What are Variables in Power Automate, and How to Use Them?

Implementing conditional logic and loops

Conditional logic and loops are important programming concepts that can be used to add flexibility and control to Power Automate flows.

To implement conditional logic, you can use the “Condition” action. This action allows you to specify a condition and specify different actions to be taken based on whether the condition is true or false. For example, you might use a condition to check whether a field in a form is blank, and if it is, you could use the “Condition” action to send an email reminding the user to fill out the field.

To implement a loop, you can use the “Apply to each” action. This action allows you to specify a collection of items and perform an action for each item in the collection. For example, you might use the “Apply to each” action to loop through a list of items and send an email for each item.

Here’s an example of how you could use a combination of a “Condition” action and an “Apply to each” action to implement a loop that only runs for certain items in a collection:
Use a “Condition” action to check whether a field in the item is equal to a certain value.
If the condition is true, add the item to a new collection using the “Create item” action.
Use the “Apply to each” action to loop through the new collection and perform the desired action for each item.

Creating custom connectors and APIs

Creating custom connectors and APIs extends the capabilities of Power Automate.

A custom connector is a piece of software that connects Power Automate to an external service or application. This allows users to access and use the functionality of the external service within their Power Automate flows.

To create a custom connector in Power Automate, you will need to have some programming skills and familiarity with APIs. Here are the general steps involved in creating a custom connector:

1. Identify the data source you want to connect to and determine the API endpoint and any authentication requirements.
2. Use the Power Automate Custom Connector SDK to create a connector that communicates with the API endpoint and retrieves the data.
3. The SDK provides tools and templates to help you build the connector.
4. Test the connector to make sure it is working correctly and can retrieve the data you need. Publish the connector to the Power Automate service so that it can be used by other users.

Once the custom connector is published, users can add it to their Power Automate workflow just like any other connector. They can then use it to connect to the data source and perform actions using the data.

In addition to creating custom connectors, you can also create custom APIs in Power Automate. A custom API is a RESTful web service that allows users to access data from a specific source using a specific set of queries.

To create a custom API in Power Automate, you will need to use the Power Automate HTTP action and define the queries and parameters that the API will support. Users can then use the custom API to access the data by making HTTP requests to the API endpoint.

Real-world examples of Power Automate in action

To illustrate the potential of Power Automate, let’s consider a few examples of how it can be used in different business scenarios.

Example 1: Sending an Email in Power Automate

To send an email in Power Automate, you will need to first create a flow that includes an action to send an email.

In the “Trigger” section, select the trigger that will start the flow. For example, you might choose the “When an item is created or modified” trigger if you want the flow to run whenever an item is added or modified in a list. In the “Action” section, search for and select the “Send an email” action.

Follow the steps below to build your first workflow on Power Automate. Here we will use a manual trigger to send an email using Microsoft Outlook 365.

Step 1. Go to the “My Flows” tab on the left sidebar.

Step 2. Under the “New Flows” dropdown select the “Instant Cloud flow” option.

Step 3. Name your flow and select the type of trigger; in this case, we will manually send a mail and not trigger it based on an event. Select “Manually trigger a flow” then click “Create”.

Step 4. Select ‘Next Step’ and Select ‘Initialize variable’ with the help of a search bar under “Choose an Operation”.

Step 5. Fill in the three boxes; in the value parameter type the receiver’s email id.

Step 6. After initializing the variable, select ‘Next Step’ which will open a section called ‘Control’. Select “Apply to each’, and type the name of the variable which we initialized earlier under “Select an output from the previous step”.

Step 7. Click on “Add an action” and under operation select “Send an email (V2)” with Office 365 Outlook tag. Connect to your email account and configure the action by entering the recipient’s email address, subject line, and message body. You can use dynamic content from previous steps in the flow to personalize the email.

Step 8. Click the “Save” button to save your flow. And on the top right corner of the page click on “Test” -> Select “Manually” and click “Test” below. You can then see if there are any errors in the flow and monitor its working.

You might also like our detailed article: Sending Emails with Power Automate: Step-by-Step Guide

Example 2: Automated Twitter Notify Flow

In this example, we will create a cloud flow to notify you via email when someone tweets a certain keyword. Here sending a tweet is the event, and sending mail is the action.

Step 1. Under the “New Flows” dropdown select the “Automated Cloud flow” option. Name your flow anything you want and select ‘When a new tweet is posted’ in the flows triggers and click ‘Create’

Step 2. If you haven’t already connected your Twitter account to Power Automate, select Sign in to Twitter, and then provide your credentials.

Step 3. Type the keyword you are looking for in the Search text box.

Step 4. Enter send email in the Search connectors and actions box, and then select Send an email (V2).

Step 5. You can use the ‘add dynamic content’ to incorporate information like ‘Tweeted by’ into the email itself.

Step 6. Click the “Save” button to save your flow and test it.

Step 7. You can view the run history of a cloud flow by selecting it from My flows and then clicking on the 28-day run history section of the page that opens.

Step 8. Send a tweet with the keyword that you indicated, or wait for someone else to post such a tweet. Within a minute after the tweet is posted, an email message notifies you of the new tweet.

6.3 Example 3: Populating Word Templates with Power Automate

By using Power Automate to populate Word templates, you can streamline and save time in the document creation process. With a few simple steps, you can set up a workflow that will automatically generate customized Word documents based on your templates and data. In this example, we will populate a word document template with data from an automated workflow.

Step 1. First, you need to enable the developer option in Microsoft Word in order to populate the file. You can find this option under File -> Option -> Under ‘Customize Ribbon’ Tab.

Step 2. For the tutorial purpose, we will create a simple contact template in Microsoft Word; upload it to Onedrive. To add a custom text box that will change for different inputs click on the ‘Developer’ section. Select the ‘Plain Text Content Control’ option from the controls category. By clicking this option, you can edit the content written in your Word file.

Step 3. Under the “New Flows” dropdown select the “Automated Cloud flow” option. Name your flow anything you want and select ‘When a new response is submitted’ in the flows triggers and click ‘Create’.

Step 4. The next step is to add the Microsoft Forms action. The form action will be called “Get Response Detail.” You have to select your Microsoft Forms ID. Because we have named my form “Contact Details,” we will choose that. Click on the Save button below “Response ID” and select the Response ID from the dynamic section.

Step 5. Add the Word document from OneDrive to the automated workflow. In the search value, type “word online” and select ‘Populate a Microsoft Word template’ icon.

Step 6. Enter the path to the word doc template in the three fields. Next select “create a file,” which will use the OneDrive file path. In this section, you must select the document’s folder, the name tag, and the desired word file.

Step 7. Next, type “Send an Email” in the search box and select the desired option. Fill out the remaining sections below step-by-step, as shown in the below picture, and then save your settings.

Step 8. Now your automated workflow is ready to generate Word certificate data via Forms. This workflow can be tested by clicking the Test button in the top right corner. From the two options that appear, select Manually.

Curious about automating your work in MS Word with Power Automate? Learn more in our fresh article: How to Populate a Word Document Template with Power Automate?

Limitations of using Microsoft Power Automate

• Limited scalability: Power Automate is not designed for large-scale automation, and may not be suitable for organizations with complex or high-volume workflow needs.
• Limited support for custom code: Power Automate is not designed for custom coding, which means users may not be able to automate more complex or advanced tasks.
• Data limits: Power Automate has limits on the amount of data that can be processed by a flow. If your flow processes large amounts of data, you may encounter issues such as timeouts or errors.
• Cost: Power Automate is a paid service, and the cost of using it can add up if you have many flows or if you use it heavily.

Conclusion

The possibilities for automation are virtually limitless. You can create your own automated workflows between apps, effortlessly setting up functionalities such as alerts, emails, and push notifications, in addition to using pre-built templates from Power Automate, but we’ll cover more Power Automate use cases later in this guide.

Overall, Power Automate is a powerful and versatile automation tool that can be used to streamline a wide range of business processes and tasks. It is an ideal choice for organizations that want to automate their workflows and improve efficiency without requiring extensive programming skills or technical expertise.

If you are interested in learning more about Power Automate, take a look at our in-depth Power Automate training course that covers all its aspects.