What Is Microsoft Power Automate?

Saving attachments, requesting approvals, sending a notification when a form comes in: lots of small tasks repeat every day. With Microsoft Power Automate you automate them without writing code. This article explains what Power Automate is, which kinds of flows exist and how to start.

What is a flow?

A flow is an automation with a trigger (what starts it, such as a new email) and one or more actions (what happens, such as saving a file to OneDrive). Power Automate connects hundreds of services through connectors: Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Forms, Excel, but also Gmail, Salesforce or X.

A flow with a trigger and actions in Power Automate

Kinds of flows

Type	Starts when	Example
Automated cloud flow	Something happens	New email with attachment > save to OneDrive
Instant cloud flow	You press a button	Send a Teams message to your team
Scheduled cloud flow	At a set time	Email a summary every Monday
Desktop flow	On your PC	Enter data into an old Windows app

How to start

Go to make.powerautomate.com and sign in.
Pick a template, or describe what you want in plain language and let Copilot build the flow.
Check the connections, adjust the steps and save.
Test the flow and check the run history.

A step-by-step example: save email attachments to OneDrive automatically.

What does it cost?

Most Microsoft 365 licences let you use cloud flows with standard connectors (Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Forms) at no extra cost.
Premium connectors (such as SQL or HTTP) and advanced desktop flows need a Power Automate licence.
Power Automate for desktop is free to use on Windows 11 for simple automations on your own PC.

Tips

Start small: one trigger, one action.
For team flows, add a co-owner so the flow doesn't stop if you leave.
Notifications for SharePoint changes? Read notifications with rules and flows. See also Approvals in Teams.

Nederlandstalige versie: Wat is Microsoft Power Automate en hoe begin je?

share on LinkedIn ☕ buy me a coffee

More in English

▸Save email attachments to OneDrive automaticallySave every email attachment to a OneDrive folder automatically with Power Automate. Template, custom flow and… ▸Create a Power App from a SharePoint listBuild an app for PC and phone from your SharePoint list with Power Apps, without coding. Customize, share,… ▸Create and share a form or quiz with Microsoft FormsCreate a form or quiz in Microsoft Forms, add branching, choose who can respond and view results in charts or… ▸Get started with Microsoft Lists in 3 stepsCreate a list in Microsoft Lists, add columns and views, then share and automate it. Plus when to use Lists…

What is Microsoft Power Automate and how do you start?