How to Use Power Automate

Getting started with Power Automate

In this guide, you’ll learn how to automate simple tasks using Power Automate, enabling you to save time on repetitive actions across Microsoft 365 applications like Outlook and SharePoint.

Step 1: Sign up and set up

1. Go to Power Automate.
2. Click on the "Sign up free" button in the top right corner.
3. Sign in with your Microsoft account or create a new one if you don’t have it.
4. Once logged in, you will be directed to the Power Automate dashboard.

Step 2: Your first flow

1. On the dashboard, click on the "Create" button on the left sidebar.
2. Choose "Automated cloud flow" from the options.
3. Name your flow (e.g., "Email Notification for New Files").
4. Under "Choose your flow's trigger", select "When a file is created" from SharePoint.
5. Click "Create".
6. Set your SharePoint Site Address and the Folder where the file will be created.
7. Click on "New step" and search for "Send an email (V2)".
8. Fill in the email details, including the recipient and message body.
9. Click "Save" at the bottom right corner.

Step 3: Get better results

• To refine your flow, consider adding conditions or additional steps. For instance, after sending an email, you can add a step to log the file details into an Excel sheet.
• Explore the "Templates" section from the left sidebar for pre-built flows that can save you time.

Pro tip

Use the "Test" button located at the top right of your flow to run a quick test and see if everything works as expected before finalising it.

Common mistake to avoid

Avoid leaving triggers and actions with default settings without personalisation. Always double-check the specific details like site addresses and email recipients to ensure your flow operates correctly.