How to Use Power Automate Basics in Microsoft 365

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Web), Power Automate
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-05-14

Summary

This article shows you how to use Microsoft Power Automate to create simple automated workflows — called "flows" — that save time on repetitive tasks like sending notifications, saving email attachments, and requesting approvals.

Prerequisites

• A Microsoft 365 work or school account.
• Power Automate is included in most Microsoft 365 business plans. If you cannot access it, contact IT to verify your license.
• No coding or technical skills required — Power Automate uses a visual, drag-and-drop interface.

Instructions

1. Access Power Automate

Power Automate is available from any browser.

1. Open a browser and go to https://make.powerautomate.com.
2. Sign in with your work email and password.
3. You will see the Power Automate home page with options to create new flows or browse templates.

You can also access it from any Microsoft 365 app:

1. Click the App launcher (the 9-dot grid icon) in the top-left corner of any M365 app.
2. Click Power Automate (or search for it in the app list).

2. Understand Flow Types

Power Automate offers three main types of flows:

• Automated flow — Triggers automatically when something happens (e.g., when you receive an email with an attachment).
• Instant flow — Runs when you manually click a button (e.g., send a pre-written notification to your team).
• Scheduled flow — Runs on a set schedule (e.g., every Monday at 9 AM, send a reminder).

3. Create a Flow from a Template (Recommended for Beginners)

Templates are pre-built flows that you can customize. This is the fastest way to get started.

1. On the Power Automate home page, click Templates in the left sidebar.
2. Browse popular templates or use the search bar. High-value templates include:
   • Save Office 365 email attachments to OneDrive for Business
   • Get a push notification when you receive an email from your boss
   • Send a Teams message when a SharePoint item is created
   • Start an approval when a new file is added to SharePoint
3. Click a template that matches your need.
4. Review the connections required (e.g., Outlook, OneDrive, Teams). Click Sign in for each if prompted.
5. Click Create Flow (or Continue).
6. The flow editor opens with the template pre-configured. Review each step and customize if needed (e.g., change the folder where attachments are saved).
7. Click Save in the top-right corner.
8. The flow is now active and will run automatically based on its trigger.

4. Create a Simple Automated Flow from Scratch

Build a custom flow step by step. This example creates a flow that sends you a Teams notification when you receive a high-importance email.

1. Click + Create in the left sidebar.
2. Select Automated cloud flow.
3. Name your flow (e.g., Alert me on important emails).
4. In the Choose your flow's trigger search box, type When a new email arrives and select the Outlook 365 trigger.
5. Click Create.
6. In the trigger step, click Show advanced options.
7. Set Importance to High.
8. Click + New step.
9. Search for Post message in a chat or channel and select the Microsoft Teams action.
10. Configure the action:
    • Post as: Flow bot
    • Post in: Chat with Flow bot
    • Message: Click in the field and use Dynamic content to insert the email Subject and From fields. Example: 🚨 High-priority email from [From] — Subject: [Subject]
11. Click Save.
12. The flow is now active. Test it by asking a colleague to send you a high-importance email.

5. Create an Instant Flow (Manual Button)

Instant flows are useful for tasks you want to trigger on demand.

1. Click + Create > Instant cloud flow.
2. Name your flow (e.g., Send daily standup reminder).
3. Select Manually trigger a flow and click Create.
4. Click + New step.
5. Search for and select Post message in a chat or channel (Teams).
6. Configure the message (e.g., post a standup reminder in your team channel).
7. Click Save.
8. To run the flow, go to My flows in the left sidebar, find your flow, and click Run.

6. Manage and Monitor Your Flows

Keep track of your flows and fix issues when they occur.

1. Click My flows in the left sidebar to see all your flows.
2. Each flow shows its status: On (active) or Off (paused).
3. Click on a flow to see its Run history — this shows every time the flow ran, whether it succeeded or failed, and detailed error messages.
4. To turn off a flow, click the three dots (⋯) next to it and select Turn off.
5. To edit a flow, click on it and select Edit.
6. To delete a flow, click the three dots and select Delete.

7. Useful Starter Flows for Everyday Work

Here are practical flows worth setting up:

Flow	Trigger	Action
Save email attachments to OneDrive	New email with attachment	Save attachment to a specific OneDrive folder
Daily reminder	Scheduled (every day at 9 AM)	Post a Teams message to yourself
Manager approval	New file in SharePoint	Start an approval and notify via email
Track form responses	New Microsoft Forms response	Add a row to an Excel spreadsheet
Out-of-office auto-reply in Teams	Manually triggered	Set a custom Teams status message

Troubleshooting

TIP

Start with templates before building from scratch. Templates are tested and handle common edge cases. You can always modify a template after creating it.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
"You do not have permission to create flows"	License not assigned	Contact IT to verify Power Automate is included in your M365 plan.
Flow runs but no action happens	Connection expired	Open the flow, click on the failed step, and re-authenticate the connection.
"Flow run failed" in run history	Step misconfigured	Click the failed run to see which step failed and the error message. Fix the step and save.
Flow triggers too often	Trigger conditions too broad	Add conditions or filters to the trigger (e.g., only emails from a specific sender).
Teams notification not appearing	Flow bot notifications muted	In Teams, search for Power Automate in your chat list and unmute notifications.
Cannot find a connector	Connector not available in your org	Some connectors (e.g., Twitter, Salesforce) may be blocked by IT policy. Check with IT.

Related Articles

• How to Use Microsoft 365 Copilot Basics
• How to Create Email Rules in Outlook
• How to Follow Sites and Set Up Alerts in SharePoint
• How to Manage Files in SharePoint Document Libraries
• How to Share Files and Folders via OneDrive
• Understanding Microsoft 365 Apps — What Each App Does and When to Use It

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