Microsoft Whiteboard is an excellent tool for collaboration, brainstorming, and visual planning. However, manually managing whiteboard content, tracking changes, and integrating with other apps can be time-consuming. By connecting Power Automate with Microsoft Whiteboard, teams can automate workflows, sync content with other Microsoft 365 apps, and enhance productivity.
In this guide, we’ll explore how to automate Microsoft Whiteboard workflows with Power Automate, common use cases, and a step-by-step setup process.
1. Why Automate Microsoft Whiteboard with Power Automate?
Eliminates manual content updates – Automates whiteboard synchronization.
Improves collaboration – Notifies users of updates and changes.
Integrates with Microsoft 365 – Connects Whiteboard with Teams, Outlook, OneDrive, and more.
Enhances meeting efficiency – Saves, shares, and distributes whiteboard content automatically.
Reduces manual data entry – Extracts insights from whiteboards for documentation.
Example: When a Whiteboard session is updated during a Teams meeting, Power Automate can send a summary via email, save the whiteboard as a PDF in SharePoint, and notify the team via Teams.
2. Key Use Cases for Automating Microsoft Whiteboard with Power Automate
A. Auto-Saving Whiteboard Content to OneDrive or SharePoint
Challenge: Users often forget to save or organize whiteboard content after meetings.
Solution with Power Automate:
When a whiteboard session is updated, Power Automate:
- Saves a copy of the whiteboard in OneDrive or SharePoint as an image or PDF.
- Creates a folder for each project to organize whiteboards.
Impact: Ensures meeting notes are stored systematically.
B. Sending Meeting Summaries with Whiteboard Snapshots
Challenge: Participants lose track of ideas discussed in virtual meetings.
Solution with Power Automate:
When a Teams meeting ends, Power Automate:
- Captures a snapshot of the Microsoft Whiteboard used in the meeting.
- Sends an email summary to attendees with the whiteboard image.
- Posts the whiteboard link in a Teams channel for reference.
Impact: Improves post-meeting documentation and follow-up.
C. Converting Handwritten Notes into Actionable Tasks
Challenge: Ideas written on the whiteboard aren’t converted into tasks.
Solution with Power Automate & AI Builder:
When a whiteboard is saved, Power Automate:
- Uses AI Builder’s OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to extract handwritten notes.
- Creates tasks in Microsoft Planner based on extracted text.
- Assigns tasks to team members automatically.
Impact: Turns brainstorming sessions into actionable next steps.
D. Notifying Teams When a Whiteboard is Updated
Challenge: Team members don’t always check whiteboard updates.
Solution with Power Automate:
When a whiteboard is modified, Power Automate:
- Posts a Teams notification with a summary of changes.
- Tags relevant users who need to review updates.
Impact: Keeps teams informed of important whiteboard changes.
E. Integrating Whiteboard with Microsoft Forms for Feedback Collection
Challenge: Teams lack structured feedback on whiteboard sessions.
Solution with Power Automate:
When a whiteboard is shared, Power Automate:
- Sends a Microsoft Forms survey to attendees for feedback.
- Compiles responses in Excel or SharePoint for review.
Impact: Gathers insights on whiteboard collaboration effectiveness.
3. Step-by-Step Guide: Automating Microsoft Whiteboard with Power Automate
Step 1: Select a Trigger in Power Automate
1️⃣ Open Power Automate → Click “Create” → Choose “Automated cloud flow”.
2️⃣ Select a trigger, such as:
- “When a Microsoft Whiteboard is updated”.
- “When a Teams meeting ends”.
Step 2: Add an Action to Process the Whiteboard Content
1️⃣ Click “New step” → Search for “Microsoft Whiteboard”.
2️⃣ Choose an action such as:
- “Export Whiteboard as an image/PDF” – Saves the whiteboard.
- “Extract text from Whiteboard using AI Builder” – Converts handwritten notes into text.
Step 3: Add a Condition or Approval Process (Optional)
1️⃣ Click “New step” → Choose “Condition” to check whiteboard properties.
2️⃣ Example conditions:
- If “Whiteboard contains meeting notes”, save it to SharePoint.
- If “Whiteboard contains action items”, create Planner tasks.
Step 4: Send Notifications or Automate Tasks
1️⃣ Click “New step” → Choose:
- “Send an email (Outlook)” – Notifies users with the whiteboard file.
- “Post a message in Teams” – Shares whiteboard updates.
- “Create a Planner task” – Assigns follow-up tasks.
Step 5: Test and Deploy the Automation
Run a test to check if the workflow executes correctly.
Deploy and monitor the flow using Power Automate analytics.