Power Automate is an incredibly powerful tool that allows users to automate repetitive tasks, integrate systems, and streamline business processes. For beginners to advanced users, mastering Power Automate requires hands-on practice. Whether you are automating simple workflows or designing complex enterprise-level processes, exercises are a great way to build skills and enhance your understanding of the platform.
Below are essential Power Automate exercises that will help you master automation:
1. Automating Email Notifications for New Entries in a SharePoint List
Objective: Learn how to create workflows that notify you or others when a new item is added to a SharePoint list.
Steps:
- Create a new SharePoint list (e.g., project tasks or customer requests).
- In Power Automate, create a flow using the “When an item is created” trigger from SharePoint.
- Add an action to send an email (e.g., via Outlook or Gmail) when a new item is added to the list.
- Customize the email body to include dynamic content like the title or description of the item.
- Test the flow by adding a new entry to the SharePoint list and verify that an email is sent.
Skills Learned:
- SharePoint integration
- Using triggers and actions
- Sending automated emails
2. Automating File Management in OneDrive or SharePoint
Objective: Automate the organization of files based on specific conditions, such as renaming, moving, or copying files.
Steps:
- Use a Recurrence trigger to run the flow on a set schedule (e.g., daily or weekly).
- Add an action to check for files in OneDrive or SharePoint that meet specific criteria (e.g., file type, date modified).
- Create actions to rename, move, or copy the files to designated folders.
- Optionally, add a notification to let you know when the process is complete.
- Test the flow by uploading files to the respective platform and verifying that they are organized as expected.
Skills Learned:
- File management automation
- Recurrence triggers
- Dynamic file handling
3. Automating Data Collection from Forms
Objective: Automatically collect responses from a Microsoft Form and save the data to Excel or SharePoint.
Steps:
- Create a Microsoft Form with questions you want to collect data for (e.g., employee feedback or event registrations).
- In Power Automate, use the “When a new response is submitted” trigger for Microsoft Forms.
- Add an action to get the form response details.
- Choose an action to save the data to Excel or SharePoint (e.g., creating a new row in Excel or adding an item to a SharePoint list).
- Test the flow by submitting responses in the form and verifying that the data is automatically added to your storage.
Skills Learned:
- Integrating with Microsoft Forms
- Storing and managing collected data
- Automating data entry
4. Automating Social Media Posts
Objective: Automatically post content on social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.
Steps:
- Choose a Recurrence trigger to schedule posts at regular intervals (e.g., once a day).
- Select an action to post a message on your chosen social media platform (e.g., Twitter: Post a tweet).
- Customize the post content, using dynamic text, images, or links.
- Optionally, set conditions for when to post (e.g., based on time or date).
- Test the flow by checking if your message is posted at the specified time.
Skills Learned:
- Scheduling and automating posts
- Social media integration
- Using recurrence triggers
5. Automating Task Creation from Emails
Objective: Automate the creation of tasks in Microsoft To Do or Planner from incoming emails.
Steps:
- Set up a flow triggered by new emails arriving in your inbox.
- Add a condition to check if the email meets specific criteria (e.g., subject contains “task” or “follow up”).
- Create a task in Microsoft Planner or Microsoft To-Do using the email subject as the task title and the email body as the task description.
- Test the flow by sending an email that matches the condition and check if the task is created automatically.
Skills Learned:
- Automating task creation
- Filtering emails with conditions
- Integrating with Microsoft To Do and Planner
6. Building an Approval Workflow
Objective: Create an automated approval process where a manager must approve or reject a request submitted through a form or email.
Steps:
- Use a “When a new response is submitted” trigger from Microsoft Forms to start the flow.
- Add an approval action (e.g., “Start and wait for an approval”).
- Set up an approval task for the designated manager, where they can approve or reject the request.
- Add conditional actions to handle approval or rejection outcomes (e.g., send an email confirming approval or denial).
- Test the flow by submitting a request and checking if the approval process works as intended.
Skills Learned:
- Creating approval workflows
- Conditional logic in workflows
- Handling approval responses
7. Sending Daily or Weekly Reports via Email
Objective: Automatically generate and send a daily or weekly report to a group of recipients based on data from Excel, SharePoint, or another data source.
Steps:
- Use a Recurrence trigger to schedule the flow (e.g., daily at a specific time).
- Add actions to gather data from Excel, SharePoint, or another data source.
- Format the data into a readable report (using HTML or plain text).
- Add an action to send an email with the report attached or included in the email body.
- Test the flow by scheduling a report and verifying it’s sent as expected.
Skills Learned:
- Scheduling reports
- Data aggregation and formatting
- Sending automated emails with attachments
8. Syncing Data Between Two Systems
Objective: Automate the syncing of data between two different platforms, such as between Excel and Google Sheets or SharePoint and Dynamics 365.
Steps:
- Use the “When a row is added or modified” trigger from Excel or SharePoint.
- Use an action to retrieve the corresponding data from the second platform (e.g., Google Sheets or Dynamics 365).
- Add actions to update the data on the second platform to match the changes from the first.
- Test the flow by modifying a row in Excel or SharePoint and checking if the data syncs correctly.
Skills Learned:
- Data synchronization
- Working with multiple data sources
- Integrating cross-platform data
9. Setting Up Alerts for Critical System Events
Objective: Automatically receive notifications (e.g., via email or text) when a critical system event occurs, such as a change in system health or a specific database condition.
Steps:
- Use an appropriate trigger, such as “When a condition is met” from a monitoring system or service.
- Add actions to analyze the data or condition (e.g., checking for high system usage or error logs).
- Set up an action to send an alert (e.g., via email, SMS, or Microsoft Teams).
- Test the flow by simulating the system event and confirming the alert is sent.
Skills Learned:
- Creating monitoring workflows
- Handling system alerts
- Setting up notifications for critical events
10. Automating Backup Processes
Objective: Automate the process of backing up files from one location to another (e.g., OneDrive to SharePoint or SharePoint to an external storage location).
Steps:
- Set up a Recurrence trigger to run the flow at regular intervals.
- Use an action to retrieve files from the source platform (e.g., OneDrive or SharePoint).
- Create an action to copy or move the files to the backup location.
- Optionally, add a notification to confirm the backup completion.
- Test the flow by checking if files are backed up automatically.
Skills Learned:
- Automating file backups
- Working with file storage services
- Scheduling workflows with recurrence triggers