Using templates in Power Automate is an excellent way to quickly automate tasks without having to create flows from scratch. Power Automate offers a wide range of pre-built templates for various scenarios and applications. Templates are ready-to-use flows designed to automate common processes, such as sending notifications, saving email attachments, or syncing data between services.
Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to use templates in Power Automate:
Step 1: Access Power Automate
- Open your web browser and go to Power Automate.
- Sign in with your Microsoft 365 account (or create one if you don’t have an account).
Step 2: Navigate to the Templates Section
- Once logged in, you’ll be taken to the Power Automate dashboard.
- On the left-hand side menu, click on Templates. This will take you to the page where you can browse and search through hundreds of pre-built templates.
Step 3: Browse or Search for a Template
- Browse Templates: You can scroll through the various categories such as “Popular,” “Business,” “Notifications,” or “Productivity” to find templates that suit your needs.
- Search Templates: If you have a specific automation in mind, use the search bar at the top of the page. For example, if you need a template to automate tasks between Outlook and SharePoint, type in “Outlook SharePoint” or a related search term.
Step 4: Select a Template
- Once you find a template that you want to use, click on it to open the detailed view.
- Each template will show what actions and triggers it uses, along with a description of how it works. Make sure the template suits your needs before proceeding.
Step 5: Customize the Template
- Connect Your Services: After selecting the template, Power Automate may prompt you to sign in to the various services involved. For example, if the template uses Outlook or SharePoint, you’ll need to authenticate those services by signing into your accounts.
- Customize Fields: Once the necessary services are connected, you will be taken to the flow customization page. Here, you can modify settings, such as:
- Changing the trigger (for example, choosing a different event or time frame).
- Adjusting conditions, actions, or variables.
- Selecting which data to use (e.g., specific folders or files).
- Customizing the flow’s outputs, such as email subject lines or content.
Step 6: Test the Flow
- After customizing the template to your needs, click on Save and then Test to make sure the flow works as expected.
- You can either test it manually or let Power Automate trigger the flow based on its conditions.
- Monitor the flow to ensure it runs smoothly by checking the flow history and logs.
Step 7: Turn On the Flow
- Once you’re satisfied with how the flow works during the testing phase, toggle the switch in the top-right corner to On. This will activate the flow, and it will run automatically according to the triggers you set.
- Your flow will now work in the background, automating the specified task whenever the conditions are met.
Step 8: Monitor and Manage the Flow
- Go to the My Flows section from the Power Automate dashboard to see a list of all your active flows.
- You can click on any flow to view its details, check run history, or make further edits if needed.
- If you ever need to stop the flow, simply click Turn off to disable it.
Example Templates You Can Use
Here are some common examples of Power Automate templates:
- Send a customized email when a new item is added to SharePoint: Automatically notify your team when a new document or list item is added.
- Save email attachments to OneDrive: Automatically save attachments from your emails to a specific folder in OneDrive.
- Sync files between OneDrive and SharePoint: Automatically sync files between your OneDrive and SharePoint document libraries to ensure they stay up-to-date.
- Post a message in Microsoft Teams when a new task is created: When a new task is created in a project management tool like Planner, automatically post a message in a Teams channel.
Advantages of Using Templates
- Time-saving: Templates allow you to start automating tasks quickly without needing to design complex flows from scratch.
- Easy Customization: Even though they are pre-built, templates offer the flexibility to be customized according to your requirements.
- Integration with Popular Services: Templates support integration with a wide range of services, including Microsoft apps (e.g., SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive) and third-party apps (e.g., Twitter, Dropbox, Slack).
- Reduced Learning Curve: Beginners can get started with automation without having to know much about the underlying technical processes.