Keeping track of daily tasks and priorities can be overwhelming, but with Power Automate, you can automate your to-do list, receive reminders, and sync tasks across multiple platforms.
Whether you use Microsoft To Do, Outlook Tasks, Trello, or Planner, Power Automate helps you:
Automatically add tasks from emails, messages, or forms
Sync tasks between different platforms
Set reminders and due date notifications
Generate daily or weekly task reports
Example: Set up Power Automate to create a new task in Microsoft To Do whenever you receive a flagged email in Outlook.
1. Choosing the Right To-Do List Tool
Power Automate integrates with various task management tools, including:
✔️ Microsoft To Do – Best for personal task management.
✔️ Planner – Ideal for team collaboration.
✔️ Trello – Visual task tracking.
✔️ Google Tasks – Simple list-based tasks.
✔️ Outlook Tasks – For professionals using Microsoft 365.
Depending on your needs, you can automate workflows for one or multiple tools.
2. Automating Task Creation with Power Automate
A. Convert Emails into Tasks
Challenge: Manually adding tasks from important emails.
Solution: Create a Power Automate flow that automatically adds flagged emails as tasks in Microsoft To Do or Planner.
Steps:
1️⃣ Open Power Automate → Click “Create” → Select “Automated cloud flow”.
2️⃣ Choose “When a new email is flagged” (Outlook trigger).
3️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “Create a task in Microsoft To Do”.
4️⃣ Map email details to task fields:
- Subject → Task Title
- Email body → Task Notes
- Sender → Task Assigned To
Impact: No more copying and pasting emails into your task manager.
B. Convert Teams Messages into Tasks
Challenge: Important messages get lost in long conversations.
Solution: Use Power Automate to turn Teams messages into Microsoft To Do tasks.
Steps:
1️⃣ Choose “When a message is posted in a Teams channel” as the trigger.
2️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “Create a task in Microsoft To Do”.
3️⃣ Map message details:
- Message content → Task description
- Sender → Task Assigned To
Impact: Never lose an action item from a conversation.
C. Auto-Generate Recurring Tasks
Challenge: Forgetting to create repetitive tasks like weekly reports or monthly bill payments.
Solution: Set up scheduled task creation in Power Automate.
Steps:
1️⃣ Click “Create” → Choose “Scheduled cloud flow”.
2️⃣ Set frequency (e.g., every Monday at 9 AM).
3️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “Create a task in Microsoft To Do”.
4️⃣ Define task details (e.g., “Prepare weekly sales report”).
Impact: Automates repetitive task creation, improving efficiency.
3. Setting Up Task Reminders and Notifications
A. Task Due Date Alerts
Challenge: Forgetting deadlines.
Solution: Power Automate can send reminders via email, Teams, or mobile notifications.
Steps:
1️⃣ Click “Create” → Choose “Scheduled cloud flow”.
2️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “List tasks in Microsoft To Do”.
3️⃣ Use “Condition” to check for tasks due today.
4️⃣ If a task is due, send an email reminder or Teams notification.
Impact: Ensures you never miss a deadline.
B. Daily or Weekly Task Summary Reports
Challenge: Reviewing your pending tasks.
Solution: Power Automate can send a daily or weekly task summary via email or Teams.
Steps:
1️⃣ Click “Create” → Choose “Scheduled cloud flow”.
2️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “List tasks in Microsoft To Do”.
3️⃣ Click “New Step” → Choose “Send an email”.
4️⃣ Format the email body to include all tasks with due dates.
Impact: Keeps you updated on upcoming tasks.
4. Syncing Tasks Across Multiple Platforms
A. Syncing Microsoft To Do with Google Tasks
Challenge: Managing separate to-do lists in Microsoft and Google.
Solution: Power Automate can sync new Microsoft To Do tasks with Google Tasks.
Steps:
1️⃣ Choose “When a new task is created in Microsoft To Do” as the trigger.
2️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “Create a task in Google Tasks”.
3️⃣ Map task details:
- Title → Task Name
- Due Date → Due Date
Impact: Keeps your task lists updated across platforms.
B. Syncing Outlook Tasks with Planner
Challenge: Managing work tasks separately in Outlook and Planner.
Solution: Power Automate can sync Outlook Tasks with Planner for seamless workflow.
Steps:
1️⃣ Choose “When a task is added in Outlook Tasks” as the trigger.
2️⃣ Click “New Step” → Select “Create a task in Planner”.
3️⃣ Map details:
- Task subject → Planner task title
- Due date → Planner due date
Impact: Keeps work tasks centralized.