Power Automate Desktop (PAD) enables users to automate repetitive Excel tasks, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. Whether it’s data extraction, manipulation, report generation, or bulk updates, PAD provides prebuilt Excel actions to automate various processes.
This guide covers:
✔ Key features of Excel automation in Power Automate Desktop.
✔ Steps to automate tasks like reading, writing, and processing data.
✔ Best practices for handling Excel automation efficiently.
1. Why Automate Excel with Power Automate Desktop?
Key Benefits
Eliminate repetitive work – Automate data entry, formatting, and calculations.
Reduce errors – Minimize manual mistakes in reports and processing.
Save time – Process large datasets quickly and efficiently.
Integrate with other apps – Use Power Automate to connect Excel with databases, cloud services, and business applications.
Common Use Cases
🔹 Extracting data from Excel for further processing.
🔹 Generating reports automatically based on predefined templates.
🔹 Bulk updating records and formatting cells.
🔹 Importing/exporting data between Excel and other systems.
🔹 Sending automated email reports with Excel attachments.
2. Prerequisites for Excel Automation
Before you start, ensure you have:
✔ Power Automate Desktop (PAD) installed.
✔ Microsoft Excel installed (for UI automation).
✔ An Excel file with structured data for automation.
3. Automating Basic Excel Tasks
Power Automate Desktop provides two main ways to automate Excel:
1️⃣ Excel Actions – Used when working with Excel files directly.
2️⃣ UI Automation – Simulates user actions when Excel is required to be opened manually.
Step 1: Open or Attach to an Excel File
1️⃣ Open Power Automate Desktop and create a new flow.
2️⃣ Add the “Launch Excel” action:
- Choose “Launch Excel and open a document” if you want to open a specific file.
- Choose “Attach to an existing Excel instance” if Excel is already open.
Step 2: Read Data from Excel
Method 1: Read a Specific Cell
- Add “Read from Excel worksheet” action.
- Choose Single value and enter the cell reference (e.g., “A1”).
Method 2: Read an Entire Table
- Select “Retrieve data as a dataset” to read multiple rows and columns.
- Store the data in a variable for further processing.
Step 3: Write Data to Excel
Write to a Specific Cell
- Add “Write to Excel worksheet” action.
- Enter the cell address and the value to be written.
Write Data to a Table
- Use “Write data from a dataset” to insert multiple rows at once.
Step 4: Formatting and Editing Excel Data
Apply formulas – Use "Write to Excel Worksheet" to insert formulas.
Sort and filter – Use "Invoke VBA" to apply advanced filtering.
Clear data – Use "Clear cells in Excel worksheet" to remove old data before inserting new records.
4. Automating Advanced Excel Tasks
A. Automating Report Generation
1️⃣ Open an Excel template using “Launch Excel”.
2️⃣ Fill in predefined fields using “Write to Excel worksheet”.
3️⃣ Save the file with a unique name using “Save document as”.
4️⃣ Attach and email the report using Outlook actions in PAD.
B. Data Extraction and Processing
- Read data from an Excel sheet, process it, and store the result in a database or another system.
- Use Loops to iterate through multiple rows and apply conditions.
C. Bulk Data Uploads
- Extract large datasets and insert into SharePoint, SQL, or CRM.
- Combine Power Automate Desktop with Cloud Flows for seamless data integration.
D. UI Automation for Excel Tasks
- Use
"Click UI Element in Window"to interact with Excel menus, buttons, or pop-ups. - Simulate user keystrokes using
"Send Keys"to perform shortcut-based actions.
5. Best Practices for Excel Automation
✔ Use structured Excel tables instead of free-form sheets for easier automation.
✔ Avoid UI automation when possible—use direct Excel actions for reliability.
✔ Keep files closed during automation to prevent conflicts.
✔ Use error handling (Try-Catch) to manage unexpected issues.
✔ Optimize performance by processing only necessary data instead of full worksheets.