50 Tricky Power Automate Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

By SP Doctor in Power Automate, Power Platform on March 7, 2023March 8, 2023

In this article, we will discuss about the 50 plus tricky Power Automate interview questions and how to answer them. Power Automate is a powerful workflow automation platform that allows organizations to streamline their business processes and improve efficiency. As more and more organizations adopt Power Automate, there is a growing demand for skilled professionals who can develop, deploy, and manage workflows in Power Automate. If you are preparing for a job interview in Power Automate, it’s important to be familiar with the most common interview questions and how to answer them effectively. In this context, this guide will provide you with a list of common Power Automate interview questions, along with tips and examples for answering them. Whether you’re new to Power Automate or an experienced user, this guide will help you prepare for your next interview and demonstrate your expertise in this powerful automation platform.

Table of Contents

Power Automate Interview Questions and Answers:

Following are the Power Automate tricky questions and answers:

What is Power Automate, and what are its benefits?

Power Automate is a cloud-based service offered by Microsoft that allows businesses to automate workflows and streamline their operations.

Its benefits include increased efficiency, reduced manual effort, improved accuracy, and enhanced productivity.

What are the components of Power Automate?

Power Automate is made up of several components that work together to create automated workflows. The main components of Power Automate are:

Flows: A flow is a set of instructions that automate a specific task or process. Flows can be triggered automatically by a specific event, such as a new email arriving in a mailbox, or can be triggered manually by the user.
Connectors: Connectors are pre-built integrations that allow flows to connect to external applications and services, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and Twitter. There are over 300 connectors available in Power Automate, and users can also create custom connectors for their specific needs.
Actions: Actions are the individual steps within a flow that perform a specific task, such as sending an email, creating a file, or updating a database record. Actions are performed by the connectors and can be customized by the user.
Triggers: Triggers are the events that start a flow. They could be a new email, a new file added to a folder, or a new record added to a database, among others.
Expressions: Expressions are functions that manipulate data within a flow. They can be used to perform calculations, manipulate strings, and format dates, among other things.
Templates: Templates are pre-built flows that users can customize and use as a starting point for their own flows. Templates are available for a wide range of use cases and can save users time and effort in creating their own flows.

Together, these components provide a powerful automation platform that can be used to streamline and optimize a wide range of business processes and tasks.

What are triggers in Power Automate?

Triggers in Power Automate are events that start a workflow. They could be a new item added or edited in SharePoint list, a new file is added to the SharePoint document library, new email, a new file added to a folder, or a new record added to a database, among others.

What are actions in Power Automate?

Actions in Power Automate are the steps that follow a trigger. They could be sending an email, creating a file, or updating a record in a database or reading files from SharePoint or any other data sources. To create a successful flow, we must have at least one action in a flow, otherwise we cannot save the flow.

What are connectors in Power Automate?

Connectors in Power Automate are pre-built integrations that allow workflows to connect to external applications and services, for example connecting to SharePoint, exchange services for email sending etc.

How do you create a new workflow in Power Automate?

To create a new workflow in Power Automate, click on the “New” button in the left-hand menu, select “Instant cloud flow” or “Scheduled cloud flow,” and then select a trigger for your workflow.

What is a flow in Power Automate?

A flow in Power Automate is a series of steps that automate a task or process. Earlier, Power Automate was known Microsoft flow, so the Power Automate and Microsoft flow is same.

What are the different types of flows in Power Automate?

The following are the different types of flows we can create in Power Automate:

Instant flows,
Scheduled flows, and
Automated flows.

For more details on the type flow in Power Automate refer to our article: Three ways to create flow in Power Automate.

What is an instant flow in Power Automate?

An Instant Flow, also known as a “button flow” in Power Automate, is a type of workflow that is triggered by a user clicking a button or a link. Instant Flows are designed to allow users to quickly and easily automate a task or process without the need for any coding or technical expertise.

To create an Instant Flow, users can start by selecting the “Instant Cloud Flow” template in Power Automate. They can then choose from a range of pre-built templates or create their own workflow by selecting the trigger event and the actions that they want to perform.

Instant Flows can be used in a variety of scenarios, such as automating the creation of a new task, sending an email notification, or updating a record in a database. They can also be embedded in web pages, SharePoint sites, and other applications to provide users with a seamless experience. With Instant Flows, users can automate tasks and processes in real-time, increasing productivity and reducing errors.

What is a scheduled flow in Power Automate?

A scheduled flow is a type of workflow in Power Automate that is triggered at specific intervals or times based on a predefined schedule. This type of workflow is useful for automating tasks that need to be performed on a regular basis, such as daily, weekly, or monthly reports or backups.

To create a scheduled flow, users can start by selecting the “Scheduled Cloud Flow” template in Power Automate. They can then specify the schedule for the workflow, such as daily at a specific time, weekly on a specific day and time, or monthly on a specific day and time. They can also select the actions that they want to perform during each run of the workflow.

Scheduled flows can be used to automate a wide range of tasks, such as sending email notifications, updating records in a database, or performing data backups. They can also be combined with other triggers, such as a new item being added to a SharePoint list, to create more complex workflows.

One advantage of using scheduled flows is that they can help to reduce the workload for users by automating repetitive tasks. Additionally, by scheduling tasks to be performed at specific intervals, users can ensure that critical tasks are completed on time and with consistent quality.

What is an automated flow in Power Automate?

An automated flow in Power Automate is a type of workflow that is triggered automatically by a predefined event or condition. This type of workflow is useful for automating tasks that need to be performed in response to a specific event or condition, such as a new email arriving in an inbox or a new record being added to a database.

To create an automated flow, users can start by selecting the “Automated Cloud Flow” template in Power Automate. They can then select the trigger event for the workflow, such as a new item created in SharePoint Online list or library, new email arriving in a specific inbox, and the actions that they want to perform in response to that event.

Automated flows can be used to automate a wide range of tasks, such as sending email notifications, updating records in a database, or creating new items in a SharePoint list. They can also be combined with other triggers and conditions, such as a specific keyword appearing in an email subject line, to create more complex workflows.

One advantage of using automated flows is that they can help to reduce the workload for users by automating repetitive tasks. Additionally, by automating tasks in response to specific events or conditions, users can ensure that critical tasks are completed quickly and efficiently.

What is the difference between an instant flow and an automated flow in Power Automate?

An instant flow in Power Automate is triggered manually by a user, while an automated flow is triggered automatically based on a predefined trigger.

The main difference between an instant flow and an automated flow in Power Automate is how they are triggered.

An instant flow, also known as a button flow, is triggered manually by a user clicking a button or a link. This type of flow is typically used for ad-hoc, one-off tasks that do not require any predefined trigger event or condition. For example, a user might use an instant flow to create a new task or send an email notification.

On the other hand, an automated flow is triggered automatically by a predefined event or condition. This type of flow is typically used for repetitive tasks that need to be performed in response to a specific event or condition. For example, an automated flow might be used to send an email notification whenever a new item is added to a SharePoint list or to update a record in a database whenever a specific field is changed.

Another difference between instant flows and automated flows is that instant flows are designed to be run on demand, while automated flows run automatically without the need for user intervention. Instant flows are also typically simpler and less complex than automated flows, which can involve multiple trigger events and conditions.

Overall, the choice between instant flows and automated flows will depend on the specific needs of the user and the task at hand.

What is the difference between Power Automate and Power Apps?

Power Automate and Power Apps are both low-code/no-code tools developed by Microsoft to help users automate and build custom business solutions. While they share some similarities, there are also some key differences between the two.

Power Automate is primarily focused on automating workflows and processes, enabling users to create automated workflows to streamline and integrate various applications and services. It provides a range of pre-built connectors for commonly used applications and services, allowing users to easily integrate data and actions across different platforms. Power Automate also supports various types of flows, including instant flows, scheduled flows, and automated flows, to provide flexible automation options.

Power Apps, on the other hand, is primarily focused on building custom business applications. It provides a range of pre-built templates and components to help users create custom applications without the need for coding. Power Apps also supports a range of data sources, including Excel, SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and others, enabling users to build apps that can access and manipulate data from various sources.

Another key difference between Power Automate and Power Apps is their user interface. Power Automate is designed to be used by both technical and non-technical users, with a simple and intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Power Apps, on the other hand, is more targeted towards non-technical users, with a simplified interface and pre-built components that can be easily configured to create custom applications.

What is the difference between Power Automate and Microsoft Flow?

Microsoft Flow was the original name for Power Automate, which is now a part of the Microsoft Power Platform. In other words, Power Automate is the rebranded version of Microsoft Flow (2019) with some additional features and improvements.

Microsoft Flow and Power Automate are both cloud-based workflow automation tools that allow users to create workflows and automate processes across multiple applications and services. Both tools use a similar drag-and-drop interface for creating workflows and provide a wide range of pre-built templates to help users get started quickly.

However, Power Automate has some additional features and improvements over Microsoft Flow. For example, Power Automate includes more connectors and templates to integrate with a wider range of applications and services. It also has improved performance, scalability, and reliability compared to Microsoft Flow.

In addition, Power Automate includes some advanced capabilities, such as AI Builder, which allows users to add AI and machine learning capabilities to their workflows without requiring any coding skills. Power Automate also includes improved governance and management features for large organizations to manage and control their workflows.

Overall, Power Automate is an updated and improved version of Microsoft Flow with more features, capabilities, and integrations.

What is a data operation in Power Automate?

A data operation in Power Automate is a step that performs an action on data, such as filtering, sorting, or transforming it. A data operation in Power Automate is an action that allows users to manipulate data in various ways. These operations can include transforming, filtering, or aggregating data from one or more sources. Users can perform data operations on a wide range of data types, such as text, numbers, dates, and arrays.

Some examples of data operations in Power Automate include formatting dates, converting data types, merging or splitting text, calculating mathematical formulas, and sorting and filtering data. These operations can be performed using the built-in functions and expressions provided by Power Automate or by writing custom code using JavaScript or other programming languages.

Data operations are essential for creating workflows that automate data-related tasks, such as data migration, data cleansing, data transformation, and data analysis. With data operations in Power Automate, users can process and manipulate data from multiple sources and formats, transforming it into useful insights and actions that can drive business value.

What is a variable in Power Automate?

A variable in Power Automate is a temporary storage location that holds data for use in a flow.

In Power Automate, a variable is a named container that can store a value or an object that can be used throughout a workflow. Variables allow users to store and manipulate data dynamically during the execution of a workflow.

Users can create variables in Power Automate by defining their names and data types, such as text, number, boolean, or array. They can also assign initial values to variables or update their values dynamically during the workflow’s execution.

Variables can be used in various ways in Power Automate, such as for storing and manipulating data, creating conditional logic, or passing data between different actions or flows. For example, a variable can be used to store the result of an API call or a database query and then used in subsequent actions to perform further processing.

One of the main advantages of using variables in Power Automate is that they provide a flexible and dynamic way to manipulate data and automate workflows. By using variables, users can create more complex and customized workflows that can adapt to different scenarios and conditions.

What are the main four pillars in Power Automate?

The main four pillars in Power Automate are as follows:

Connectors: These are pre-built integrations that allow workflows to connect to external applications and services.
Triggers: These are events that start a workflow. They could be a new email, a new file added to a folder, or a new record added to a database, among others.
Actions: These are the steps that follow a trigger. They could be sending an email, creating a file, or updating a record in a database.
Expressions: These are functions that manipulate data within a flow. They can be used to perform calculations, manipulate strings, and format dates, among other things.

What are the four key products of Power Platform?

The four key products of the Power Platform are:

Power BI: A business analytics service that provides interactive visualizations and business intelligence capabilities with an interface simple enough for end users to create their own reports and dashboards.
Power Apps: A suite of apps, services, connectors, and data platforms that provide a rapid application development environment to build custom apps for web and mobile devices.
Power Automate: A cloud-based service that allows users to create automated workflows between apps and services to streamline processes and tasks.
Power Virtual Agents: A no-code/low-code solution that allows users to create intelligent chatbots and conversational AI solutions for customer service and other purposes without requiring extensive coding knowledge.

What is a Power Automate environment?

In Power Automate, an environment is a logical container for resources such as flows, connectors, gateways, and other Power Platform assets. Environments provide a way to organize and manage resources, as well as to control access to those resources based on roles and permissions.

Environments can be used to separate development, testing, and production resources, as well as to isolate resources for specific business units or projects. Each environment has its own set of connectors, gateways, and permissions, which are used to ensure that resources are only accessible to authorized users and that data is kept secure.

Power Automate environments can be created and managed through the Power Platform admin center, and access to specific environments can be granted to users based on their roles and responsibilities. This allows organizations to ensure that the right people have access to the right resources, and that data and processes are kept secure and compliant.

Can you explain the different types of flow on Power Automate?

Power Automate provides four different types of flows, each with a specific purpose:

Automated flows: These are the most common type of flow and are triggered automatically when a specific event occurs, such as a new email arriving in a mailbox, a new item being added to a SharePoint list, or a new record being added to a database. Automated flows can be used to automate routine tasks, such as sending an email notification or creating a new item in a database, and can be set up without any user interaction.
Instant flows: These flows are triggered manually by the user, either through a button on a mobile device or a hyperlink in a web application. Instant flows can be used for ad hoc tasks, such as sending a notification or creating a record in a database when a specific action is taken.
Scheduled flows: These flows are triggered at specific times or on a regular basis, such as every day at a specific time or every week on a certain day. Scheduled flows can be used to automate routine tasks, such as generating a weekly report or sending a reminder email.
Business process flows: These flows are designed to guide users through a specific business process, such as a sales or service process. Business process flows can be used to automate and streamline complex processes, such as onboarding new employees or managing a customer support case, and can include multiple steps and stages that involve multiple users and systems.

How to handle exceptions in Power Automate?

In Power Automate, exception handling is an important aspect of creating robust and reliable workflows. Power Automate provides several options for handling exceptions, such as errors, timeouts, or invalid inputs, that may occur during the execution of a workflow. Here are some ways to handle exceptions in Power Automate:

Use the “Scope” action: The Scope action allows users to group actions together and define a specific set of actions to be performed if an exception occurs. For example, users can group actions that access a database or an API call in a Scope action, and define a fallback action to be executed if an exception occurs.
Use the “Terminate” action: The Terminate action allows users to stop the execution of a workflow when an exception occurs. Users can specify an error message or a status code to indicate the reason for termination.
Use the “Condition” action: The Condition action allows users to define conditional logic based on the outcome of an action or a variable. Users can use this action to check for errors, timeouts, or other exceptions, and define different paths of execution based on the outcome.

By using these techniques, users can create more robust and reliable workflows in Power Automate that can handle exceptions and adapt to different scenarios and conditions. Exception handling is essential for creating workflows that can run smoothly and efficiently in production environments.

How to handle the data threshold limit error in Power Automate?

In Power Automate, some actions and connectors have built-in limits on the number of records or requests that can be processed in a single execution. These limits are designed to prevent excessive resource usage and ensure the stability and performance of the underlying systems. However, in some cases, these limits may cause issues for users who need to process large volumes of data or perform complex operations. Here are some ways to handle threshold limits in Power Automate:

Use batch processing: Users can use batch processing techniques to split large datasets into smaller batches and process them sequentially. For example, they can use the “Apply to each” action to iterate over a large dataset and process it in smaller chunks.
Use pagination: Users can use pagination techniques to retrieve large datasets in smaller chunks and process them sequentially. For example, they can use the “Get rows” action in the Common Data Service connector to retrieve records in batches of 5,000 records at a time.
Use filters and queries: Users can use filters and queries to reduce the size of datasets before processing them. For example, they can use the “Filter array” action to exclude records that do not meet certain criteria or use the “List rows present in a table” action to retrieve only a subset of records from a database table.
Use parallel processing: Users can use parallel processing techniques to process data in parallel across multiple threads or actions. For example, they can use the “Parallel branches” action to split a workflow into multiple branches that can execute in parallel.
Use custom code: Users can use custom code or scripts to perform more complex operations that are not supported by the built-in actions and connectors. For example, they can use the “Code” action to write custom JavaScript code that can process data using advanced algorithms or techniques.

By using these techniques, users can handle threshold limits in Power Automate and process large volumes of data or perform complex operations efficiently and reliably. It’s important to test these workflows thoroughly before deploying them to production environments to ensure they are running smoothly and meeting the desired performance requirements.

How threshold limit in Power Automate works with SharePoint Online data, refer to our article: Best way to get more than 5000 items in Power Automate from SharePoint Online list.

What is environment variable in Power Automate?

Environment variables in Power Automate are used to store and manage key-value pairs that can be shared across multiple workflows, connectors, and actions within an environment. An environment variable is a named value that can be used to store configuration settings, API keys, connection strings, and other parameters that are used frequently across different workflows.

Environment variables provide a central repository for storing and managing key information that can be accessed by different workflows and actions. This makes it easy to update and maintain configuration settings and other parameters without having to modify each workflow or action separately.

Users can create environment variables in Power Automate by selecting the “Environment Variables” option from the settings menu. They can define the name, value, data type, and other properties of the environment variable, and then use it in different workflows and actions by referencing its name.

Environment variables in Power Automate provide a powerful mechanism for managing and sharing key information across different workflows and actions, making it easier to maintain and scale complex workflows in a more efficient and flexible way. They also help to ensure consistency and accuracy in configuration settings and other parameters used in workflows, reducing the risk of errors and improving overall reliability and performance.

Recommended way to deploy Power Automate flow from one environment to another?

The recommended way to deploy Power Automate flows from one environment to another is by using the built-in deployment features in the Power Platform Admin Center. This allows users to package, export, and import flows and other components across different environments, ensuring that they are consistent and have the same configuration settings.

Here are the steps to deploy Power Automate flows from one environment to another:

Navigate to the Power Platform Admin Center and select the environment that contains the flow you want to deploy.
Select the “Solutions” option from the left-hand menu and create a new solution.
Add the flow to the solution by selecting it from the list of available components.
Export the solution as a managed or unmanaged package, depending on your deployment needs.
Navigate to the target environment and select the “Solutions” option from the left-hand menu.
Import the solution package into the target environment, ensuring that all dependencies and related components are included.
Verify that the flow has been successfully deployed and configured in the target environment by testing it and monitoring its performance.

It’s important to note that deploying flows and other components across environments can be complex and may require careful planning and testing to ensure that they work as expected. Users should also be aware of any differences in configuration settings and data sources between the source and target environments, and make sure to address any issues or conflicts that may arise during the deployment process.

We also can implement Azure DevOps CICD pipeline for the automatic deployment.

What is solution in power automate?

In Power Automate, a solution is a logical container that allows users to organize and manage related components, such as flows, connectors, entities, and other resources, in a single package. Solutions are typically used to deploy, version, and distribute components across different environments, such as development, test, and production, ensuring consistency and coherence across the entire application lifecycle.

Users can create and manage solutions in the Power Platform Admin Center, which provides a centralized interface for defining solution components, dependencies, versioning, and other configuration settings. Solutions can be packaged and exported as managed or unmanaged files, depending on the deployment needs and security requirements of the organization.

Solutions in Power Automate provide a powerful mechanism for managing and scaling complex applications and workflows, enabling users to reuse and share components across different projects and teams. They also help to ensure consistency and reliability by providing a centralized repository for managing dependencies, versioning, and other configuration settings, reducing the risk of errors and enhancing the overall quality and performance of the application.

What is the difference between power automate and logic apps?

Power Automate and Logic Apps are both cloud-based workflow automation services that are part of the Microsoft Power Platform. While they share some similarities, they also have some key differences that set them apart.

Target audience: Power Automate is designed for non-technical users who want to automate simple tasks and processes using a visual drag-and-drop interface. Logic Apps, on the other hand, is designed for more technical users who have experience with coding and want to build complex workflows using a range of programming languages and development tools.
Integration capabilities: Power Automate is tightly integrated with Microsoft’s suite of productivity tools, such as SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and Office 365, as well as a wide range of third-party applications and services through connectors. Logic Apps also offers extensive integration capabilities, but it can also integrate with other Azure services and resources, such as Azure Functions, Service Bus, and Event Grid.
Scalability: Logic Apps is designed to handle large-scale enterprise workflows and can handle a higher volume of transactions and events than Power Automate. It also offers more advanced features for managing complex workflows, such as message queuing, long-running workflows, and durable functions.
Pricing model: Power Automate offers both a free and paid version, with different pricing tiers based on the number of workflows, runs, and connectors used. Logic Apps also offers a similar pricing model, but it is typically more expensive than Power Automate, reflecting its more advanced capabilities and integration options.

Overall, Power Automate is best suited for simple to moderate workflows that require quick and easy automation, while Logic Apps is better suited for more complex workflows that require greater flexibility, scalability, and control over the workflow execution.

Should we use Power Automate’s inbuilt actions or develop custom APIs?

The decision to use Power Automate inbuilt actions or develop custom APIs depends on several factors, such as the complexity of the task, the data sources involved, the desired level of customization, and the security and compliance requirements of the organization.

In general, Power Automate inbuilt actions provide a quick and easy way to automate common tasks, such as sending emails, creating files, updating records, and triggering events, without the need for coding or complex configuration. Inbuilt actions are also supported by a wide range of connectors that can integrate with various data sources and services, such as SharePoint, Dynamics 365, and Salesforce.

However, if the task requires more advanced functionality or customization, such as integrating with a custom API, performing complex data transformations, or implementing custom business logic, then developing a custom API may be a better option. Custom APIs can be developed using various programming languages, such as C#, JavaScript, or Python, and can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud. Custom APIs can also provide greater flexibility, scalability, and security, as well as the ability to handle more complex data scenarios and workflows.

Ultimately, the decision to use Power Automate inbuilt actions or develop custom APIs should be based on a thorough analysis of the requirements, risks, and benefits of each approach, as well as the technical capabilities and resources of the organization.

What is the difference between custom action and custom API?

Both custom actions and custom APIs are used in Power Automate to extend the functionality and integrate with external systems or services. However, they differ in terms of their scope, complexity, and usage scenarios.

Custom actions are built using the Common Data Service (CDS) and allow users to perform specific actions or operations on data, such as creating or updating records, without having to write custom code. Custom actions can be invoked using a workflow or a plugin, and can include input and output parameters, as well as business logic and validation rules. Custom actions are typically used to automate specific business processes or to perform common operations that are not available out-of-the-box.

Custom APIs, on the other hand, are built using a programming language, such as C#, JavaScript, or Python, and allow users to expose a custom endpoint that can be called from Power Automate or other external applications. Custom APIs can be hosted on-premises or in the cloud, and can provide a range of functionality, such as data retrieval and manipulation, authentication and authorization, error handling, and logging. Custom APIs are typically used to integrate with complex or legacy systems, to perform advanced data transformations or calculations, or to implement custom business logic.

In summary, custom actions are a type of declarative automation that can be created without writing custom code, while custom APIs are a type of programmatic automation that require writing custom code. Custom actions are typically used to automate specific business processes or operations, while custom APIs are used to provide more advanced functionality and integration capabilities.

What are the types of power automate license?

Power Automate has several types of licenses that are designed to meet the needs of different users and organizations. Here are some of the main types of Power Automate licenses:

Power Automate Free: This is a free license that allows users to create unlimited flows with basic functionality, such as triggering a flow based on an event or action, using pre-built templates, and integrating with a limited number of connectors.
Power Automate Per User: This license is designed for individual users who need to create more advanced flows and integrations, such as custom connectors, on-premises gateways, and AI Builder capabilities. It includes a range of advanced features and services, such as Premium connectors, parallel flows, custom connectors, and approval workflows.
Power Automate Per App: This license is designed for organizations that need to create flows for a specific app or scenario, such as automating a customer service process or a supply chain management workflow. It allows users to create flows for a specific app or environment, and includes a range of features, such as custom connectors, API management, and governance policies.
Power Automate for Office 365: This license is designed for users who have an Office 365 subscription and need to automate tasks and workflows within Office 365 apps, such as SharePoint, OneDrive, and Teams. It includes a range of pre-built templates and connectors, as well as advanced features, such as document approvals, data analysis, and email automation.
Power Automate for Dynamics 365: This license is designed for users who have a Dynamics 365 subscription and need to automate tasks and workflows within Dynamics 365 apps, such as Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service. It includes a range of pre-built templates and connectors, as well as advanced features, such as business process automation, data analysis, and reporting.

In addition to these licenses, Power Automate also offers a range of enterprise-level licenses, such as Power Automate for Microsoft Power Apps, Power Automate for Microsoft Power BI, and Power Automate for Microsoft Power Virtual Agents, which provide more advanced features and integration capabilities for specific scenarios and use cases.

How to check the null or empty condition in Power Automate Trigger?

In Power Automate, you can check for null or empty conditions using the “is empty” or “is null” functions, depending on the type of data you are working with. Here are some examples of how to check for null or empty conditions in Power Automate:

For strings: To check if a string is empty or null, you can use the “is empty” function. For example, if you have a variable called “myString” and you want to check if it is empty, you can use the following expression in a condition action:

@empty(triggerBody()?['myString'])

This will return true if the string is empty or null, and false if it has a value.

For arrays: To check if an array is empty or null, you can use the “is empty” function. For example, if you have an array called “myArray” and you want to check if it is empty, you can use the following expression in a condition action:

@empty(triggerBody()?['myArray'])

This will return true if the array is empty or null, and false if it has elements.

For objects: To check if an object is null, you can use the “is null” function. For example, if you have an object called “myObject” and you want to check if it is null, you can use the following expression in a condition action:

@equals(triggerBody()?['myObject'], null)

This will return true if the object is null, and false if it has properties.

By checking for null or empty conditions in your Power Automate flows, you can ensure that your flows handle unexpected data values and errors more gracefully.

How to read more than 5000 items from SharePoint Online list?

By default, Power Automate can only read up to 5000 items from a SharePoint Online list using the “Get items” action. However, there are several ways to read more than 5000 items from a SharePoint Online list in Power Automate:

Use the “Get items (incremental)” action: This action allows you to read items from a SharePoint Online list in batches of up to 5000 items at a time. You can configure the action to retrieve the next batch of items using a “Next link” value that is returned by the action in the previous batch. This allows you to read all items in the list, regardless of the 5000-item threshold.
Use the “Send an HTTP request to SharePoint” action: This action allows you to send custom REST API requests to SharePoint Online, which can bypass the 5000-item threshold. You can use the “Send an HTTP request to SharePoint” action to retrieve items from a list using a custom CAML query, which can filter and sort the items as needed.
Use third-party connectors or custom code: There are several third-party connectors available in Power Automate, such as the Plumsail SP connector, which can read more than 5000 items from SharePoint Online lists. Alternatively, you can use custom code or Azure Functions to read large SharePoint Online lists, which can provide more flexibility and performance than the built-in actions.

By using these techniques, you can read more than 5000 items from SharePoint Online lists in Power Automate and handle large data sets more efficiently. However, it’s important to consider the performance and scalability implications of reading large lists, as this can affect the performance and reliability of your flows.

How to create HTML table and send email in Power Automate?

You can create an HTML table and send an email using Power Automate with the following steps:

Create a new Instant Flow in Power Automate and choose the “Manually trigger a flow” trigger.
Add a “Create HTML table” action to the flow. In this action, specify the data that you want to include in the HTML table. You can use dynamic content from previous actions in the flow, or you can enter the data manually.
Add an “Initialize variable” action to the flow. In this action, specify a name for the variable (e.g. “HTML table content”), and set the value to the output of the “Create HTML table” action.
Add a “Send an email” action to the flow. In this action, specify the email recipient, subject, and body.
In the body of the email, insert the HTML table variable by clicking on the “Add dynamic content” button, selecting “Variables” and then selecting the variable you created in step 3.
Save and test the flow.

Here’s an example of how the flow would look like:

Step 1: Manually trigger a flow
Step 2: Create HTML table
Inputs:
- Columns: ['Name', 'Age', 'Gender']
- Values: [['John', '25', 'Male'], ['Jane', '30', 'Female']]
Step 3: Initialize variable
Inputs:
- Name: 'HTML table content'
- Value: Output of 'Create HTML table' action
Step 4: Send an email
Inputs:
- To: 'example@example.com'
- Subject: 'HTML table example'
- Body: '<html><body><p>Here is an example HTML table:</p>' + variables('HTML table content') + '</body></html>'

See Also:

Can we filter get items action in Power Automate with the SharePoint taxonomy field?

No, as of today, this is a limitation in Power Automate set by Microsoft. We cannot filter data with the taxonomy columns in Power Automate.

Can we trigger flow for multiple selected items in SharePoint Online?

No, as of today, this is a limitation in Power Automate set by Microsoft. We can trigger a flow manually for a selected item (one item) from the SharePoint Online list or document library Power Automate menu. However, if we want to trigger a flow manually for more than one selected item, we cannot. For that, we need to customize the ribbon menu using the SPFx framework, where we need to pass multiple items and handle the trigger logic inside the SPFx code.

What are the challenges in Power Automate?

While Power Automate provides a lot of functionality for automating business processes, there are also some challenges that users may face when working with the platform. Here are some of the common challenges in Power Automate:

Complexity: Power Automate has a wide range of actions and connectors that can be used to automate different types of tasks. However, this complexity can make it challenging for users to create and manage flows, especially if they are not familiar with the platform.
Limits and licensing: Power Automate has limits on the number of runs, connections, and actions that can be used per month based on the user’s licensing plan. Users may need to upgrade to a higher licensing plan or purchase additional capacity to overcome these limits.
Integration: Power Automate provides many connectors to integrate with different services, but it may not always have direct integrations with every system a user needs to connect to. In some cases, custom connectors or APIs may need to be developed to enable integration.
Debugging and error handling: When working with Power Automate, it can be challenging to debug issues and handle errors that occur during the flow execution. The platform provides some logging and debugging capabilities, but these may not be sufficient for complex flows.
Security: Power Automate can interact with a wide range of systems and services, which can create security risks if not configured properly. Users need to ensure that their flows are secure and comply with the security policies of their organization.
Data handling: Power Automate can handle a variety of data types, but it may not always be straightforward to manipulate or transform data in the way that users need. Users may need to use custom expressions or functions to work with data in a specific way.

Overall, Power Automate provides a powerful set of tools for automating business processes, but users need to be aware of these challenges and be prepared to overcome them to ensure that their flows are reliable, secure, and effective.

Power Automate vs. Nintex: which one is better?

Power Automate and Nintex are both workflow automation platforms that allow users to create automated business processes without writing code. Here are some of the key differences between the two platforms:

Integration: Power Automate provides a wide range of connectors to integrate with different systems and services, including Microsoft services such as Dynamics 365, SharePoint, and Power BI, as well as third-party services such as Salesforce and Dropbox. Nintex also has a range of connectors, but it may not support as many services as Power Automate.
User interface: Power Automate has a modern, user-friendly interface that is easy to use for both technical and non-technical users. Nintex has a more complex interface that may require more training to use effectively.
Licensing: Power Automate is included with many Microsoft subscriptions, including Office 365 and Dynamics 365. Nintex, on the other hand, requires a separate license and can be more expensive than Power Automate.
Complexity: Power Automate provides a wide range of functionality for creating complex workflows, including support for conditional logic, approvals, and parallel branching. Nintex also provides these features, but it may require more effort to set up and manage complex workflows.
Support: Power Automate is backed by Microsoft’s support team and has a large community of users who can provide support and assistance. Nintex also has a support team and community, but it may not be as large as Power Automate’s.

Ultimately, the choice between Power Automate and Nintex will depend on the specific needs and requirements of the user. Power Automate may be a better choice for users who need a wide range of connectors and a modern, easy-to-use interface, while Nintex may be a better choice for users who require more advanced workflow functionality and are willing to pay for a separate license.

What are the best practices in Power Automate?

Here are some best practices to follow when working with Power Automate:

Start with a clear plan: Before creating a flow, it’s important to have a clear plan of what you want to achieve and how you want to achieve it. This will help you choose the right actions and connectors, and ensure that your flow is effective and efficient.
Use naming conventions: Use clear and consistent naming conventions for your flows, connectors, and actions. This will make it easier to manage and organize your flows, especially if you have a large number of flows.
Keep it simple: Whenever possible, keep your flows simple and easy to understand. This will make it easier to troubleshoot issues and modify the flow if necessary.
Use comments and documentation: Add comments and documentation to your flows to explain what each action and connector does, and why it’s necessary. This will help other users understand your flows and modify them if necessary.
Test your flows: Always test your flows thoroughly before deploying them to production. This will help you catch any errors or issues early on and ensure that your flow works as intended.
Use error handling: Use error handling to handle errors and exceptions that may occur during flow execution. This will ensure that your flow continues to run smoothly even in the event of errors.
Follow security best practices: Ensure that your flows are secure and comply with the security policies of your organization. Use secure connectors and actions, and restrict access to flows to only those who need it.
Monitor and optimize your flows: Monitor your flows regularly to ensure that they are running smoothly and optimize them if necessary to improve performance and reduce costs.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your Power Automate flows are effective, efficient, and reliable, and that they meet the needs of your organization.

Types of loops in Power Automate

Following are the types of loops available in Power Automate that can be used to perform repetitive actions:

Apply to each: The Apply to each loop is used to iterate over a collection of items, such as an array or a SharePoint list. For each item in the collection, you can perform a set of actions.
Do until: The do-until loop is used to repeat a set of actions until a specified condition is met. This is useful for situations where you need to keep iterating until a certain outcome is achieved.

How to check the logs in Power Automate?

Power Automate provides several options for checking the logs of your flows to help you troubleshoot errors or issues that may arise. Here are some of the ways to check logs in Power Automate:

Flow run details: You can view the run details of your flows by clicking on the flow run in the Run history tab. This will provide you with detailed information about the flow run, including any errors or warnings that occurred.
Run history: You can also view the run history of your flows by clicking on the Run history tab in the Power Automate portal. This will provide you with a list of all flow runs, along with their status and any error messages.
Session details: If you’re working with a connector that requires authentication, such as the SharePoint connector, you can view the session details to see any authentication errors that may have occurred. To view the session details, click on the ellipsis (…) next to the connection name in the Connections tab, and then click on Session details.
Audit logs: If you’re working with a Microsoft 365 tenant, you can view the audit logs to see a detailed history of all user and administrator activities. This can be useful for troubleshooting issues related to permissions or access.

By using these options to check the logs of your flows, you can quickly identify and resolve any errors or issues that may arise, and ensure that your flows are running smoothly and efficiently.

What is the connection reference in Power Automate?

Connection references in Power Automate provide a way to securely store and manage the authentication credentials for your connectors and APIs. When you create a connection for a connector or API, you are prompted to sign in with your account credentials to establish the connection.

Connection references allow you to separate the credentials used to authenticate the connection from the actual flow, making it easier to manage and maintain your flows. With connection references, you can store the credentials securely in the Power Platform environment, and then reference them in your flows without exposing the credentials directly.

To create a connection reference in Power Automate, follow these steps:

Navigate to the Data > Connection References tab in your Power Automate environment.
Click on the New Connection Reference button to create a new connection reference.
Choose the connector or API you want to connect to, and then enter the required authentication details.
Save the connection reference, and then use it in your flows by selecting the connection reference from the list of available connections.
Using connection references in Power Automate helps to enhance the security of your flows by keeping authentication credentials separate and secure, and allows you to easily manage and update your connections as needed.

Can we use ChatGPT in Power Automate?

Yes, it is possible to integrate the ChatGPT language model into Power Automate by using the HTTP with Azure AD connector to access the OpenAI API.

To use ChatGPT in Power Automate, you will need to do the following:

Sign up for an OpenAI API key and create an API token for accessing the GPT-3 API.
Create a new flow in Power Automate.
Add the HTTP with Azure AD connector to your flow, and then configure it with the OpenAI API endpoint and your API key.
Configure the HTTP with Azure AD connector to send a request to the GPT-3 API with your input text, and then parse the response to extract the generated text.
Use the generated text in your flow by passing it to other actions, such as sending an email or updating a SharePoint list item.
Using ChatGPT in Power Automate can help automate text generation tasks, such as generating email templates, writing reports, or creating chatbot responses. However, it is important to ensure that the generated text is appropriate and accurate for your intended use case.

How to create an auto increment number in SharePoint using Power Automate?

To create an auto-increment number in SharePoint using Power Automate, you can use a combination of the “Get items” and “Update item” actions in Power Automate. Here are the general steps:

Create a SharePoint list with a column to store the auto-increment number.
Create a new flow in Power Automate and trigger it when a new item is created in the SharePoint list.
Use the “Get items” action to retrieve the last item in the SharePoint list.
Parse the auto-increment number from the retrieved item, increment it by one, and then store it in a variable.
Use the “Update item” action to update the new item with the incremented auto-increment number.

Here’s an example of how to implement this in Power Automate:

Add the “When an item is created” trigger to your flow and select the SharePoint list.
Add a “Get items” action to your flow and configure it to retrieve the last item in the SharePoint list.
Use the “Parse JSON” action to parse the auto-increment number from the retrieved item.

For example, if the auto-increment number is stored in a column called “ID”, the expression for the “Parse JSON” action could be:

int(outputs('Get_items')?['body/value'][0]?['ID'])

Increment the parsed auto-increment number by one and store it in a variable using the “Compose” action.

For example, if the parsed auto-increment number is stored in a variable called “lastID”, the expression for the “Compose” action could be:

add(variables('lastID'), 1)

Use the “Update item” action to update the new item with the incremented auto-increment number.

For example, you could set the value of the “ID” column in the new item to the value of the “Compose” action.
By following these steps, you can create an auto-increment number in SharePoint using Power Automate.

How to check the performances of Power Automate?

To check the performance of Power Automate, you can use the built-in monitoring and analytics features in Power Automate. Here are some ways to monitor and analyze the performance of your flows:

Use the “Run history” feature to view details about each run of your flow, including the start time, duration, status, and any error messages. You can also view the input and output data for each run.
Use the “Analytics” feature to view metrics and charts that show the performance of your flows over time. You can view metrics such as run count, run duration, and success rate, and you can filter the data by date range, flow, or connector.
Use the “Usage” feature to view usage metrics for your flows, such as the number of runs and the average run duration. You can also view usage data by flow or by connector.
Use the “Notifications” feature to receive email notifications when a flow fails or meets certain conditions, such as a long run duration or a high error rate.
Use the “Resource Health” feature to monitor the health of the Power Automate service and view any service incidents or outages that may affect your flows.

By using these monitoring and analytics features, you can gain insights into the performance of your flows and identify any issues or bottlenecks that may be impacting performance. You can then make adjustments to your flows or connectors to optimize performance and improve the overall efficiency of your business processes.

How does pagination work in Power Automate?

Pagination in Power Automate is a process of splitting large data sets into smaller chunks or pages to improve performance and prevent timeouts when working with APIs that return a large number of items.

In Power Automate, pagination is typically achieved through the use of the “Top Count” and “Skip Count” parameters in the “Get Items” action of SharePoint, Common Data Service, and other connectors. The Top Count parameter specifies the number of items to retrieve in each page, while the Skip Count parameter specifies the number of items to skip before returning the next page of results.

For example, if you have a list of 1000 items to retrieve, you can set the Top Count parameter to 100 and the Skip Count parameter to 0 to retrieve the first page of 100 items. Then, you can increment the Skip Count parameter by 100 and retrieve the next page of 100 items, and so on until all items have been retrieved.

To implement pagination in Power Automate, you will typically use a loop that iterates over each page of data and processes the results. You can use variables to store the current page number, the total number of items retrieved, and any other relevant data. Additionally, you may need to handle any errors or exceptions that occur during the pagination process, such as timeouts or invalid data.

By using pagination in Power Automate, you can improve the performance of your workflows when working with large data sets and ensure that your workflows are able to handle the data in a scalable and efficient manner.

Should we use Get Items or Get file properties only action?

The choice between using the “Get Items” or “Get file properties only” action in Power Automate depends on the specific requirements of your workflow.

The “Get Items” action is used to retrieve a list of items from a SharePoint list or library. It returns metadata about each item, such as the item ID, title, created date, modified date, and any custom fields that have been defined. This action is useful when you need to retrieve a list of items and perform operations on each item, such as updating or deleting items, sending notifications, or exporting data to an external system.

On the other hand, the “Get file properties only” action is used to retrieve metadata about a specific file in a SharePoint library, such as the file name, size, created date, modified date, and other properties. This action is useful when you only need to retrieve metadata about a specific file and do not need to perform operations on other items in the library.

In general, if you need to perform operations on multiple items in a SharePoint list or library, you should use the “Get Items” action. If you only need to retrieve metadata about a specific file, you should use the “Get file properties only” action. However, there may be cases where you need to use both actions in combination, depending on the specific requirements of your workflow.

It’s also worth noting that the “Get Items” action can be used to retrieve metadata about a single item by specifying a filter condition that matches the item you want to retrieve. In this case, you can use the “Get Items” action instead of the “Get file properties only” action to retrieve the metadata for a specific file.

What is Next? Power Platform job interview questions and answers

In the next upcoming Power Platform Interview Questions and Answers series, we will come up with real-time scenario-based Power Platform interview questions and answers that will cover Power Apps, Power Automate, Power Pages, SharePoint Online, Dataverse, etc. Generally, these types of scenario-based questions are asked in the big MNCs, so by referring to these questions, you can easily crack any big MNC interviews and get into your high-paying dream job, both in product- and service-based companies.

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