What Are Triggers and Actions in Cloud Flows?

Understanding triggers and actions is essential when working with Microsoft Power Automate’s Cloud Flows. These two core components define when a flow starts and what it does once it begins. Whether you’re automating email processing, syncing data between applications, or sending notifications, triggers and actions power the logic that drives your automation forward.

In this in-depth guide, we’ll break down what triggers and actions are, how they function in Cloud Flows, and how you can use them effectively.

Let’s dive into the foundation of every Cloud Flow: triggers and actions.

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Table of Contents

1. What Are Triggers in Cloud Flows?
2. Types of Triggers
   • Automated Triggers
   • Manual (Instant) Triggers
   • Scheduled Triggers
3. What Are Actions in Cloud Flows?
4. Types of Actions
   • Built-in Actions
   • Standard and Premium Connector Actions
   • Control Actions
   • AI Actions
5. How Triggers and Actions Work Together
6. Real-World Examples of Triggers and Actions
7. Best Practices for Using Triggers and Actions
8. Troubleshooting Common Issues
9. Conclusion

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What Are Triggers in Cloud Flows?

A trigger is the starting point of any Cloud Flow. It defines the event that will initiate or “trigger” the flow to begin running. Without a trigger, your flow will not start.

In Power Automate, triggers come in many forms depending on the type of flow you’re building—automated, instant, or scheduled. Understanding the different trigger types helps ensure you’re using the right one for your scenario.

Importance of Triggers

• Initiates workflows in response to events
• Ensures your automation is event-driven
• Saves time by removing manual intervention

Every Cloud Flow must begin with one trigger. Selecting the correct one ensures your automation fires off exactly when you need it.

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Types of Triggers

Automated Triggers

Automated triggers respond to events in a system or app. These events could include receiving an email, a new file being created, or a database row being modified.

Examples of automated triggers:

• When a new email arrives in Outlook
• When a new item is added to a SharePoint list
• When a tweet is posted with a specific hashtag

These are great for scenarios where you want the flow to run automatically, without user input.

Manual (Instant) Triggers

Manual triggers allow the user to start a Cloud Flow manually, often with a button or through a mobile app.

Examples of manual triggers:

• Manually trigger a flow from the Power Automate app
• Click a button in Teams or Power Apps
• Submit a form in Power Apps to start a flow

Manual triggers are ideal for on-demand automation, such as field inspections or real-time data logging.

Scheduled Triggers

Scheduled triggers run flows at set intervals—hourly, daily, weekly, or custom-defined.

Examples of scheduled triggers:

• Every day at 9 AM, send a task summary
• Every Monday, clear outdated entries from a database

Scheduled triggers are ideal for routine tasks that don’t depend on user action or external events.

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What Are Actions in Cloud Flows?

An action is a task or step the flow performs after it is triggered. While the trigger starts the flow, actions define what the flow actually does. A single flow can contain one or many actions.

Importance of Actions

• Drive the functionality of your flow
• Can perform a wide range of operations—from simple tasks to complex logic
• Enable integration with hundreds of services

Actions can send emails, create files, update databases, manipulate data, and much more.

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Types of Actions

Built-in Actions

These are native to Power Automate and don’t rely on external connectors.

Examples:

• Compose (to build dynamic content)
• Delay (pause the flow)
• Terminate (end the flow)

Standard and Premium Connector Actions

These actions rely on connectors to interact with external services.

Standard Connector Actions:

• Outlook: Send an email
• SharePoint: Create an item
• Excel: Update a row

Premium Connector Actions: (require a premium license)

• Salesforce: Create a lead
• ServiceNow: Update an incident
• Adobe Sign: Send agreement for signature

Control Actions

Control actions manage the logic and decision-making within a flow.

Examples:

• Condition (If/Else logic)
• Switch (Multiple conditional branches)
• Apply to each (Loop through data)
• Scope (Group actions)

AI Actions

Leverage AI Builder to bring intelligence into your flows.

Examples:

• Recognize text in images
• Predict outcomes
• Extract information from documents

AI actions can dramatically increase the value of automation by incorporating machine learning.

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How Triggers and Actions Work Together

Every Cloud Flow follows a basic logic:

1. Trigger: Start the flow when an event occurs
2. Action(s): Perform one or more tasks based on that event

Example Workflow

Trigger: When a new form response is submitted
Action 1: Create a new SharePoint list item
Action 2: Send an email to the manager
Action 3: Notify the team on Microsoft Teams

This structure allows you to automate multi-step business processes with precision and scalability.

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Real-World Examples of Triggers and Actions

Example 1: Automating Document Storage

• Trigger: When an email arrives with an attachment
• Actions:
  1. Save the attachment to OneDrive
  2. Send a confirmation email to the sender

Example 2: Streamlining HR Onboarding

• Trigger: When a new employee is added to the HR system
• Actions:
  1. Create a Teams channel
  2. Assign onboarding tasks in Planner
  3. Send a welcome email

Example 3: Scheduled Report Distribution

• Trigger: Every Friday at 6 PM
• Actions:
  1. Generate Excel report from SharePoint list
  2. Format data
  3. Email report to leadership

These examples show how triggers and actions combine to create real business value.

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Best Practices for Using Triggers and Actions

Choose the Right Trigger

• Align your trigger with your use case
• Avoid using overly broad triggers to minimize resource usage

Optimize Actions

• Use filters to minimize unnecessary steps
• Chain actions logically
• Reuse actions using child flows when possible

Use Error Handling

• Add Scope controls to manage errors
• Use Configure Run After to handle failed or skipped actions

Maintain Readability

• Label your actions clearly
• Add comments using notes to explain complex logic

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

Flow Doesn’t Trigger

• Check if the trigger condition is correctly configured
• Ensure permissions are correctly granted
• Test with sample data

Actions Fail to Run

• Use the Flow Checker to identify configuration issues
• Review run history to trace the error
• Ensure connectors are authenticated and licensed

Performance Bottlenecks

• Use parallel branches where possible
• Avoid unnecessary loops
• Reduce external calls

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Conclusion

Triggers and actions are the building blocks of every Cloud Flow in Microsoft Power Automate. The trigger determines when a flow starts, while actions define what the flow does after it starts. Understanding how these components work—and how to use them effectively—will unlock powerful automation opportunities across your organization.

By selecting the right trigger, chaining the right actions, and following best practices, you can build smart, efficient, and error-free Cloud Flows that save time, reduce manual effort, and increase productivity. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned Power Automate user, mastering triggers and actions is your first step to automation success.