Types of Microsoft Power Automate Cloud Flows

Understanding the different types of Cloud Flows is essential for anyone looking to streamline workflows and boost productivity using Microsoft Power Automate. Cloud Flows allow you to automate repetitive tasks across various platforms and services. But did you know that there are three distinct types of Cloud Flows, each designed for specific automation needs? In this guide, we’ll explore each type in detail, examine their use cases, and help you choose the right flow for your business scenario.

What are Types of Microsoft Power Automate Cloud Flows?

Cloud Flows are automated workflows that run in the cloud using Microsoft Power Automate. These flows connect to over 500 services, including Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Outlook, Excel, Teams, and third-party platforms like Salesforce, Dropbox, and Google Sheets. Once a flow is triggered, it performs a series of predefined actions—sending emails, updating records, posting messages, or performing calculations—all without manual input.

There are three main types of Cloud Flows:

1. Automated Cloud Flows
2. Instant Cloud Flows
3. Scheduled Cloud Flows

Let’s dive into each of these in more detail.

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1. Automated Cloud Flows

What Are Automated Flows?

Automated Cloud Flows are triggered by a specific event in a connected service or app. Once the trigger condition is met, the flow runs automatically to perform one or more actions. These flows are designed for scenarios where you want a task to occur as a direct result of an event—without human intervention.

Use Cases for Automated Flows

• Email Management: Automatically save attachments to OneDrive when a new email arrives.
• SharePoint Integration: When a new item is added to a SharePoint list, update a row in Excel or send a Teams notification.
• Customer Support: Automatically create a case in Dynamics 365 when a support request is received.

How They Work

Each automated flow starts with a trigger, such as:

• “When a new email arrives in Outlook”
• “When a file is created in OneDrive”
• “When a new response is submitted in Microsoft Forms”

You can then add a series of actions, like sending emails, creating files, or posting messages to Teams. Flows can include conditions, loops, variables, and even run nested flows to support complex automation scenarios.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Event-driven and real-time
• Fully automatic—no manual action required
• Great for business-critical notifications

Cons:

• May run frequently, depending on trigger conditions
• Requires careful design to avoid unintended executions

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2. Instant Cloud Flows (Button Flows)

What Are Instant Flows?

Instant Cloud Flows are user-triggered flows that run manually. You can start them with a click from the Power Automate app, a button in Microsoft Teams, or even from within a Power App. These flows are ideal when you need more control over when the flow runs.

Use Cases for Instant Flows

• Field Service: Capture photos and upload them to SharePoint from a mobile device.
• Approval Requests: Manually initiate an approval flow.
• Customer Interactions: Send follow-up emails or meeting invites directly after a call.

How They Work

To create an instant flow:

1. Choose “Instant cloud flow” from the Power Automate dashboard.
2. Select the manual trigger, such as “Manually trigger a flow.”
3. Add inputs if needed (text, number, email address, file).
4. Define actions to follow the manual trigger.

You can launch these flows from the Power Automate mobile app, Teams, or web interface. This makes them incredibly useful for mobile professionals and deskless workers.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Gives users full control
• Excellent for mobile and on-demand scenarios
• Can include user input at runtime

Cons:

• Relies on human action to run
• Not suitable for real-time or background automation

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3. Scheduled Cloud Flows

What Are Scheduled Flows?

Scheduled Cloud Flows run based on a defined schedule—hourly, daily, weekly, or even at custom intervals. These are ideal for repetitive, time-based tasks that need to occur without relying on an external event or user action.

Use Cases for Scheduled Flows

• Report Generation: Send daily or weekly reports to stakeholders.
• Data Cleanup: Clear out old records or archive files every night.
• Reminders: Send automated reminders for deadlines or appointments.

How They Work

When creating a Scheduled Flow, you set the start time and recurrence pattern. The flow then runs automatically at the configured times, executing the actions you’ve defined—such as querying a data source, performing calculations, or sending notifications.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Perfect for routine, time-based operations
• Fully hands-off
• Highly customizable schedule patterns

Cons:

• Won’t react to real-time events
• Could consume resources unnecessarily if not optimized

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Comparing the Three Types of Cloud Flows

Type	Triggered By	Best For	Control Level	Real-Time?
Automated	External event	Notifications, syncing, tracking	Low	Yes
Instant (Button)	Manual user action	Field work, approvals, mobile use	High	Optional
Scheduled	Time-based trigger	Reports, cleanups, reminders	Medium	No

Each type of Cloud Flow serves a specific need. Your choice should depend on whether your process is time-based, event-driven, or user-controlled.

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Choosing the Right Cloud Flow for Your Needs

To select the best type of Cloud Flow, ask yourself the following questions:

• Do I need the process to run in real-time based on a specific event? Choose an Automated Flow.
• Do I want full control over when the flow runs? Choose an Instant Flow.
• Is the process routine and recurring on a schedule? Choose a Scheduled Flow.

Understanding the differences will help you design efficient, reliable workflows that save time and reduce errors.

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Advanced Scenarios and Tips

Combining Flow Types

You can combine multiple types of flows for more complex scenarios. For example, a Scheduled Flow might run every day to check if conditions are met, and then trigger an Automated Flow for real-time notifications. Or an Instant Flow could call another flow to modularize logic.

Use Child Flows for Reusability

Create reusable “child” flows and call them from your main flows using the Run a Child Flow action. This reduces duplication and makes your automation easier to maintain.

Optimize Flow Performance

• Use conditions and filters to avoid unnecessary runs.
• Add error handling using Scope and Run After logic.
• Monitor flow performance with built-in analytics.

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Real-World Examples

Automated Flow Example

Scenario: Automatically save new email attachments to a SharePoint document library.
Trigger: When a new email arrives
Actions:

1. Extract attachments
2. Create file in SharePoint
3. Send Teams notification

Instant Flow Example

Scenario: Log an inspection report from the field using mobile.
Trigger: Manual button press
Actions:

1. Capture photo and GPS
2. Create SharePoint list item
3. Email summary to supervisor

Scheduled Flow Example

Scenario: Send weekly sales summary to leadership.
Trigger: Every Monday at 8 AM
Actions:

1. Run Excel report
2. Format data
3. Email report to executives

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Conclusion

Cloud Flows are at the heart of Microsoft Power Automate’s value proposition. Whether you’re reacting to an incoming email, manually initiating a task, or scheduling routine jobs, there’s a Cloud Flow type suited to your need. By understanding and leveraging the three types—Automated, Instant, and Scheduled—you can transform how your organization handles repetitive work, leading to greater efficiency, reliability, and performance.

Start experimenting with each type of flow today to unlock the full potential of Power Automate in your workflow automation strategy.