Power Automate, Microsoft Flow (old name) or Power Automate flows
Microsoft Power Automate is Microsoft's automation tool for building flows between apps, especially Microsoft 365. Standard connectors come with many Microsoft 365 licences, and premium connectors cost extra.
Power Automate is Microsoft's automation tool. You build flows that run when something happens, like a new email in Outlook or a file in SharePoint, and carry out steps in other apps.
It's strongest inside the Microsoft world: Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, Excel and Dynamics. It can also automate desktop apps on Windows with desktop flows.
Licensing is the tricky bit. Many Microsoft 365 licences include cloud flows with standard connectors. Premium connectors, which cover lots of non-Microsoft apps, need a Power Automate Premium licence or similar.
If a client runs almost everything in Microsoft 365 and has IT support who know Power Automate, it can be a sensible choice, and it may already be included in what they pay.
Most of my clients use a mix of tools, like ClickUp, a CRM, Xero and Slack. For them, Zapier connects more apps, is easier to learn and is easier to hand over to a non-technical team. I'd rather they could fix it themselves than call IT.
Already paying for it isn't the same as it being the right tool.
Many Microsoft 365 licences include Power Automate cloud flows with standard connectors. Premium connectors need an extra licence, so check which apps you want to connect.
For Microsoft-heavy businesses with IT support, it can be. For small teams using lots of different apps, I find Zapier quicker to build in and easier to hand over.
Yes. Zapier connects to Outlook, Teams, Excel, SharePoint and other Microsoft apps, alongside thousands of others.
I set these up and train your team, in your own ClickUp or Zapier account.
Book a callContact Jack - jack@withtoki.co.uk