Part 2: Actions, Managing Items, and Creating Approval Workflows in Power Automate

 

Actions in Power Automate

An action is an operation performed after a flow is triggered. Actions are the steps that form the core functionality of the flow, allowing you to automate tasks across various applications and services.

Types of Actions:

1. Data Operations:

   Perform operations on data, such as formatting, parsing, or transforming data.
   Examples:
   • Compose (create a new variable).
   • Append to array variable.
   • Create HTML Table.

2. Control Actions:

   These control the flow logic, such as conditional branching, looping, or parallel execution.
   Examples:
   • Condition (if-else logic).
   • Apply to each (loop through an array).
   • Switch (branch based on multiple conditions).

3. App-Specific Actions:

   Actions that interact with specific applications like SharePoint, Outlook, or Microsoft Teams.
   Examples:
   • Create item (SharePoint).
   • Send an email (Outlook).
   • Post a message (Microsoft Teams).

4. Utility Actions:

   General actions that help manipulate or control the flow's behavior.
   Examples:
   • Delay (pause the flow for a specified time).
   • Terminate (end the flow execution).
   • Scope (group actions together).

Create, Update, and Delete Items in Power Automate

Create an Item:

1. Open Power Automate.
2. Go to Power Automate and sign in.
3. Create a New Flow: Select "Instant cloud flow," provide a name, and choose a trigger.
4. Add the "Create Item" Action: Select SharePoint > "Create item" and configure the action.

Update an Item:

1. Add the "Get Items" Action.
2. Add "Apply to each" and "Update item" inside the loop.

Delete an Item:

1. Add the "Get Items" and "Apply to each" Actions.
2. Add "Delete Item" inside the loop.

Copy, Paste, and Move Items in Power Automate

Copy an Item:

• Select the Action/Trigger to Copy.
• Click on the three dots and choose "Copy to clipboard."

Paste an Item:

• Select "My Clipboard" and paste the copied action.

Move an Item:

• Drag and drop the action to the new location.