Quick answer: Microsoft Flow is Microsoft’s workflow automation service. A flow starts with a trigger (a new email, a file added to SharePoint, a form response, a button tap or a schedule) and then runs one or more actions, such as saving attachments, posting to Teams, adding a row to Excel or sending an approval request. Most Office 365 business plans include Flow, so if your team already lives in Outlook, SharePoint and Teams, it is often the easiest place to start automating routine work.
Most offices run on small, repetitive tasks: saving email attachments to the right folder, copying form responses into a spreadsheet, chasing a manager for sign-off, reminding someone a document needs review. Each one takes a few minutes. Across a team and a year, they add up to a lot of time spent on work a computer could do.
Microsoft Flow is built for exactly this. This guide explains how it works, what it connects to, and practical flows that are worth setting up first.
What Microsoft Flow is
Flow is a cloud service that links apps and services together and runs automated workflows between them. It sits alongside PowerApps (for building simple business apps) and connects closely with Office 365 and Dynamics 365.
If you have used Zapier or IFTTT, the idea will feel familiar. You choose a trigger, add actions, map data from one step to the next and switch the flow on. Our overview of Zapier covers the same concept from another angle. The difference with Flow is how deeply it fits into Microsoft’s ecosystem: it understands SharePoint lists, Outlook folders, Excel tables in OneDrive for Business, Teams channels and Planner tasks out of the box, and it respects your organisation’s Office 365 accounts and permissions.
How flows work
Triggers
Every flow starts with a trigger. Common ones include:
- When a new email arrives in Outlook (optionally filtered by sender, subject or folder).
- When a file is created or modified in SharePoint or OneDrive for Business.
- When an item is created in a SharePoint list.
- When a Microsoft Forms response is submitted.
- When someone taps a button in the Flow mobile app.
- On a schedule, such as every weekday at 9am.
Actions
After the trigger, actions do the work: send an email, create a file, add a row to an Excel table, post a message in Teams, create a Planner task, update a SharePoint item, call a web service and much more.
Conditions and loops
Flows can branch with conditions (if the invoice total is over a set amount, send it for approval; otherwise file it), loop through items (for each attachment, save it to SharePoint) and run steps in parallel.
Connectors
Connectors are what link Flow to each service. Beyond Microsoft’s own apps, there are connectors for services like Salesforce, Dropbox, Google Drive, Mailchimp, Twitter, Slack and many others. Some connectors are classed as premium and need a higher Flow plan. For systems without a connector, the HTTP action lets you call any web API, and custom connectors let developers wrap an internal API so others can use it in flows.
The on-premises data gateway
If you still keep data on local servers, such as a SQL Server database or file shares, the on-premises data gateway lets flows reach that data securely without moving it to the cloud.
Templates: the quickest way to start
Flow includes a large library of templates for common tasks. Searching the templates is the fastest way to see what is possible, and many can be switched on in a couple of minutes. Popular templates include:
- Save Office 365 email attachments to OneDrive for Business.
- Get a push notification when you receive an email from your manager.
- Start an approval when a new item is added to a SharePoint list.
- Record Microsoft Forms responses in an Excel spreadsheet.
- Post a message to a Teams channel when a file is added to a SharePoint library.
Start with a template, test it, then adjust it to your needs.
Practical flows worth setting up
Save and organise email attachments
Invoices, purchase orders and signed contracts often arrive by email and get saved by hand, if at all. A flow can watch a shared mailbox or a specific folder, save each attachment to the right SharePoint library, rename it with the date and sender, and notify the finance team.
Approval workflows
Flow’s built-in approvals are one of its most useful features. When someone submits a holiday request, expense claim or document for review, Flow sends an approval request by email and in the Flow app. The approver clicks Approve or Reject, adds a comment, and the flow continues: updating the SharePoint item, emailing the requester, or moving the document to a published folder. Approvals can go to one person, to the first of several people to respond, or require everyone to approve.
Form responses into a list or spreadsheet
Microsoft Forms is handy for internal requests, event sign-ups and feedback. A flow can add each response to a SharePoint list or Excel table, email a confirmation to the person who submitted it, and alert the right team member. That keeps requests out of personal inboxes and in one place everyone can see.
Team notifications in Teams
Rather than forwarding emails, a flow can post a message in a Teams channel when something important happens: a new lead arrives, a support ticket is marked urgent, or a key document is updated.
Scheduled reminders and reports
Scheduled flows can send a weekly summary of overdue SharePoint tasks, remind staff to submit timesheets every Friday, or email a manager a list of contracts expiring next month.
Website leads into your systems
If your website form sends enquiries by email, a flow can pick those emails up, parse the fields, create a record in Dynamics 365 or a SharePoint list, and assign a follow-up task. Better still, some form tools can send data straight to Flow through a web request, which is more reliable than parsing emails.
Flow, Zapier or custom integration?
Flow is a strong choice when most of your work happens in Office 365 and you want automation that respects your organisation’s accounts and data policies. Zapier has a broader range of connectors for marketing and small business apps. Neither is ideal when you need complex logic, high volumes or tight integration with your own software. In those cases, a custom integration built against each system’s API gives you more control. Our guide to workflow automation helps you decide which approach fits each process.
Licensing in brief
Most Office 365 and Dynamics 365 business plans include Flow with a monthly allowance of runs and standard connectors. Flow Plan 1 and Plan 2 add more runs, more frequent checks and access to premium connectors, with Plan 2 adding further administration and data policy features. Check Microsoft’s current plan details before you build anything business-critical, especially if you need premium connectors.
Tips for reliable flows
- Use shared or service accounts for important flows. A flow built under one person’s account stops working if they leave and the account is disabled.
- Name flows clearly so others understand what they do.
- Add error handling. Configure steps to run after a failure, such as emailing an admin when an action fails.
- Test with real data before switching a flow on for the whole team.
- Watch run history. The Flow portal shows each run and where it failed, which makes troubleshooting much easier.
- Mind data policies. Administrators can set data loss prevention policies that control which connectors can be used together.
FAQ
Is Microsoft Flow free?
A free plan exists with a limited number of runs, and most Office 365 business plans include Flow. Paid Flow plans add more runs and premium connectors.
Do I need to know how to code?
No. Most flows are built with a visual designer. Expressions help with more advanced data handling, and developers can build custom connectors when needed.
Can Flow connect to non-Microsoft apps?
Yes. There are connectors for many popular third-party services, and the HTTP action can call almost any web API.
Start small and build on it
The best first flow is the task your team complains about most. Automate that, check it runs reliably for a few weeks, then move to the next one. If you want help mapping out which processes to automate and how, see how we automate the busywork for teams like yours.
