Microsoft Copilot in Power Automate

Are you in search of creative solutions to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and automate routine tasks in your organization?

Microsoft’s Power Automate stands as a robust platform for seamlessly automating processes. Extending its capabilities, Microsoft has introduced Copilot for Power Automate, a pioneering tool reshaping the landscape of automation.

This blog post explores Microsoft Copilot, covering readiness to deployment. Discover how this AI technology is a revolutionary, security-conscious ally for your data.

What Is Microsoft Copilot?

Microsoft Copilot, your AI companion, is a versatile toolset aiding document creation, email comprehension, presentation crafting, and more.

Integrated across Microsoft’s Office suite, Copilot is your go-to assistant in Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. Whether tackling PivotTables or managing your inbox, Copilot stands ready to assist.

Its capabilities extend to summarizing lengthy email threads and analyzing extensive spreadsheet data, transforming users into experts.

Accessible through a chat interface, Copilot answers queries and aids tasks in Bing Chat. Additionally, it sparks creativity in SharePoint Online, offering templates for common communication needs.

In Microsoft Viva Goals, Copilot simplifies goal setting for leaders, drafting objectives and key results (OKRs) based on business plans and strategy papers.

In Dynamics 365 Sales experiences, it boosts seller productivity by automating processes and complementing actions with AI-powered insights. Copilot transcends being just a tool; it stands as an essential ally in the realm of productivity and efficiency.

Power Automate Copilot

Also known as Microsoft Flow, Power Automate Copilot, is a cloud-based service that enables users to easily automate workflows. 

Enabling the creation of automated workflows for routine business operations without extensive coding, it serves as a valuable asset in enhancing efficiency.

This enhances productivity by minimizing manual efforts and optimizing business processes. For a streamlined experience, Copilot, used in automated flows, engages in a conversational approach.

It automatically generates flows, configures connections, selects parameters, and responds to queries. This makes power automate copilot an invaluable asset for organizations aiming to enhance workflow automation and drive digital transformation initiatives.

Microsoft Power Automate for Desktop

Microsoft Power Automate for desktop serves as the gateway to desktop flows, employing robotic process automation (RPA) for UI automation on your desktop or virtual machine (VM).

Featuring a user-friendly interface with a myriad of prebuilt drag-and-drop actions and an actions recorder, it facilitates automation for a broader user base.

The integration of Copilot in Power Automate enhances the experience, allowing users to swiftly access documentation and generate scripts.

Whether you’re a seasoned developer or exploring desktop flows for the first time, this improved experience accelerates the process of obtaining necessary information.

Step-by-step guide with Copilot

Access detailed guidance and information effortlessly with Copilot. In Power Automate for desktop, users can now utilize Copilot to seek answers about product usage and the creation of desktop flows through predefined or custom prompts.

Examples of prompts include inquiries like adding a condition, configuring proxy settings, understanding actions like ‘get first free’ in Excel, extracting images from a PDF, editing web selectors, running PowerShell scripts, and executing SQL queries. Copilot offers step-by-step assistance for a seamless experience.

Learn more about desktop flows.

Initiating the process:

• Download and open the most recent version of Power Automate for desktop.
• Access the console or designer and select the Copilot button located at the top right.
• In the opened Copilot pane, opt for a predefined prompt or create your own to proceed.

Copilot for Power Automate Cloud Flows

Utilizing Copilot for Power Automate Cloud Flows necessitates a Power Platform environment. To verify, visit the Power Platform admin center. If no environment is listed, initiate the creation of a new one by clicking the + New button on the page.

Initially, Copilot was enabled by default in the Preview region and regions equipped with Copilot GPUs, such as the US, Australia, and the UK, excluding Europe unless deactivated by the administrator. For regions in France and Canada, administrators can activate Copilot from the Power Platform admin center.

To initiate a flow using Copilot for Power Automate Cloud Flows –

• Go to the Power Automate page.
• Choose the environment from the top-right corner.
• The Power Automate Home screen will appear with the prompt, “Let’s automate something. What should I do?”

Begin by outlining the desired functionality for your flow. Copilot will then automatically present a list of potential operations aligned with your description.

For instance, inputting the text “Trigger an email” will generate suggested flow descriptions below. As an illustration, consider “Send an email when a new item is created in SharePoint.” Select the relevant flow description to proceed.

Copilot for Power Automate Cloud Flows will intuitively display the recommended flow corresponding to the selected condition from the prior screen. In this instance, Power Automate incorporates a Trigger that initiates the flow upon the specified event occurrence—specifically, when an item is added to SharePoint.

Subsequently, the flow seamlessly executes the action, such as sending an email to the designated recipients, in response to the addition of an item in SharePoint.

If you are satisfied with the flow, proceed by clicking Next to configure it. Should you anticipate more intricate logic for this scenario, select “This isn’t what I’m looking for.” This will provide options to offer feedback to Microsoft or commence from a template or a blank flow.

On the subsequent page, review and configure the suggested connections. Confirm the changes and create the flow by clicking “Create Flow.” A green check will appear if the connections are valid, signifying that everything is in order.

The Copilot generates the flow within the flow designer screen. On this interface, Copilot controls are located on the right side.

To make adjustments to the flow, input your instructions in the provided space using Natural Language. Copilot comprehends your queries/instructions, modifying the flow accordingly.

Returning to our example, examine the flow items on the designer screen. Additionally, note the “Invalid Parameters” message on the flow card. Address this by clicking on the warning message to specify the SharePoint location.

Similarly, in another flow card, input the email address of the recipient for the email triggered by the addition of a SharePoint file, along with the email subject and body.

Furthermore, you have the option to configure advanced parameters, such as determining the frequency of checking for new items in SharePoint. Define the interval, frequency, and time zone to customize this aspect.

Upon configuring these settings, the “Invalid Parameters” message will no longer appear. Save the changes by clicking “Save this flow.”

After saving the flow, access the option to test it. Click “Test Flow” at the top of the page or from the Copilot control at the bottom. Opt for either manual or automatic trigger execution.

Choose the “Automatically” option and select a recently used trigger. The trigger will operate at the specified frequency, and users will receive email notifications accordingly.

Within the Copilot pane, you can take various actions, including editing the flow, adding a new action, requesting a brief explanation of the flow’s functionality, or asking specific questions about individual actions.

Modifying a Power Automate Cloud Flow with Copilot

After creating a flow, access the My Flows section on the Power Automate screen. Choose the flow by checking the checkbox and click on “Edit” from the top menu.

Wrapping Up

Microsoft’s Copilot for Power Automate Cloud Flows introduces a revolutionary AI-driven experience for seamlessly creating and adjusting flows. With the ability to generate flows without manual intervention, engaging with the Copilot pane feels like a natural conversation.

Copilot accelerates innovation and facilitates growth, offering a refreshing approach to solution-building and transforming daily activities through the synergy of low-code development and AI technology.

As organizations embrace the era of intelligent automation, Copilot stands as a testament to Microsoft’s dedication to delivering innovative tools that redefine how businesses approach digital transformation.

Happy Reading!