Workflow Automation with Microsoft Power Automate - Third Edition: Design and scale AI-powered cloud and desktop workflows using low-code automation

by Aaron Guilmette

Overview

Design powerful, low-code automations with AI, RPA, and Microsoft 365 to streamline tasks, boost productivity, and reduce manual work

Key Features

• Build smarter flows using Co-pilot and the latest generative AI features
• Automate across cloud and desktop with enhanced RPA and new use cases
• Secure and scale workflows with updated governance and monitoring best practices

Book Description

Whether you're automating your first workflow or scaling enterprise-wide processes, this third edition of Workflow Automation with Microsoft Power Automate is your complete guide to getting the job done efficiently. Covering both foundational skills and advanced techniques, it empowers you to build powerful automations using Power Automate’s cloud flows, desktop RPA capabilities, and the latest AI features. You’ll begin with a step-by-step tour through Power Automate fundamentals, building practical skills with flows that integrate across Microsoft 365, Slack, Azure AD, and more. Next, you’ll dive into real-world scenarios, mastering everything from approvals and email automation to error handling and governance. Expanded content on AI Builder, generative AI, and Co-pilot shows you how to create intelligent workflows that save time and add value. Designed for information workers, power users, and citizen developers, this book brings the latest Power Automate updates into focus. With 7 new chapters, hands-on exercises, and expert guidance, it helps you stay ahead in today’s fast-evolving low-code landscape—whether you’re new to automation or leveling up your skills.

What you will learn

• Build your first flows with connectors, actions, and triggers
• Automate with cloud flows, desktop flows, and approvals
• Use Co-pilot to build and manage flows faster with AI
• Integrate Power Automate with Slack, Teams, Azure AD, and Dataverse
• Leverage RPA to automate legacy systems and web apps
• Use AI Builder and generative AI for intelligent workflow design
• Monitor, troubleshoot, and govern enterprise-scale automations
• Apply best practices for security, compliance, and maintainability

Who this book is for

This book is excellent for information workers and Power users who are looking to automate repetitive tasks for their organizations or for projects they are undertaking. To make the most of this book, you should have some basic exposure to the MS 365 platform.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781836649632
Publisher:	Packt Publishing
Publication date:	12/05/2025
Edition description:	3rd ed.
Pages:	544
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.25(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Aaron Guilmette is a Principal Architect at Planet Technologies, an award-winning Microsoft Partner focused on the Public Sector. As an author of over a dozen IT books, he specializes in identity, messaging, and automation technologies. Previous to Planet Technologies, Aaron was a Senior Program Manager for Microsoft focusing on Microsoft 365 Customer Experience. When he's not writing books or tools for his customers, Aaron can be found tinkering on cars.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Microsoft Power Automate
2. Getting Started with Power Automate
3. Working with Email
4. Copying Files
5. Creating Button Flows
6. Generating Push Notifications
7. Working with Shared Flows
8. Working with Conditions
9. Understanding Expressions and Functions
10. Getting Started with Approvals
11. Working with Multiple Approvals
12. Posting Approvals to Teams
13. Using Databases
14. Working with Microsoft Forms
15. Posting data to Slack
16. Accepting User Input
17. Automating Azure AD
18. Introducing Robotic Process Automation
19. Managing an Access Database with RPA
20. Automating webpages with RPA
21. Introducing AI Models and Generative AI
22. Creating a sentiment analysis flow
23. Using Copilot to create and manage flows
24. Using Generative AI to summarize documents
25. Exporting, Importing, and Distributing Flows
26. Monitoring and Troubleshooting Flows
27. Governance in the Power Platform