☕ SharePoint Tip #12 — Power Automate: automating SharePoint workflows
Good morning! Here is your 15-minute SharePoint tip for today.
Day 12 | Week 3 — Integration, Automation & Migration
Power Automate and SharePoint Workflows
Power Automate is Microsoft’s workflow automation tool, and SharePoint is its most popular data source. Together they eliminate hundreds of hours of manual work every year.
What you can automate
Document approval flows — when a file is added to a library, automatically send an approval request to a manager. The file is tagged "Approved" or "Rejected" based on their response, with no manual steps.
Notification flows — alert a team in Teams or by email when a file is modified, a list item changes status, or a deadline column passes today’s date.
File processing — automatically move files between libraries when their metadata changes. E.g. when Status = "Approved," move the file from the "Drafts" library to the "Published" library.
Cross-system flows — when a SharePoint list item is created (e.g. a new IT request), automatically create a task in Planner, a record in Salesforce, or a row in an Excel sheet.
The three trigger types for SharePoint flows
| Trigger | When it fires |
|---|---|
| When a file is created | New upload to a library |
| When a file is modified | Any change to a file or its metadata |
| When an item is created or modified | New or changed row in a list |
Approval flow in plain English
- User uploads contract to "Contracts Pending" library
- Flow triggers → sends approval email to Legal Manager
- Manager clicks Approve or Reject in email (no app needed)
- Flow updates the "Status" column on the file
- If approved → file moves to "Approved Contracts" library → notification sent to requester
This replaces a manual process that typically involves 3–5 emails and someone remembering to move the file.
Try it today (5 minutes)
Go to make.powerautomate.com → click + Create → choose Automated cloud flow → search for "SharePoint" as the trigger. Browse the SharePoint triggers available. You don’t need to build anything — just understanding the trigger vocabulary is today’s goal.
As a Product Owner
Every manual email-based approval process in your organisation is a candidate for a Power Automate flow. When gathering requirements for SharePoint, always ask: "What happens after this file is uploaded?" The answer usually reveals a workflow opportunity.
See you tomorrow at 6:00 AM with Tip #13 — Power Apps and SharePoint Lists!