Learning Microsoft Power Automate

Chapter 2. Getting Started: What You Need to Know

Now that we’ve explored what Power Automate is and why you might want to use it, you are ready to start working with Power Automate. But before you create your first flow, there are some other things you should know.

In the last chapter, I mentioned that there were more than 600 different connectors available in Power Automate to connect to various data sources. Because each of these connectors has different requirements, there are different levels of licensing available in Power Automate. The first thing you will need to figure out is which level of licensing is right for the scenarios that you will be automating.

You’ll also need to gain access to the Power Automate website (https://make.powerautomate.com) to build your first flow. Several different types of accounts can be used to log in to Power Automate. Some account types include what is called a “seeded license,” which means they include some level of access to Power Automate for free. There are also free accounts that can be used while learning Power Automate. Each account type has different advantages, disadvantages, and limitations. I’ll help you figure out which account is right for your situation.

The last thing you’ll need to understand before you start building your first flow is what kinds of components make up a flow and what types of flows you can create. Flows are constructed using triggers and actions. I’ll explain where to access them and what they do later ...