6.1 Cloud & Desktop Flows: Types & Use Cases
Key Takeaways
- Cloud flows run in Microsoft's cloud and come in three types: automated (event trigger), instant (manual trigger), and scheduled (time-based trigger).
- Automated flows start from an event in a connected service, such as a new SharePoint item or an incoming email.
- Instant flows are triggered manually, often from a mobile app button or a button inside a canvas app.
- Desktop flows use robotic process automation (RPA) to automate legacy applications and websites that have no API or connector.
- Desktop flows can be called from within a cloud flow to combine cloud-based triggers with legacy desktop automation.
Power Automate is Microsoft's low-code automation tool within the Power Platform, letting makers connect apps and services to move data, trigger notifications, and eliminate repetitive manual work — without writing code. The PL-900 exam expects you to distinguish between the two fundamentally different flow types Power Automate offers: cloud flows, which run in Microsoft's cloud against connected services, and desktop flows, which automate work directly on a Windows desktop through robotic process automation (RPA). Knowing when to use each — and which cloud flow subtype fits a given trigger scenario — is a core exam skill.
What Is a Flow?
A flow is an automated workflow built from a trigger (the event that starts the flow) followed by one or more actions (the steps the flow performs). Flows connect to connectors — prebuilt integrations for services like SharePoint, Outlook, Teams, Dataverse, and hundreds of third-party apps — so makers can automate processes across systems without custom integration code.
Cloud Flows: Three Types
Cloud flows execute in the Microsoft cloud whenever their trigger condition is met. Power Automate organizes cloud flows into three types based on how they start:
| Flow Type | How It Starts | Typical Use Case |
|---|---|---|
| Automated flow | An event occurs in a connected service (e.g., a new email arrives, a file is added to SharePoint, a record is created in Dataverse) | React automatically to something happening elsewhere |
| Instant flow | A person manually triggers it — a button in the Power Automate mobile app, a button embedded in a Power Apps canvas app, or a manual "Run now" click | On-demand actions a user initiates, such as submitting an expense request |
| Scheduled flow | A defined time or recurring interval (daily, weekly, every 15 minutes) | Routine batch tasks, such as a nightly report or a weekly data cleanup |
Automated Flows
Automated flows are the most common cloud flow type. They start with an event-based trigger — for example, "When a new item is created in a SharePoint list" or "When an email arrives in Outlook." The maker never runs these manually; the connector's trigger listens for the event, and the flow fires automatically once conditions are met. Automated flows are ideal for approvals, notifications, and data-synchronization scenarios where a person shouldn't have to remember to start the process.
Instant Flows
Instant flows require a person to initiate them. The most common pattern is a button trigger — either the Power Automate mobile app button or a button control inside a canvas app that calls the flow directly (a common integration point on the exam: canvas apps can call Power Automate flows to perform actions the app itself can't natively do, like sending an email or writing to a system without a native connector). Instant flows put automation in the hands of the user at the exact moment they need it.
Scheduled Flows
Scheduled flows run on a recurrence trigger — a specific date/time or a repeating interval. They're used for batch-style work that doesn't depend on any single event: generating a daily summary email, archiving old records every week, or checking a data source every hour for changes. Because they run silently in the background, scheduled flows are well suited to housekeeping and reporting tasks that don't need real-time responsiveness.
Desktop Flows: Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
Desktop flows extend Power Automate beyond cloud-connected services into robotic process automation (RPA) — automating interactions with legacy desktop applications, virtual desktops, and websites that have no API or connector available. Desktop flows are built and recorded using Power Automate for desktop, which can:
- Record and replay mouse clicks, keystrokes, and screen interactions
- Automate legacy Windows applications, including "green screen" style terminal emulators
- Extract data from PDFs, spreadsheets, and web pages
- Fill in and submit web forms on sites without an API
Desktop flows are the answer when an exam scenario describes automating a task in an old, on-premises, or API-less application — that description is the signal to choose desktop flow / RPA over a standard cloud flow. Desktop flows can also be triggered from within a cloud flow, allowing hybrid automations that start in the cloud and finish by driving a legacy desktop app.
Choosing the Right Flow Type
A useful exam heuristic:
- Does the trigger come from a modern, connector-supported service (email, SharePoint, Dataverse, Teams)? → Cloud flow (automated, instant, or scheduled based on how it starts)
- Does the process require clicking through a legacy app or website with no API? → Desktop flow (RPA)
- Does a person need to kick this off on demand? → Instant flow
- Does this just need to run on a timer? → Scheduled flow
Common Business Use Cases
Power Automate flows commonly handle:
- Approvals — routing purchase requests, time-off requests, or document sign-offs to the right approver
- Notifications — alerting a Teams channel or sending an email when a business event occurs
- Data synchronization — keeping records consistent across Dataverse, SharePoint, and other systems
- Legacy system automation — using desktop flows to interact with applications that predate modern APIs
Key Takeaways
- Cloud flows run in the Microsoft cloud; desktop flows use RPA to automate legacy, API-less applications and websites
- Automated flows start from an event, instant flows start from a manual trigger, and scheduled flows start from a recurring time
- Desktop flows are built with Power Automate for desktop and can be called from within cloud flows
- Choosing the correct flow type depends on how the process needs to start, not just what it does
A maker needs a flow that starts only when a specific user manually clicks a button in the Power Automate mobile app. Which cloud flow type should they build?
A company wants to automate data entry into a 20-year-old, on-premises application that has no available connector or API. Which Power Automate capability is designed for this scenario?