Top 20 Power Automate Interview Questions and Answers (2025)
Power Automate Interview Questions and Answers (2025)
1. What is Microsoft Power Automate?
Answer:
Microsoft Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) is a cloud-based automation
tool that allows users to create workflows between apps and services to
synchronize files, get notifications, collect data, and automate repetitive
tasks.
Queries: Power Automate definition, Power Automate interview questions
2. What are the types of flows in Power Automate?
Answer:
1. Automated Flows – Triggered by an event.
2. Instant Flows – Manually triggered by a user.
3. Scheduled Flows – Run at specific times.
4. Desktop Flows – For RPA (Robotic Process Automation).
5. Business Process Flows – Guide users through processes in Dynamics 365.
Queries: Types of Power Automate flows, automated vs scheduled flow
3. How does Power Automate differ from PowerApps?
Answer:
Power Automate is used for workflow automation, while
PowerApps is used to build custom applications. Power Automate
runs processes in the background, while PowerApps provides the user interface
for interaction.
Queries: Power Automate vs PowerApps, Microsoft Power Platform tools
4. What are connectors in Power Automate?
Answer:
Connectors are wrappers around APIs that allow Power Automate to interact with
data sources like SharePoint, Outlook, SQL Server, Salesforce, Dynamics 365,
and over 600 other services.
Queries: Power Automate connectors list, standard vs premium connectors
5. What is a trigger and an action in Power Automate?
Answer:
· Trigger: The event that starts the flow (e.g., receiving an email).
· Action: The task the flow performs after being triggered (e.g., saving the email attachment to OneDrive).
Queries: Power Automate triggers and actions explained
6. What is the difference between standard and premium connectors?
Answer:
· Standard Connectors: Included in basic Power Automate plans (e.g., SharePoint, Excel, Outlook).
· Premium Connectors: Require additional licensing (e.g., Salesforce, SQL Server, Common Data Service).
Queries: Power Automate licensing, premium connectors
7. How can you handle errors in Power Automate?
Answer:
You can use:
· Configure Run After settings for custom error handling.
· Scope actions with success/failure branches.
· Logging error messages to SharePoint or Dataverse.
Queries: Power Automate error handling techniques, configure run after
8. What is a Common Data Service (Dataverse) and how is it used in Power Automate?
Answer:
Dataverse is the underlying data platform that stores structured data for Power
Platform apps. In Power Automate, you can use it to trigger flows, manipulate
records, and integrate with Dynamics 365.
Queries: Power Automate with Dataverse, CDS triggers
9. How do you create approval workflows in Power Automate?
Answer:
Use the Start and wait for an approval action. You can set:
· Approval types (First to respond, Everyone must approve)
· Responses (Approve/Reject)
· Email notifications and follow-up steps
Queries: Power Automate approval workflow, create approval flow
10. What are expressions in Power Automate?
Answer:
Expressions are used in Power Automate to manipulate data using functions like concat(), if(), substring(),
formatDateTime(), etc.
Example:
formatDateTime(triggerOutputs()?['headers']['x-ms-file-last-modified'], 'yyyy-MM-dd')Queries: Power Automate expressions examples, Power Automate functions
11. How do you secure your flows in Power Automate?
Answer:
· Use Data Loss Prevention (DLP) policies.
· Restrict environments and connector usage.
· Monitor with Power Platform Admin Center.
Queries: Power Automate security best practices, DLP policies
12. What is RPA in Power Automate?
Answer:
RPA (Robotic Process Automation) in Power Automate allows you to automate
legacy systems and desktop processes using desktop flows. It
combines UI automation with cloud flows.
Queries: Power Automate RPA, desktop flows automation
13. Can you integrate Power Automate with third-party apps?
Answer:
Yes, using premium connectors, custom connectors,
or HTTP requests, you can integrate Power Automate with any REST
API-based third-party app.
Queries: Power Automate third-party integrations, custom connectors
14. How do you debug or troubleshoot a flow?
Answer:
· Use Flow Run History to check each step’s status.
· Inspect inputs and outputs.
· Add Compose steps to display variables.
· Implement Scope blocks for better error logging.
Queries: Debug Power Automate flows, troubleshoot Power Automate
15. How does licensing affect Power Automate capabilities?
Answer:
Licensing determines access to:
· Premium connectors
· RPA and desktop flows
· API call limits
· Flow run frequency
Queries: Power Automate pricing, licensing options 2025
16. How does Power Automate support version control?
Answer:
You can:
·
Export flows as .zip files for Git versioning.
· Use Solutions in Dataverse for application lifecycle management (ALM).
· Integrate with Azure DevOps.
Queries: Power Automate version control, ALM in Power Platform
17. What are child flows in Power Automate?
Answer:
Child flows are reusable flows that can be called from a parent flow using the Run
a Child Flow action. They help modularize and reuse logic.
Queries: Child flows in Power Automate, reusable flow design
18. How do you schedule a Power Automate flow?
Answer:
Use the Scheduled cloud flow type. You can define:
· Start time
· Recurrence frequency (e.g., daily, hourly)
· Time zone and interval
Queries: Schedule Power Automate flow, timed workflows
19. What is the maximum number of actions per flow?
Answer:
Microsoft recommends keeping actions below 500 per flow,
though the platform can technically handle more with performance
considerations.
Queries: Power Automate action limit, best practices
20. How do you integrate SharePoint with Power Automate?
Answer:
· Trigger flows on SharePoint item creation or update.
· Automate approvals, alerts, and document processing.
· Use Get items, Create item, and Update item actions.
Queries: Power Automate SharePoint integration, automate SharePoint workflows
Bonus Tip: Use Power Automate with AI Builder
Enhance workflows using AI models like:
· Form processing
· Sentiment analysis
· Invoice processing
Queries: AI Builder with Power Automate, automate document processing
Conclusion
These Power Automate interview questions and answers cover a range of beginner to advanced topics. Mastering these will help you confidently crack interviews for roles such as:
· Power Platform Developer
· Microsoft Automation Consultant
· RPA Engineer
· Flow Designer
Difference Between PowerApps, Power Automate & Power BI
|
Feature |
PowerApps |
Power
Automate |
Power BI |
|
Purpose |
Build custom business applications without extensive coding |
Automate workflows between apps and services |
Visualize and analyze data through interactive reports |
|
Function |
User interface and app creation |
Workflow automation and RPA (Robotic Process Automation) |
Data analytics and business intelligence |
|
Use Cases |
Forms, mobile apps, portals, custom interfaces |
Email alerts, approval workflows, system integration |
Dashboards, KPIs, real-time reporting, data modeling |
|
Target Users |
App builders, business users, citizen developers |
Business analysts, process owners, IT admins |
Data analysts, decision-makers, business intelligence teams |
|
Integration |
Integrates with SharePoint, Dataverse, Dynamics 365, and more |
Integrates with 600+ services (e.g., SharePoint, Teams, Outlook) |
Integrates with Excel, Azure, SQL Server, and various data sources |
|
Example |
Build a leave request app |
Automatically send an approval when a request is submitted |
Create a dashboard showing leave trends by department |
|
Licensing |
Per app or per user |
Per flow, per user, or per business process |
Free, Pro, or Premium plans |
|
Platform Type |
Low-code/no-code app development |
Workflow and automation engine |
Data visualization and reporting platform |
Key Differences at a Glance
· PowerApps is about creating – apps, forms, and interfaces.
· Power Automate is about automating – workflows and tasks.
· Power BI is about analyzing – data through dashboards and reports.
Which One to Use When?
|
Scenario |
Recommended
Tool |
|
Need to build a custom app for field data collection |
PowerApps |
|
Automate sending emails when data changes in SharePoint |
Power Automate |
|
Create an executive dashboard with real-time sales data |
Power BI |
Conclusion
PowerApps, Power Automate, and Power BI work best together as part of the Microsoft Power Platform, enabling businesses to:
· Build apps (PowerApps)
· Automate processes (Power Automate)
· Gain insights (Power BI)