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Power Automate desktop flows and RPA

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Power Automate desktop flows and RPA

Desktop flows automate UI on Windows machines — Microsoft's robotic process automation capability inside Power Automate.

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01

What desktop flows can do

A desktop flow runs as a sequence of actions that operate on a Windows session:

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/power-automate-desktop-flows-rpa

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02

Machine management

Unattended flows run on machines registered with Power Automate. The machines are typically dedicated Windows VMs in your network. Each machine signs in to the Power Automate service and accepts run requests. Machine gr…

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03

Hosted RPA

A newer option: Power Automate Hosted RPA runs unattended flows on Microsoft-hosted Windows machines — no infrastructure for you to manage. Best for low-to-medium throughput scenarios where the cost of running your own…

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/power-automate-desktop-flows-rpa

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04

Where to be cautious

A good principle: if the target system has an API, use a cloud flow with a custom connector. Use RPA only when there's no other way.

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05

Licensing

Desktop flows attended mode is included with per-user Power Automate licensing. Unattended mode requires the Unattended RPA add-on or pay-as-you-go pricing. Each unattended bot is licensed separately.

Solving Microsoft 365 · www.solvingmicrosoft365.com/guides/power-automate-desktop-flows-rpa

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