Power Automate 101: Triggers
Learn the fundamentals of Power Automate triggers — the essential starting point for any automation. This guide breaks down the different types of triggers, real-world examples, and practical tips to help you build smarter, more efficient flows.
What Is a Trigger in Power Automate?
A trigger is what starts your flow. Think of it as the moment your automation wakes up and says, “It’s go time.” In Power Automate, every flow must begin with a trigger — without one, your flow has no reason to run.
A good way to think of triggers:
“When something happens, then do something.”
Example:
When a new item is added to a SharePoint list,
then send a notification to the team.
Triggers define the “when,” and actions define the “what.”
Why Are Triggers So Important?
Triggers are crucial because they:
- Define the conditions for your flow to start
- Determine how frequently your flow runs
- Affect performance and license limits (such as how often polling can occur)
- Enable smarter, event-driven automations
The 3 Main Types of Triggers in Power Automate
1. Automated Triggers
These are event-based. Your flow runs automatically when something happens in a connected service.
Examples:
- When an email arrives in Outlook
- When a file is added to OneDrive or SharePoint
- When a Microsoft Form is submitted
- When a new row is added in Dataverse
Use this when you want your flow to run without manual input — ideal for tasks like data collection, notifications, and form processing.
2. Instant Triggers (Manually Triggered Flows)
These flows only run when you manually start them, often using a button in Power Automate, the mobile app, or Microsoft Teams.
Examples:
- A “Submit Request” button that asks for input
- A quick task creator for Microsoft Planner
- A mobile button to log your work hours
Use this when users need to manually initiate a flow and provide information — perfect for approvals, forms, or task buttons.
3. Scheduled Triggers
These allow you to run a flow at set intervals — daily, weekly, hourly, or even every minute.
Examples:
- Send a daily digest of SharePoint list updates
- Generate weekly reports on Fridays at 5 PM
- Run cleanup tasks every 12 hours
Use this when you want your flows to run on a recurring schedule, such as for maintenance tasks, reminders, or reports.
Real-World Use Cases for Triggers
| Scenario | Trigger | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Get a Teams alert when someone submits a form | When a new response is submitted (Forms) | You receive a Teams message with the form details |
| Save attachments from incoming emails | When a new email arrives with attachments | Automatically upload the attachments to OneDrive |
| Log a meeting manually | Manually trigger a flow | User enters meeting info, which is then logged in Excel |
| Send a weekly project summary | Recurrence (scheduled trigger) | Gathers updates and sends them via email every Friday |
Tips for Working with Triggers
Know your connectors
Some triggers are only available in premium connectors (like SQL Server or Dataverse), while others (like SharePoint and Outlook) are available under standard licensing.
Understand polling vs. push triggers
Polling triggers check for updates on a schedule. Push triggers respond instantly to changes. Polling may cause delays and use more API calls.
Watch your usage limits
Each Power Automate plan has limits on flow runs and API calls. Frequent triggers can consume those quickly.
Use trigger conditions
You can refine when a trigger fires. For example, only run a SharePoint trigger if the list item status is “Urgent.”
Anatomy of a Trigger
When setting up a trigger, you’ll often need to:
- Connect to a service (like SharePoint, Outlook, or Forms)
- Specify the condition (such as a specific folder, list, or form)
- Choose the frequency (for polling or scheduled flows)
- Add inputs (for manual flows — like dropdowns or text fields)
Example:
Trigger: “Manually trigger a flow”
→ Add input: “Department” (dropdown with options like HR, IT, Finance)
→ Action: Send a Teams message to the selected department's channel
Beginner-Friendly Trigger Ideas
Here are a few simple flows to try:
- Save email attachments to OneDrive
Trigger: When a new email arrives with attachments
Action: Create a file in OneDrive - Daily motivation message
Trigger: Recurrence (every weekday at 9 AM)
Action: Post a quote in Teams - Start a timer from your phone
Trigger: Manually trigger a flow
Input: Task name
Action: Log start time in Excel - Form-driven approvals
Trigger: When a form is submitted
Action: Create an approval and notify in Teams - Birthday reminders from SharePoint
Trigger: Recurrence (daily)
Action: Filter list for today’s birthdays and send an email
Questions to Ask When Choosing a Trigger
- What event should start the flow?
- Does a user need to manually run it?
- Should it run on a schedule?
- What app or service holds the data?
- How frequently should this run?
Wrapping It Up
Triggers are the starting point for every Power Automate flow. Once you understand when to start a flow, building the rest becomes easier.
Whether you want your automation to run immediately, on a schedule, or after someone fills out a form, there’s a trigger to match.