Automation is no longer just for advanced developers,it’s now accessible to everyone thanks to Microsoft’s Power Automate and the new Copilot integration. Whether you’re sending weekly welcome emails or setting up file alerts in Teams, Copilot can help you create workflows quickly using natural language prompts.
In this guide, we’ll walk through how to pair Power Automate with Copilot, explore two real-world automation examples, and share tips for beginners who want to start automating without writing a single line of code.
Why Pair Copilot with Power Automate?
Before diving into examples, let’s clarify what these tools do:
- Power Automate: Microsoft’s workflow automation tool that connects your apps, data, and services. It enables you to automate repetitive tasks like approvals, notifications, and data collection.
- Copilot: Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that generates workflows based on natural language prompts, making automation much easier for beginners.
When combined, Copilot in Power Automate empowers you to describe what you want in plain English and instantly get a working automation template.
Example 1: Automating Weekly Welcome Emails
Imagine you manage onboarding at your company. Every Monday, you want new hires to receive a welcome email, but doing it manually is time-consuming and prone to error. Here’s where Power Automate with Copilot shines.
Step 1: Define the Prompt
In Copilot, type:
“Every week, send an email for each item in a SharePoint list.”
This tells Copilot to pull new hire details from SharePoint and send a weekly email automatically.
Step 2: Select the Right Template
Copilot suggests multiple workflow templates. For this scenario, choose:
“Depending on the items in a SharePoint list, send an email every week.”
This ensures that every new hire listed in SharePoint receives the welcome email.
Step 3: Configure the Flow
Copilot generates a flow with three key actions:
- Trigger: Weekly recurrence (e.g., every Monday at 9 a.m.)
- Action 1: Pull new hire data from SharePoint
- Action 2: Send personalized emails automatically
From here, you just configure your company’s SharePoint site, select the correct list, and customize the email template.
Example 2: Sending File Alerts from OneDrive to Teams
Now let’s look at a different use case: notifying your team when a new file is added to a OneDrive project folder.
Step 1: Define the Prompt
In Copilot, enter:
“Create a workflow that sends an email notification to the team whenever a new file is added to the project documents folder in OneDrive. Include the file name and a link to the file in the email.”
Step 2: Explore Template Options
Copilot suggests several options, including Teams notifications. Choose one that:
- Detects new OneDrive file uploads
- Generates a share link
- Posts a message in Microsoft Teams
Step 3: Refine with Copilot
If you want to post directly in Teams instead of email, you can prompt Copilot again:
“Add a card to send a message in Teams chat with the file link included.”
Copilot updates your flow so the team gets a Teams notification with the file name and direct link.
Tips for Beginners Using Copilot in Power Automate
- Start simple – Begin with small, repetitive tasks (like sending notifications).
- Use natural language – Copilot understands plain English prompts. The clearer you are, the better the workflow it generates.
- Review templates carefully – Microsoft Power Automate offers thousands of pre-built templates; choose the one that matches your goal.
- Iterate with Copilot – If the flow isn’t perfect, refine your instructions, and Copilot will suggest updates.
- Leverage Microsoft Teams & SharePoint – These apps pair seamlessly with Power Automate for powerful collaboration workflows.
Learn More About Power Platform
If you’re ready to take your automation skills further, Pragmatic Works and other Microsoft partners offer in-depth learning resources. A great place to start is with structured training on Power BI, Power Automate, and Copilot.
Check out this comprehensive training resource: Power BI Training by DataBear
