How to Create a Scheduled Flow in Power Automate
A scheduled flow in Power Automate uses the Recurrence trigger to run at a set time and frequency without any manual action. You create it by selecting 'Scheduled cloud flow' in Power Automate, setting the interval and start time, and adding the actions you want to run. Common uses include daily data exports, weekly summary emails, and monthly archive operations.
A scheduled flow in Power Automate runs automatically at a time and frequency you define. This how-to walks through setting up the Recurrence trigger, adding actions, and making the flow reliable.
What a scheduled flow is
Scheduled flows use the Recurrence trigger, which fires at the interval and time you configure. The flow then runs all the actions you have added, from top to bottom, without any user interaction. This is different from an instant flow, which a user triggers by pressing a button, or an automated flow, which is triggered by an event in another service such as a new email arriving or a SharePoint list being updated.
Step 1: Create a new Scheduled flow
Open Power Automate and click “Create”. Select “Scheduled cloud flow”. Give the flow a descriptive name, set the start date and time, and configure the repeat interval. Click “Create”.
Step 2: Configure the Recurrence trigger
Set the interval and frequency: interval 1 and frequency “Day” for daily, interval 1 and frequency “Week” for weekly. You can also set the time zone and the exact time the flow should run. Running a daily report at 06:00 AM ensures the data is ready before the team starts work.
Step 3: Add your actions
After the trigger, add the actions you want to run on schedule. Common examples: get rows from a SharePoint list and send an email summary, export a Power BI report to PDF, or update records in a database based on today’s date. Use the expression formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'yyyy-MM-dd') to reference today’s date inside any action.
Step 4: Set up error handling
Before publishing, add error handling. Scheduled flows run unattended, so if they fail, no one will notice unless you have a notification in place. See how to set up error handling in Power Automate for the step-by-step setup using a Scope-based try-catch pattern.
Step 5: Test and activate
Click “Test” and select “Manually” to trigger the flow immediately. Verify that all actions complete and the output looks correct. Once confirmed, the flow will run automatically on its defined schedule without any further action from you.
For more automation patterns, see how to automatically save email attachments for an example of an event-driven flow that complements scheduled flows well.
Our tip: Schedule flows with data dependencies a few minutes after the upstream process finishes. If a report refreshes at 05:45 AM, schedule the export flow at 06:05 AM to avoid racing a refresh that is still running. A buffer of 15 to 20 minutes is safer for longer refresh jobs.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a scheduled flow and an instant flow?
A scheduled flow runs at a predetermined time and interval, triggered automatically by the Recurrence trigger. No user action is needed. An instant flow is triggered manually by a user pressing a button, either in Power Automate, Power Apps, or Teams. Use a scheduled flow for recurring background tasks and an instant flow for actions a person initiates when needed.
Can I run a scheduled flow more than once a day?
Yes. The Recurrence trigger supports intervals in minutes and hours as well as days and weeks. You can schedule a flow to run every 15 minutes, every hour, or at specific times during the day. For very frequent runs, consider whether a trigger-based automated flow would be more efficient, since it fires only when something actually changes rather than on a fixed interval.
How do I pass today's date to actions in a scheduled flow?
Use the expression utcNow() to get the current date and time. You can format it with formatDateTime(utcNow(), 'yyyy-MM-dd') to get a date string. Use this in file names, email subjects, or filter queries to make each run refer to the correct date. For example, a daily report flow can include today's date in the email subject line automatically.
What happens if a scheduled flow fails?
Without error handling, the flow stops at the failing step and Power Automate sends a generic failure email to the flow owner. You will not receive specific details about what went wrong unless you have added custom error handling. For any flow that runs unattended on a schedule, adding a Scope-based try-catch with a notification email is essential. See the article on error handling in Power Automate for the step-by-step.