How to Use Power Automate Desktop in Windows 11

If you find yourself performing the exact same repetitive tasks on your computer every day—such as extracting data from an Excel spreadsheet, copying it into a web form, clicking submit, and repeating the process 50 times—you are wasting valuable time. Windows 11 includes a native, incredibly powerful tool designed to eliminate this drudgery: Power Automate Desktop.

Power Automate Desktop is a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) tool. It allows you to record your mouse clicks, keyboard strokes, and web browsing habits, and then turns them into a script. You can then run that script to force Windows to perform the entire task autonomously.

How to Access Power Automate

The application is built directly into Windows 11.

1. Click the Start button.
2. Search for Power Automate and hit Enter.
3. You will be prompted to sign in with your Microsoft Account (or a work/school account).
4. Once logged in, you will see the main console where all your automated “Flows” will be stored.

How to Create a New Automation (Flow)

The easiest way to understand Power Automate is to build a simple automation. In this example, we will automate the process of opening Notepad and typing a specific message.

1. Click the + New flow button in the top left corner of the main console.
2. Give your flow a descriptive name, such as “Notepad Automation”, and click Create.
3. The Flow Designer window will open. This is where you build the script.

Building the Script (Without Coding)

The Flow Designer is divided into two main sections: the Actions pane on the left (a library of hundreds of pre-built commands) and the Main workspace in the centre.

Step 1: Open Notepad

1. In the left-hand Actions pane, search for Run application.
2. Click and drag the Run application action into the centre workspace.
3. A dialog box will appear. In the Application path field, type notepad.exe.
4. Click Save. You will now see your first action listed in the workspace.

Step 2: Wait for the App to Load

Computers process commands instantly, but software takes time to open. We need to tell the script to pause for a second so it doesn’t start typing before Notepad is fully open.

1. In the Actions pane, search for Wait.
2. Drag the Wait action into the workspace, placing it directly below the first action.
3. Set the duration to 2 (for 2 seconds) and click Save.

Step 3: Send Keystrokes

1. In the Actions pane, search for Populate text field in window.
2. Drag this action below the Wait command.
3. The dialog box will ask you which UI element you want to type into. Click the dropdown and select Add UI element.
4. The Power Automate recorder will activate. Hover your mouse over the blank typing area inside Notepad until a red box outlines it. Hold Ctrl and Left-click to select it.
5. Back in the dialog box, type the message you want the automation to write (e.g., “This text was typed by a robot!”).
6. Click Save.

Running the Automation

Your script is now complete. Look at the top toolbar in the Flow Designer and click the Run button (it looks like a play icon).

Take your hands off the mouse and keyboard. You will watch as Windows automatically launches Notepad, waits two seconds, and perfectly types out your message. This same logic can be applied to vastly more complex tasks, such as opening a web browser, navigating to a portal, downloading daily reports, and moving those PDF files into specific folders.

Using the Desktop Recorder

If dragging and dropping actions feels too complicated, you can use the built-in Desktop Recorder. Click the Record button in the top toolbar. A small widget will appear. Click “Record,” and simply perform the task yourself (clicking buttons, opening menus, copying text). Power Automate will watch your actions and automatically generate the necessary script blocks to replicate what you just did.