When should we use Power Automate Desktop for RPA?

Key facts

• Power Automate Desktop records and runs UI automation on Windows: clicks, keystrokes, screen scraping, files and Excel.
• Cloud flows with connectors are more reliable than UI automation whenever an API exists.
• Attended flows run while a user is signed in; unattended flows run on a machine with no one present.
• Running desktop flows from cloud flows, and unattended runs, need premium Power Automate licensing; check current plans.
• UI automation breaks when screens change, so every bot needs an owner and monitoring.

What Power Automate Desktop is

Power Automate Desktop is Microsoft's robotic process automation tool for Windows. It builds desktop flows that interact with applications the way a person does: opening programs, clicking buttons, typing into fields, reading values from screens, moving files and working with Excel. It is available on Windows 10 and 11 and can be used for personal automation at no additional cost.

Desktop flows become more useful when called from cloud flows. A cloud flow triggered by an email, a form or a schedule can start a desktop flow on a registered machine, pass it data, and take the result back into SharePoint, Dataverse or Teams.

When RPA is the right tool

RPA fits when a process is repetitive, rules based and stuck behind a user interface. Typical examples are keying data into a legacy ERP or claims system with no API, downloading reports from a vendor portal, copying data between two desktop applications, or processing files in a mainframe terminal emulator.

It is a poor fit when the process changes often, requires judgment, or when a connector or API already exists. In those cases a cloud flow, a Power App or a proper integration will be cheaper to run and easier to maintain.

Attended or unattended

Attended automation runs on a user's machine while they are signed in, often started by the user. It suits tasks where a person handles exceptions, such as a clerk running a bot to enter a batch of invoices. Unattended automation runs on a dedicated machine or virtual machine without anyone present, triggered by a schedule or a cloud flow.

Unattended bots need a service account, a machine or hosted machine, and premium licensing. Plan where they run, how credentials are stored, and who is alerted when a run fails. Hosted machine options in Power Automate can remove the need to manage your own virtual machines, subject to licensing.

Build bots that survive

UI automation is fragile by nature. A software update, a moved button or a slow screen can stop a bot. Good design reduces this risk.

• Use UI element selectors rather than screen coordinates or images where possible.
• Add waits for elements rather than fixed delays.
• Handle errors with retries and clear failure messages.
• Log each run's input and outcome to a SharePoint list or Dataverse.
• Store credentials in a secure store such as Azure Key Vault, not in the flow.
• Assign a business owner and a technical owner to every bot.

Governance and licensing

Desktop flows are part of Power Platform, so they fall under the same environments and data loss prevention policies as other flows. Desktop flow action groups can be included in DLP policies to limit which actions are allowed. Keep production bots in a managed production environment, not in the default environment.

Licensing changes over time. Free personal use covers attended automation on a single machine, while running desktop flows from cloud flows and unattended runs require premium Power Automate licensing. Confirm current requirements with Microsoft before committing, and include licensing in the business case alongside hours saved.

How Accred Consulting approaches it

Accred Consulting scopes Power Automate projects by first checking whether a connector or API can do the job, and uses Power Automate Desktop only where a desktop or legacy system leaves no better option. Discovery documents the process, systems, volumes and exceptions, and the proposal sets scope, fixed price and timeline. The US-based specialists assigned to your engagement build cloud and desktop flows, set up environments, DLP and logging, and test against real data. In one engagement, an insurance brokerage replaced shared-inbox intake with a 5-stage Power Apps workflow in 7 weeks. Handover includes documentation and knowledge transfer.

Track record: 475+ client projects, 2,000+ migration workstreams and 210,000+ users migrated by a US-based team. Company facts · Case studies

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