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Also: Power Automate for desktop, PAD, Microsoft Power Automate Desktop, desktop flows, Power Automate Desktop free
Power Automate Desktop
Quick answer
Power Automate Desktop (Power Automate for desktop) is Microsoft's Windows RPA app for recording and running desktop flows that click through programs and websites. Flows you start yourself are free on Windows 10 and 11; running them unattended or triggering them from cloud flows needs a paid license. For web-only tasks with no PC left on, compare cloud browser automation.
Power Automate Desktop (officially Power Automate for desktop) is Microsoft's RPA app for Windows that builds desktop flows to operate applications, websites and files; it is free on Windows 10 and 11 for attended use, with paid licenses for cloud-triggered and unattended runs.
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What people do with Power Automate Desktop
- Compare Power Automate Desktop with UiPath
Microsoft's bundled RPA vs the enterprise RPA platform.
- Fix flows that cannot find a UI element
Why captured selectors break when a page changes, and sturdier locators.
- Test a CSS selector for a browser action
Check a selector before putting it in a desktop flow's web action.
- Automate web form filling in the cloud
Fill forms from a spreadsheet without a Windows machine running.
- Automate government portal forms
Repetitive filings on sites with no API.
- Run browser workflows on a schedule
Cron schedules with time zones instead of an always-on PC.
Key facts
| Made by | Microsoft (part of Power Platform) |
|---|---|
| Free since | March 2021 for Windows 10; available on Windows 11 |
| Platform | Windows only |
| Browser support | Extensions for Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox |
| Attended RPA | Included in the per-user Power Automate Premium plan |
| Unattended RPA | Licensed per bot (Process plan or hosted RPA) |
What is Power Automate Desktop?
Power Automate Desktop, officially Power Automate for desktop, is Microsoft's robotic process automation (RPA) application for Windows. It lets you build *desktop flows*: sequences of actions that operate Windows applications, websites, files, Excel workbooks and other software by clicking, typing and reading the screen, the way a person would. It is the desktop half of Microsoft Power Automate; the other half, *cloud flows*, connects online services through API connectors.
Microsoft made the app a free download for Windows 10 users in March 2021, and it ships with or installs freely on Windows 11. The free version runs flows that you start yourself on your own machine. Running flows from the cloud, unattended on a server, or with organization-wide management requires a paid Power Automate license.
How it works
Attended vs unattended
An attended desktop flow runs on a machine where a user is signed in, typically started by that user or by a cloud flow while they are present. An unattended flow runs on a machine with no one logged in, which Power Automate signs into on its own; this is what back-office automation on servers or virtual machines needs. In Microsoft's current licensing, attended RPA is included in the per-user Power Automate Premium plan, while unattended bots are licensed separately (the Process plan, or the hosted RPA option). Microsoft revises these plans, so check the Power Automate pricing page for current terms.
What people use it for
Common problems
How it relates to automation
Power Automate for desktop is the most widely available RPA tool because it is free on Windows, which makes it many people's first step into automation. It competes with enterprise RPA platforms such as UiPath, which offer deeper orchestration at higher cost, and it complements API-based tools like Make. For tasks that live entirely on websites, browser automation libraries such as Playwright or Selenium are an alternative for developers.
Power Automate Desktop and Autonoly
They solve different problems. Autonoly cannot operate Windows desktop applications or files on your PC; Power Automate for desktop can. Autonoly runs in the cloud: its AI agent operates a Chromium browser from a plain-language request, so web tasks need no selectors captured by hand, and a successful session can be converted into a workflow on a schedule without keeping a Windows machine on. If the work is web portals plus Google Sheets, Slack or Notion, Autonoly fits; if it involves desktop software, Power Automate for desktop does.
Why It Matters
Because it is free on Windows, Power Automate for desktop is the RPA tool most people meet first. Knowing where the free version stops (no cloud triggers, no unattended runs) and why UI-element selectors break saves time when a flow moves from a personal experiment to a business process.
How Autonoly Solves It
Autonoly does not automate Windows desktop software. For tasks that live in websites and SaaS apps, its AI agent works in a cloud Chromium browser from a plain-language request, so there are no selectors to capture by hand, and a working session can become a scheduled workflow that runs without a PC left switched on.
Learn moreExamples
An accountant builds a desktop flow that reads rows from an Excel workbook and types each one into a legacy Windows accounting app
An office manager records a flow that logs in to a supplier portal in Edge, downloads the weekly statement and saves it to a dated folder
An IT team triggers an unattended desktop flow from a cloud flow whenever a new hire is added to a SharePoint list
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Power Automate Desktop free?
Yes, for attended use on Windows 10 and 11: you can build and run desktop flows on your own machine at no cost. Triggering desktop flows from the cloud, running them unattended, and organization-level management require paid Power Automate licenses.
What is the difference between Power Automate and Power Automate Desktop?
Power Automate is Microsoft's automation service as a whole. Cloud flows run in Microsoft's cloud and connect services through API connectors. Power Automate for desktop builds desktop flows that run on a Windows PC and operate applications through their user interface. The two can be combined.
What is the difference between attended and unattended desktop flows?
Attended flows run while a user is signed in to the machine, usually started by them. Unattended flows run on a machine with no one signed in, for back-office work on servers or VMs. Microsoft licenses unattended runs separately, per bot.
Does Power Automate Desktop work with Chrome?
Yes. It automates Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox through browser extensions that the installer prompts you to add. If web actions fail, check that the extension is installed and enabled and not blocked by an organization policy.
Why does my desktop flow fail to find a UI element?
The stored selector no longer matches the application or page, often after an update, a different window title, or content that has not finished loading. Re-capture the element, edit the selector to rely on stable attributes, and add a wait before the action.
Does Power Automate Desktop run on Mac?
No. Power Automate for desktop is Windows-only. Mac users can use cloud flows in a browser, or run the desktop app inside a Windows virtual machine.
Further reading
Related terms, automations and guides
Where this concept shows up in practice.
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