Microsoft Power Automate with Copilot: a practical guide
Power Automate is Microsoft’s workflow automation tool, and Copilot lets you create and edit flows by describing them in plain English. Flows using standard connectors are included with most Microsoft 365 plans. Power Automate Premium costs $15 per user per month (annual billing) for premium connectors and attended desktop automation, and Process costs $150 per bot per month for unattended automation. AI Builder credits included in these licences are removed on 1 November 2026.
What is Power Automate with Copilot?
Power Automate connects Microsoft 365 apps such as Outlook, Teams, SharePoint and Excel, and hundreds of other services, through automated flows. Copilot in Power Automate lets you describe a flow in plain language, such as “when an invoice email arrives, save the attachment to SharePoint and notify finance in Teams”, and it proposes the trigger, actions and connections. You can then refine the flow by chatting with Copilot or editing it in the designer. For companies already on Microsoft 365, it is often the most natural place to start automating. Our guide to what AI automation is covers the wider picture.
What does it cost in 2026?
Prices are as listed by Microsoft and summarised by Superdupr in October 2026. One change to plan for: the 5,000 AI Builder credits included with Premium and Process licences are removed on 1 November 2026, after which AI Builder actions such as document processing use paid Copilot Credits or capacity add-ons, according to Zenphi’s licensing summary.
Standard vs premium connectors: why it matters
The moment a flow touches a premium connector, everyone who runs it may need a Premium licence, unless the flow itself is licensed with Process. Check this before building something the whole company will use.
What can you automate?
- Approvals: Route leave, purchase or document approvals through Teams and Outlook.
- Document handling: Save attachments to SharePoint, rename and file them.
- Notifications: Alert a Teams channel when a form, list or record changes.
- Data sync: Copy form responses or list items into Excel or Dataverse.
- Reports: Send a weekly summary built from SharePoint lists.
- Legacy apps: Use desktop flows to automate older Windows software.
How do you build a first flow with Copilot?
- Open Power Automate: Choose to create a flow with Copilot.
- Describe the process: Name the trigger, the steps and where results should go.
- Check each step: Confirm the right mailbox, site, list or channel is selected.
- Sign in to connections: Approve access for each app used.
- Test with real data: Run the flow and inspect the run history.
- Share and document: Add co-owners and note what the flow does.
How does it compare with Zapier, Make and n8n?
Power Automate is strongest inside Microsoft environments: approvals in Teams, SharePoint document handling and Outlook automation, with governance through the Power Platform admin centre. Zapier, Make and n8n tend to have broader non-Microsoft app coverage and simpler pricing for mixed tool stacks. Many Microsoft-based companies use Power Automate internally and another tool for marketing and sales apps. See our n8n vs Zapier vs Make comparison and Microsoft Copilot vs ChatGPT.
What does a real flow look like?
A facilities team receives maintenance requests through a Microsoft Form. Using Copilot, the team lead describes the process: when a form is submitted, create an item in a SharePoint list, post the request in the facilities Teams channel, and email the requester a confirmation. Copilot builds the four steps; the lead checks the list columns, adds a condition that marks urgent requests in red, and tests it. Because it uses only standard connectors, it runs on the team’s existing Microsoft 365 licences. Later, when they want to create tickets in an external helpdesk through a premium connector, they budget Premium licences for the flow owners.
How does Copilot Studio fit in?
Copilot Studio is Microsoft’s tool for building custom agents, and agents can call Power Automate flows as actions. That lets a chat agent in Teams, for example, look up an order or start an approval by running a flow behind the scenes. Copilot Studio is licensed separately, with message packs of Copilot Credits. For simple, rule-based processes, a flow alone is usually enough; agents add value when users need to ask questions in natural language.
How do you keep flows manageable?
- Set data loss prevention policies to control which connectors can be combined
- Use solutions and environments to separate test and production flows
- Give every important flow at least two owners
- Name flows clearly and document their purpose
- Review failed runs weekly
If your automations feed reports, see Copilot in Power BI and Microsoft Fabric explained.
How UIUX Studio helps
We design and build Power Automate flows, Copilot Studio agents and integrations for Microsoft-based organisations, including licensing advice. Talk to our Agentic AI & Automation and technology advisory teams.
Frequently asked questions
Is Power Automate free?
Flows on standard connectors are included with most Microsoft 365 plans; premium features need paid licences.
How much is Power Automate Premium?
$15 per user per month with annual billing, as of October 2026.
What is Copilot in Power Automate?
A feature that creates and edits flows from plain-language descriptions.
What happens to AI Builder credits?
Included credits are removed on 1 November 2026; AI Builder then uses paid credits.
Should we use Power Automate or Zapier?
Power Automate for Microsoft-centred processes; Zapier or others for broader app coverage.