Imagine if you could automate all those boring, repetitive tasks at work without writing a single line of code. That’s exactly what Microsoft Power Automate helps you do. Now, picture having an AI assistant, Copilot, who can guide you through the process and even create automation flows for you. Sounds awesome, right?
In this blog, we’ll explore how Power Automate works with Copilot, how it helps in automating tasks, and how you can quickly set up flows that respond to your needs automatically.
Let’s get Started
Firstly, Login into https://copilotstudio.microsoft.com/
After completing the login process, the screen will appear as shown in the image below.

Click on Environment, then select your desired environment to work within a specific instance of Power Automate and related services.

Click on the agents and select the Sales Copilot Power Virtual Agents bot to manage and customize automated conversations.

Click on Actions to create a new Power Automate flow that integrates with your bot’s actions for seamless automation.

Click on Add an action, choose New Action, and then select New Power Automate Flow to create and link a custom automation flow to your bot.

In the Power Automate flow, you can perform a variety of tasks depending on your requirements. Here, I’m providing an example that demonstrates how to retrieve today’s date and time.
Click on the Plus icon for adding action inside the power automate.

In the Search bar, type to search, and select Compose from the available options to add a custom expression to your flow.

In the Compose action, enter the function utcNow() to automatically retrieve the current date and time in UTC format. This helps in adding timestamps or tracking when the flow runs.
Click on the Add button to save your action and include it in the Power Automate flow.

Click on Respond to Copilot, then add an Output to define the response that your flow will return after execution.

Once you click on Add an Output, choose the Text option to define the type of output. This ensures that the flow returns a text-based response, such as the current date and time.

In the Output field, enter a name for your output, which represents the value your flow will return. Then, under Create a Value to Respond, click the field, and you’ll see a list of available options. Select the output created in the Compose action, which contains the result of the utcNow() function for the current date and time.

Click Save to store the draft of your Power Automate flow, and then click Publish to make the flow live and ready for use.

Go back to your Copilot, click the Refresh option to update the list, and you’ll see the newly created Power Automate flow ready to use.

Click on Topic, then select Add an Action to enhance your bot’s response capabilities by integrating an automated task. Choose From Blank to start creating a new action from scratch, allowing full customization. This lets you define specific tasks or workflows that the bot will trigger when interacting with users.

To add phases that work as input, click the edit button and configure phases such as "Get Time" and "Show Time" by defining their respective functions. These phases will enable you to capture and display the required time information as needed.

To add an action, click on the plus icon, select "Add an Action," and then choose the Power Automate flow that you created from the available options. This will link the flow to the action and allow it to be triggered within your process.

To add an output action, click on the plus icon, select "Add an Action," and choose the option to send a message. In the message configuration, set it to output the desired information to the CoPilot, allowing it to display the results or response as needed.

In the message box, select the output that you created in your Power Automate flow by choosing it from the dynamic content options. This will ensure that the message contains the specific output from your flow and displays it in the CoPilot interface.

To save and publish the CoPilot, click on the "Save" button to preserve your changes, and then select the "Publish" button to make your CoPilot available for use. This will finalize your configuration and deploy it for execution.

Now, in the CoPilot chat, you can enter the command "Show Time" or "Get Time" to retrieve the current time and date. The output will display the system's current time and date based on the configuration in your Power Automate flow.

The final output of the CoPilot will display the current date and time when the "Show Time" or "Get Time" command is triggered. This allows users to quickly access real-time information. The seamless integration of Power Automate ensures accurate and timely data delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is the purpose of using Power Automate with CoPilot?
Power Automate enables you to automate workflows and integrate various tasks into CoPilot, such as fetching time data or performing calculations. It streamlines processes and enhances efficiency within the system.
2. How do I trigger the time-related command in CoPilot?
You can trigger the time-related command by typing "Show Time" or "Get Time" in the CoPilot chat. This will fetch and display the current date and time.
3. Can I customize the output message from Power Automate?
Yes, you can customize the output message in Power Automate to include specific data, formatting, or additional information based on your requirements.
4. How do I ensure that my changes in CoPilot are saved and published?
To save and publish your changes, click the "Save" button to preserve your modifications, and then click "Publish" to deploy the updates for use in CoPilot.
5. What happens if the Power Automate flow does not execute as expected?
If the flow does not execute correctly, check the flow's configuration for errors or misconfigurations. You can also use the Power Automate troubleshooting tools to identify and resolve issues.