Evaluate cloud and desktop flow run history from the Power Automate portal

When working with Microsoft Power Automate, it’s essential to evaluate the flow run history from the Power Automate portal. This evaluation helps in monitoring the flow’s performance, identifying issues, and ensuring smooth automation processes. In this article, we will explore how to evaluate cloud and desktop flow run history from the Power Automate portal.

Step 1: Sign in to the Power Automate portal

Access the Power Automate portal by navigating to https://flow.microsoft.com/. Sign in with your Microsoft account or the account associated with your Power Automate subscription.

Step 2: Navigate to the “My Flows” page

Once you’re signed in, click on the “My Flows” tab in the left-hand sidebar. This will take you to a page that displays all the flows you have created or have access to.

Step 3: Select the flow for evaluation

Identify the flow you want to evaluate and click on it to access its details and run history.

Step 4: View the run history

Within the flow details page, you will find a “Run history” tab. Click on it to access the run history for the selected flow.

Step 5: Analyze the flow’s run history

In the run history tab, you will find a list of all the runs executed by the flow. Each run displays details such as the run status, start time, duration, and any failure messages.

You can analyze this information to evaluate the flow’s performance. Look for patterns of success or failure, identify any frequent failures, and examine the flow runs to gain insights into potential improvements.

Step 6: Filtering and sorting

The Power Automate portal offers options to filter and sort the run history, making it easier to analyze specific aspects. You can filter the runs by status, date range, or search for specific keywords in the run history.

Additionally, you can sort the run history based on criteria such as start time, duration, or status. Sorting helps identify the longest-running flows or those with a higher failure rate, thereby enabling you to prioritize your evaluation efforts.

Step 7: Debug and resolve issues

In case you encounter any failed flow runs, you can click on the specific run to access more detailed information about the failure. The flow’s inputs, outputs, and any error messages will be displayed for debugging purposes.

Analyzing this information will aid in identifying the cause of failures. You can then make necessary adjustments to your flow, such as modifying connectors, updating input parameters, or handling potential errors.

By evaluating the flow run history from the Power Automate portal, you can continuously improve the reliability and efficiency of your automated processes.

Remember, troubleshooting and resolving issues in flow runs require a deep understanding of the flow design, connectors, and any custom code actions utilized within the flows.

Let’s take a look at an example of evaluating flow run history using the Power Automate portal:

Suppose you have a flow that retrieves data from a SharePoint list and sends an email notification for new list items. After monitoring the run history, you notice that some runs fail with an error message: “Invalid column name ‘Title'”.

To diagnose the issue, you open the run history and identify a failed run with the mentioned error message. You navigate to the details of that run and access the input and output data.

Upon inspecting the SharePoint connector’s configuration, you realize that the ‘Title’ column was renamed to ‘ItemTitle’ in the SharePoint list. To resolve the issue, you modify the flow action to retrieve data from the ‘ItemTitle’ column instead. After updating the flow, you monitor the run history again to ensure the issue is resolved.

In conclusion, evaluating the cloud and desktop flow run history from the Power Automate portal is crucial for maintaining the performance and effectiveness of your automated processes. By carefully analyzing the run history, filtering and sorting the runs, and debugging any failures, you can constantly improve the reliability and efficiency of your flows.