Microsoft workflows are automated processes that connect people, information, and applications to complete repetitive business tasks with less manual work.
Organizations use Microsoft workflows to automate processes such as approvals, employee requests, document routing, notifications, ticket management, purchase requests, onboarding, data collection, and many other business processes.
Today, Microsoft workflow automation can involve Microsoft 365, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Lists, Outlook, Planner, Power Automate, Microsoft Copilot, and other applications and services.
But there is an important distinction to understand: the term “Microsoft workflows” can refer to several different technologies and approaches. Classic SharePoint workflows still appear in older environments, Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary workflow automation platform, and Microsoft is increasingly adding AI-assisted workflow creation.
This guide explains what Microsoft workflows are, how they work, the different Microsoft workflow options available today, common use cases, limitations to consider, and how to choose the right workflow solution for your organization.
What are Microsoft workflows?
Microsoft workflows are automated sequences of actions that move information, tasks, approvals, or other work through a defined business process.
A Microsoft workflow typically includes:
- A trigger that starts the workflow
- Conditions or rules that determine what happens next
- Actions that perform work
- Approvals or human decisions, when required
- Notifications or communications
- Data updates in Microsoft 365 or connected systems
- Automation logic that determines the next step
For example, consider a purchase request process:
Employee submits request → Manager receives approval request → Manager approves → Finance is notified → Purchase record is updated → Employee receives confirmation
Without a workflow, employees may have to send emails, update spreadsheets, request approvals manually, and follow up with multiple people.
With a workflow, those steps can happen automatically.
Microsoft describes workflows as a way to model and automate business processes, ranging from simple approvals to complex processes involving conditions, loops, user inputs, tasks, and custom actions.
What is the Microsoft workflow platform?
There is not one single Microsoft workflow technology.
When people search for “Microsoft workflows,” they may be referring to several different Microsoft technologies.
The most important ones are:
| Microsoft technology | Primary purpose |
|---|---|
| Power Automate | Building and running automated workflows across Microsoft 365 and other services |
| SharePoint workflows | Automating processes associated with SharePoint sites, lists, libraries, and content |
| Microsoft Teams workflows | Automating work and interactions within Teams |
| Microsoft Lists workflows | Automating actions associated with list items and business data |
| Microsoft Copilot Workflows | Creating workflows using natural-language instructions |
| SharePoint rules and automation | Automating certain actions in SharePoint libraries and lists |
| NITRO Studio | Building customized forms and workflow applications in Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint |
For most new Microsoft 365 workflow projects, Power Automate is the primary Microsoft workflow technology to evaluate.
Microsoft describes Power Automate as deeply integrated with SharePoint and provides more than 100 SharePoint workflow templates, along with the ability to create custom flows.
Microsoft workflows vs. Power Automate
One of the most common questions is:
Are Microsoft workflows and Power Automate the same thing?
Not exactly.
“Microsoft workflows” is a broad term for workflow automation within the Microsoft ecosystem.
Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary platform for building and running many of those workflows.
For example, you could create a Power Automate workflow that:
- Starts when someone submits a Microsoft Form
- Creates an item in SharePoint
- Sends an approval request in Teams
- Updates a Microsoft List
- Sends an email through Outlook
- Creates a Planner task
- Notifies the requester when the process is complete
The workflow can connect multiple Microsoft services rather than operating inside only one application.
Microsoft provides SharePoint triggers and actions specifically for this type of workflow automation.
What is a Microsoft workflow used for?
Microsoft workflows can automate almost any repeatable process that follows defined rules.
Some of the most common Microsoft workflow examples include:
1. Approval workflows
Approval workflows automatically route requests to the appropriate person.
Examples include:
- Purchase approvals
- Document approvals
- Expense approvals
- Contract approvals
- Leave requests
- Access requests
- Budget approvals
- Marketing approvals
- Policy approvals
A typical approval workflow might look like:
Request submitted → Manager notified → Approval decision → Record updated → Requester notified
2. Document workflows
Microsoft workflows can automate what happens when documents are created, modified, approved, or completed.
For example:
Document uploaded → Metadata added → Reviewer notified → Document approved → Document moved → Team notified
SharePoint and Power Automate are particularly useful for document-centric workflows because SharePoint provides the underlying document libraries, lists, permissions, and metadata.
3. Employee workflows
Organizations can use Microsoft workflows to automate HR and employee processes.
Examples include:
- Employee onboarding
- Employee offboarding
- Equipment requests
- Access requests
- Training requests
- Policy acknowledgments
- Employee information changes
- Time-off requests
4. Help desk workflows
Workflow automation can also be used to manage internal support processes.
For example:
Employee submits issue → Ticket created → Category determined → Ticket assigned → Technician responds → Issue resolved → Employee notified
A workflow can automate routing, notifications, escalation, status changes, and other repetitive steps.
For organizations that want their help desk process to operate directly within Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint, a dedicated workflow-based application can provide more structure than building every help desk process from individual Power Automate flows.
5. Purchase request workflows
Purchase requests are another common workflow application.
A Microsoft purchase workflow might:
- Collect purchase information
- Determine the appropriate approver
- Route the request for approval
- Notify purchasing
- Update the request status
- Store documentation
- Notify the employee
This can replace email-based purchasing processes and disconnected spreadsheets.
6. Customer and service request workflows
Workflows can automate internal or external requests by:
- Capturing a request
- Assigning it to the appropriate person
- Sending notifications
- Tracking status
- Escalating overdue work
- Recording resolution information
- Generating reports
7. Notifications and reminders
Not every Microsoft workflow needs to be complicated.
A simple workflow can monitor a SharePoint list or Microsoft List and send a notification when a condition is met.
For example:
If a request has been waiting for more than three days → notify the owner
SharePoint also provides automation capabilities for rules and notifications, including AI-assisted creation of certain rules in current Microsoft 365 experiences.
How do Microsoft workflows work?
Although implementations vary, most Microsoft workflows follow the same basic structure.
Step 1: A trigger starts the workflow
A trigger is the event that tells the workflow to begin.
Examples include:
- A new SharePoint item is created
- A document is uploaded
- A Microsoft Form is submitted
- An email is received
- A Teams message is posted
- A scheduled time is reached
- A record changes
- A user submits a request
Step 2: The workflow evaluates the information
The workflow determines what should happen based on conditions.
For example:
If purchase amount is less than $1,000 → send to manager
If purchase amount is $1,000 or more → send to manager and finance
Step 3: The workflow performs actions
Actions might include:
- Create a record
- Update a record
- Send an email
- Send a Teams message
- Request an approval
- Create a task
- Move a document
- Change permissions
- Call another service
- Update a database
Step 4: The workflow continues until the process is complete
A workflow can include multiple conditions, branches, approvals, and actions.
The result is a repeatable business process that does not require someone to manually coordinate every step.
Microsoft workflow examples
Here are several practical examples of Microsoft workflows.
Example: Employee onboarding
HR submits employee information
↓
Create employee record
↓
Create onboarding tasks
↓
Notify IT
↓
Request equipment
↓
Request system access
↓
Notify manager
↓
Send employee onboarding information
A process that previously required multiple emails and manual follow-up can become a coordinated workflow.
Example: Purchase request
Employee submits purchase request
↓
Manager approval
↓
Finance approval if required
↓
Purchasing notified
↓
Purchase information recorded
↓
Employee receives status update
Example: Document approval
Document uploaded
↓
Reviewer notified
↓
Review completed
↓
Approved?
→ Yes: publish or move document
→ No: return to author
Example: Help desk request
User submits request
↓
Request categorized
↓
Ticket assigned
↓
Technician notified
↓
Work performed
↓
Resolution recorded
↓
User notified
↓
Ticket closed
These are all examples of the same basic concept: using automation to move work through a repeatable process.
Microsoft workflows and SharePoint
SharePoint has historically been one of the most important Microsoft workflow platforms.
Organizations have used SharePoint workflows to automate processes involving:
- Lists
- Libraries
- Documents
- Approvals
- Tasks
- Business data
- Notifications
- Content management
However, it is important to distinguish classic SharePoint workflows from modern Microsoft workflow automation.
Are SharePoint workflows still supported?
The answer depends on which SharePoint workflow technology you mean.
SharePoint 2010 workflows were retired from SharePoint Online years ago.
More importantly for current Microsoft 365 environments, SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from existing Microsoft 365 tenants on April 2, 2026. Microsoft recommends migrating those workflows to Power Automate or another supported solution.
That makes 2026 an important transition point for organizations still thinking about Microsoft workflows in terms of SharePoint Designer or classic SharePoint workflow technology.
If your organization still has business processes dependent on classic SharePoint workflows, the right question is no longer whether to build more of them.
The question is:
What should replace them?
Microsoft workflows vs. SharePoint Designer
SharePoint Designer was historically one of the primary tools organizations used to create SharePoint workflows.
That approach is now obsolete for SharePoint Online.
SharePoint 2013 workflows have been fully retired from Microsoft 365, and Microsoft recommends moving those processes to Power Automate or another supported workflow solution.
Organizations with large numbers of older workflows should inventory:
- Existing workflow definitions
- Business owners
- Dependencies
- Data sources
- Approvals
- Notifications
- Custom actions
- Business rules
- Processes that are still actively used
Microsoft’s modernization guidance specifically recommends identifying workflow definitions, owners, dependencies, and business processes before planning migration.
Microsoft workflows and Power Automate
For organizations building new Microsoft 365 workflows, Power Automate is generally the first Microsoft-native technology to evaluate.
Power Automate can work with SharePoint, Microsoft Lists, Outlook, Teams, OneDrive, and many other services.
Common Power Automate workflow patterns include:
- When an item is created
- When an item is modified
- When a file is created
- When an email arrives
- When a form is submitted
- When an approval is completed
- On a recurring schedule
- When a specific condition occurs
Microsoft also provides templates that can be customized rather than requiring every workflow to be built from scratch.
Microsoft workflows and Teams
Microsoft Teams can be an important part of a workflow because it gives employees a place to interact with automated processes without leaving the application they already use.
For example, a workflow could:
- Notify a Teams channel when a request is submitted
- Send an approval request to a user
- Create an adaptive card
- Notify a technician about a new support request
- Ask an employee for additional information
- Update users when a process changes
This creates a more conversational workflow experience than relying entirely on email.
For organizations where Teams is the primary employee interface, workflow applications can also provide forms, requests, approvals, notifications, and work tracking directly within Teams.
Microsoft workflows and AI
AI is changing how Microsoft workflows are created.
Historically, creating a workflow meant selecting triggers, actions, conditions, connectors, and configuration options.
Microsoft is increasingly allowing users to describe what they want in natural language.
For example, instead of manually designing every step, a user might describe:
When a new purchase request is submitted, send it to the manager for approval and notify the requester when a decision is made.
Microsoft’s newer Workflows agent in Microsoft Copilot is designed to create workflows from natural-language instructions and can automate tasks across applications such as Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and Planner.
Microsoft is also adding natural-language workflow capabilities within SharePoint. For example, Copilot in SharePoint can help users create certain automation rules by describing the desired behavior.
This means the future of Microsoft workflow automation is increasingly moving from:
“How do I configure this workflow?”
to:
“Describe the business process I want to automate.”
That is an important shift for business users and IT teams alike.
Are AI-generated Microsoft workflows enough?
AI can make workflow creation much easier, but creating the workflow is only one part of business process automation.
Organizations also need to consider:
- Security
- Permissions
- Governance
- Data residency
- Compliance
- Error handling
- Workflow ownership
- Auditability
- Version control
- Business rules
- Integration requirements
- Long-term maintenance
A workflow that works in a demonstration is not necessarily a workflow that is ready to become a critical business process.
For important business processes, organizations should still validate the workflow against actual business requirements and operational controls.
When Power Automate may not be enough
Power Automate is extremely useful for Microsoft 365 automation, but it is not automatically the best architecture for every workflow application.
A simple automation may be ideal for Power Automate.
A larger business application may require:
- A custom user interface
- Complex forms
- Multiple related data sources
- Sophisticated business rules
- Reusable application components
- Extensive reporting
- More structured case management
- On-premises deployment
- Air-gapped deployment
- Specialized workflow functionality
- A consistent application experience for nontechnical users
This is where organizations should distinguish between automating a task and building a business application.
Microsoft workflows vs. workflow applications
There is an important difference between these two concepts.
Workflow automation
Workflow automation generally focuses on automating a defined sequence of actions.
For example:
When a form is submitted → send an approval → update a list → send an email.
Workflow application
A workflow application provides an entire environment around the process.
It may include:
- Custom forms
- Data management
- Workflow logic
- User roles
- Dashboards
- Notifications
- Approvals
- Search
- Reporting
- Business rules
- AI assistance
- Integration with Microsoft 365
For a simple process, Power Automate may be all an organization needs.
For a complex business process that employees use every day, a dedicated workflow application can provide a more complete experience.
Where NITRO Studio fits into Microsoft workflow automation
For organizations that want to build business applications and automated workflows directly around Microsoft 365, NITRO Studio is another option to consider.
NITRO Studio is a no-code/low-code platform for building forms and workflow applications using Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint.
It can be used to create processes such as:
- Purchase requests
- Employee requests
- Business forms
- Approval processes
- Request management
- Data collection
- Department-specific workflows
- Custom business applications
The key distinction is that NITRO Studio is designed around building the application and workflow together rather than simply creating an individual automated action.
This can be particularly useful when an organization wants to keep its business data and user experience within its Microsoft environment while creating a more customized application.
NITRO Studio also supports SharePoint Online and SharePoint environments with different deployment and security requirements, including customer-hosted Azure and air-gapped environments.
For organizations with highly specialized Microsoft 365 workflow requirements, the right solution may therefore be Power Automate, a dedicated workflow application, or a combination of technologies.
Microsoft workflows for on-premises and highly controlled environments
Cloud workflow automation is not the only requirement organizations have.
Some organizations need to support:
- SharePoint Server
- Customer-hosted Azure
- Microsoft 365 Government environments
- GCC
- GCC High
- Air-gapped environments
- Highly controlled networks
- Regulatory requirements
Microsoft’s workflow architecture and available integrations can differ depending on the environment.
For example, Microsoft documents Power Automate connectivity to SharePoint Server through an on-premises data gateway, while Power Automate does not simply appear as a native SharePoint Server feature in the same way it does in SharePoint Online.
Organizations with strict deployment requirements should therefore evaluate the complete architecture before selecting a workflow platform.
How to choose the right Microsoft workflow solution
The best Microsoft workflow solution depends on the complexity of the process.
Choose Power Automate when:
- The process is relatively straightforward
- Microsoft 365 is the primary environment
- You need to connect several Microsoft services
- You need standard triggers and actions
- You want to use Microsoft’s native automation platform
- The workflow does not require a large custom application
Consider a workflow application when:
- The process requires complex forms
- Many users interact with the application
- The workflow is a core business process
- You need a complete application experience
- The process involves substantial business logic
- You need structured request or case management
- You need more control over the user experience
Consider NITRO Studio when:
- Your organization is heavily invested in SharePoint, Teams, and Microsoft 365
- You want to build custom forms and workflow applications
- You want a no-code/low-code approach
- You need to preserve Microsoft 365 as the foundation for your applications
- You have workflow requirements that go beyond simple automation
- You have specialized deployment or security requirements
Microsoft workflow best practices
Regardless of the technology you choose, successful workflow automation starts with the business process rather than the software.
1. Start with the process
Document how the process works today.
Identify:
- Who starts the process
- What information is collected
- Who makes decisions
- What systems are involved
- Where delays occur
- What happens when something goes wrong
- What information needs to be retained
2. Eliminate unnecessary steps
Do not simply automate a bad process.
If an approval is unnecessary, eliminate it.
If three people manually enter the same information, redesign the process so the information is entered once.
Automation should simplify the process, not merely make the existing process happen faster.
3. Define ownership
Every important workflow should have an owner.
Someone should be responsible for:
- Business requirements
- Changes
- Testing
- Permissions
- Troubleshooting
- Documentation
- Ongoing maintenance
4. Design for exceptions
Real business processes are rarely linear.
Ask what happens when:
- An approver is unavailable
- A request is rejected
- Required information is missing
- A deadline is missed
- A user changes departments
- A record is deleted
- An integration fails
Exception handling is one of the differences between a proof-of-concept workflow and a production business process.
5. Build security into the workflow
Workflow automation often involves sensitive business information.
Consider:
- Who can submit requests
- Who can see records
- Who can approve requests
- Who can modify data
- Where information is stored
- How permissions are inherited
- What users can access through Teams, SharePoint, and other interfaces
6. Monitor workflows
A workflow should not become invisible infrastructure.
Monitor:
- Failed runs
- Delayed approvals
- Errors
- Unassigned requests
- Processing times
- Bottlenecks
- User adoption
7. Document important workflows
Document the purpose of the workflow, its owner, dependencies, data sources, and major business rules.
This becomes especially important when organizations have hundreds of workflows created by different departments.
How to modernize old Microsoft workflows
If your organization still relies on older SharePoint workflows, begin with an inventory.
For each workflow, identify:
1. What does it do?
2. Who uses it?
3. What business process does it support?
4. What data does it use?
5. What systems does it connect to?
6. Who owns it?
7. Is the process still needed?
8. Can it be simplified?
9. Should it be rebuilt in Power Automate?
10. Would a dedicated workflow application be more appropriate?
This is especially important following the April 2, 2026 retirement of SharePoint 2013 workflows in Microsoft 365. Microsoft recommends migrating affected processes to Power Automate or another supported solution.
The goal should not be to reproduce every old workflow exactly.
Instead, use the migration as an opportunity to modernize the underlying business process.
Microsoft workflows FAQ
What are Microsoft workflows?
Microsoft workflows are automated business processes that use Microsoft technologies to move information, tasks, approvals, and actions through a defined process. Modern Microsoft workflow automation commonly involves Power Automate, SharePoint, Teams, Microsoft Lists, Outlook, and Microsoft Copilot.
What is the Microsoft workflow tool?
Power Automate is Microsoft’s primary workflow automation platform for connecting Microsoft 365 services and other applications. Microsoft is also introducing AI-assisted workflow creation through its Workflows experience in Copilot.
Is Power Automate a workflow tool?
Yes. Power Automate is Microsoft’s workflow automation platform. It allows organizations to create automated processes using triggers, conditions, actions, approvals, connectors, and integrations.
Are SharePoint workflows still supported?
Classic SharePoint workflows have been retired from Microsoft 365. SharePoint 2013 workflows were fully retired from existing Microsoft 365 tenants on April 2, 2026. Microsoft recommends migrating affected workflows to Power Automate or another supported solution.
What replaced SharePoint workflows?
For Microsoft 365, Microsoft recommends Power Automate for modern workflow automation. Depending on the complexity and requirements of the business process, organizations can also use specialized workflow applications or other supported solutions.
Can Microsoft workflows work with Teams?
Yes. Microsoft workflow automation can integrate with Teams for notifications, approvals, user input, adaptive cards, and other interactions. Microsoft’s newer Workflows experience can also automate tasks across Teams and other Microsoft 365 applications.
Can Microsoft workflows work with SharePoint?
Yes. SharePoint and Power Automate are deeply integrated. Workflows can respond to changes in SharePoint lists and libraries and perform actions against SharePoint data.
Can Microsoft workflows use AI?
Yes. Microsoft is increasingly incorporating AI into workflow creation and execution. The Workflows agent in Microsoft Copilot allows users to describe desired automations using natural language, while Copilot in SharePoint can help create certain automation rules.
Can I build Microsoft workflows without coding?
Yes. Power Automate provides a visual workflow designer, templates, triggers, and actions that allow many workflows to be created without traditional programming. Microsoft is also using natural-language interfaces to make workflow creation more accessible.
What is the best Microsoft workflow solution?
There is no single best solution for every process. Power Automate is a strong choice for many Microsoft 365 automations. More complex processes may require a dedicated workflow application, particularly when they require sophisticated forms, business logic, case management, specialized deployment options, or a complete application experience.
What is the difference between workflow automation and a business application?
Workflow automation automates a defined sequence of actions. A business application provides a broader environment for users to submit information, manage data, perform work, follow processes, and interact with automated workflows.
The future of Microsoft workflows
Microsoft workflow automation is moving in three important directions.
First, workflows are becoming more integrated.
Instead of automating one application at a time, organizations can connect Microsoft 365 services into end-to-end processes.
Second, workflow creation is becoming more accessible.
AI and natural-language interfaces increasingly allow users to describe the process they want rather than manually configuring every component.
Third, organizations are moving from individual automations toward complete business applications.
A workflow may start with a simple trigger and action, but successful business process automation often requires forms, data management, permissions, approvals, reporting, AI, integrations, and a user experience around the workflow.
The most effective Microsoft workflow strategy is therefore not simply to automate as many tasks as possible.
It is to identify the processes that consume the most time, create the most errors, or cause the most delays, and then determine the right combination of Microsoft 365, Power Automate, AI, SharePoint, Teams, and specialized workflow applications to improve them.
Build better Microsoft workflows
If your organization is looking beyond simple task automation and needs to build customized forms and workflow applications around Microsoft 365, Teams, and SharePoint, NITRO Studio provides a no-code/low-code approach to building business processes within the Microsoft ecosystem.
For organizations looking to automate specific support processes, NITRO Help Desk can provide a more complete help desk application rather than requiring the entire support process to be assembled from individual workflows.
The right approach depends on the process, the environment, and the level of customization required.
The goal is simple: turn repetitive manual work into a reliable, measurable business process that works within the Microsoft environment your organization already uses.
