Create your first UI Flow

What is UI Flow?

Microsoft has released a new feature called UI flows. This is an extremely useful and practical feature as it allows a flow to operate old legacy applications that are still being used. UI flow basically provides Power Automate with Robotic Process Automation which allows users to automate tasks in Windows and Web applications. It also has the capability to playback user interface actions and mimicking the user.

Today I will walk you through creating your own UI flow interacting with the native Windows calculator app running locally on my machine.

Setting up UI Flow

  1. Navigate to https://flow.microsoft.com/
  2. Click on the ‘My flows’ section on the left side of the screen.

Setting up UI Flow

  1. Click on ‘UI flows (preview)’

UI flows preview

  1. Click ‘Create a UI flow’.

Create a UI flow

  1. Click on the ‘Desktop app’, and then click ‘Next’.

Desktop app

  1. A box would appear on the right site titled Flow Name, type in ‘myUIFlow’

Flow Name

  1. Click on the ‘Next’ button

Flow Name next

  1. Click on ‘Record app’

Record app

  1. Click the ‘Launch Recorder’ button

Launch Recorder

  1. A pop up would appear. Click on the ‘Download’ option!

Click on the Download

  1. After the download is complete, close all your browser windows. Run the downloaded .exe file. Then click through the installation using the default settings.

the default settings

  1. Navigate back to the Power Automate screen, and click on ‘Launch Recorder’

Power Automate screen

  1. You will see the window depicted below:

Power Automate window

  1. Click ‘Record’ as shown in the image below.

Power Automate record

  1. Press the ‘Window Start Bar’ on the bottom left of the screen.

Window Start Bar

  1. Search for the calculator and open it

Search for the calculator

  1. Input 8 * 5 in the calculator, and then press the equals (=) sign.

windows calculator

  1. 40 should show up in the display window of the calculator.

display window of the calculator

  1. Click on ‘Get output’ on the recording bar on the top of the screen.

Get output

  1. Click the ‘Select text’ option.

Select text option

  1. Now you have to follow the steps below:

select output

  1. Press ‘Save’

output save

  1. Press ‘Done’

output done

  1. Navigate back to your browser window and click on the ‘Next’ button.

browser window

  1. Click on ‘Next’ again.

browser window next

  1. Click ‘Test now’

power automate test

  1. You will see the recorded actions work as depicted in the image below. Give this process some time. It takes about five seconds to spin up.

recorded actions work

  1. The calculator will appear itself and type 8 * 5 and you will see 40 on the calculator display. Look ma’ no hands! ?

calculator display

  1. Congrats – you have recorded your first process automation. Great work!! You can now click ‘Save and exit’ to save this automation script.

automation script

 Conclusion:

Now you have created your first UI flow! Feel free to experiment further using your own specific legacy applications. These applications can now be directly integrated and used by flows in the cloud.

Feel free to leave us a comment, we are happy to provide further explanations!

Go forth with UI Flow!