Configure priority for desktop flows in a queue

In Microsoft Power Automate, configuring priority for desktop flows in a queue is a useful feature that allows you to determine the order in which flows are executed. By assigning priorities to different flows, you can ensure that high-priority tasks are completed before lower-priority ones. This can be particularly valuable in situations where there are multiple flows running concurrently and you need to optimize the execution order.

Step 1: Create a Queue

Firstly, you need to create a queue to manage and organize your desktop flows. You can create a new queue by navigating to the Power Automate portal and selecting the “My flows” menu. From there, click on the “Create” button and choose the “Desktop flow” option. Give your desktop flow a name and specify the trigger, actions, and conditions as required.

Step 2: Configure Priority Property

After creating the desktop flow, you can configure the priority property of the flow. The priority property allows you to specify the priority level for each desktop flow in the queue. The priority values range from 1 (highest priority) to 10 (lowest priority).

To set the priority property, you need to add a step in your desktop flow that assigns a value to the priority variable. You can use the “Set variable” action to achieve this. In the action configuration, set the variable name as “priority” and assign a value between 1 and 10.

Step 3: Order the Queue Based on Priority

Once you have configured the priority property for your desktop flows, you can order the queue based on these priorities. The queue will automatically prioritize and execute the flows according to their assigned priority values.

To order the queue, you can use the “Sort array” action. This action allows you to sort the queue based on a specified property, in this case, the priority property. Sort the array by the “priority” variable in ascending order to execute the higher priority tasks first. You can also choose to sort in descending order if you want to execute the lower priority tasks first.

Step 4: Execute the Sorted Queue

After ordering the queue based on priority, you can now execute the flows in the desired order. Use the “Apply to each” action to iterate through the sorted queue and execute the desktop flows one by one.

Inside the loop, you can perform the required actions for each desktop flow. This could include opening applications, performing data entry, interacting with web browsers, or any other tasks specific to your automation requirements.

By following these steps, you can configure priority for desktop flows in a queue using Microsoft Power Automate. This allows you to optimize the execution order of your flows and ensures that high-priority tasks are completed promptly. With the ability to assign priority values and order the queue accordingly, you can efficiently manage and automate your workflows.