How To Automate Document Updates Using Power Automate Desktop

Are you overwhelmed with document adjustments? 

Facing the tedious task of manually actioning changes or saving multiple versions with minor updates? Perhaps you recently migrated to SharePoint Online and want to connect your documents’ properties to metadata for easy bulk updates.

Tackling hundreds of manual document tweaks is draining. But don’t worry – there’s a handy tool that can help: Power Automate Desktop.

Watch the video to find out how to cut out Document Automation pain forever or read below for a summary!

The Headaches of Document Automation

Before exploring Power Automate’s capabilities, let’s look at some common document automation headaches:

  • Time-Consuming Manual Edits: Making the same change across hundreds of files is as tedious as it sounds.
  • Frequent Errors: Manual work always risks overlooking something. Miss one document and surprises await.
  • Inconsistency: Maintaining identical formatting in numerous files rarely goes smoothly.
  • Scaling Difficulties: More documents make management increasingly challenging.
  • Technical Disruptions: Network hiccups amid critical edits can derail progress.

Enter Power Automate Desktop

This clever tool is a game-changer – like having an expert assistant to handle document updates.

Here’s a quick rundown of setting up basic automation in Power Automate Desktop:

install

  1. Install It: Get Power Automate Desktop from make.powerautomate.com and download.
  2. Create a Flow: We’ll call it “Word Document Property Automation” 
  3. Select Files using a Get Files In Folder Action: The flow grabs all .docx files from a synced OneDrive folder.
  4. Make Copies: It duplicates your files so originals remain untouched.
  5. Handle Delays: Built-in waits deal with any sluggishness on your local device.
  6. Open Word Using the Application Action: Flow kicks off Word to work its magic.
  7. Edit Documents: Using screen recording and actions, it mimics clicks, typing, deleting, etc.
  8. Insert Properties: Add predefined document properties using screen recordings to capture the actions needed.
  9. Save and Repeat: Each file is saved then the process repeats.

Why Power Automate Excels

  1. Unattended Automation: Set it and forget it while it runs.
  2. Speed and Efficiency: Puts document updates on fast-forward.
  3. Consistency: Achieves uniformity without the effort.
  4. Flexibility: Use locally or on a virtual machine.
  5. Scalability: Handles continually growing document piles.

The Bottom Line

Bid farewell to manual, monotonous document edits. With Power Automate Desktop, you can supercharge processes and handle exponentially more files. Check out the video to see the magic first hand – set up a flow, sit back, and watch it work flawlessly. No more errors, inconsistencies, or endless manual labour.

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