Power Platform Community Forum Thread Details

I’m using Power Automate Desktop to automate tasks like transferring data in Excel, handling file operations, and performing web actions using the recorder.

As I plan to continue using these flows, I’d like to know if it’s possible to run these flows in the background.

For example, can I keep a Power Automate Desktop flow running while working on my daily tasks?

Categories:

Power Automate Desktop

Yes you can use Picture In Picture (PiP) to run the flows in virtual window so you can continue using your workstation without interfering with the flows.
In the main window press the three dots and under Run there is Run in picture-in-picture

You will need Power Automate Premium license (USD$15.00 / month)

Article about it: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/run-desktop-flows-pip

Also common way to use RPA is to have dedicated virtual machine for the RPA (power automate desktop) to work by itself. So you would have Power Automate Cloud flow that starts the PAD flow with Unattended mode. Then the bot logs in to the virtual machine and does the PAD flow there by it self.

So for minimum you will need Power Automate Process license and a virtual machine which will also cost something depending on where and how powerful VM you will get. Or you can get the Power Automate Hosted Process which is bit more pricy but will give you also the virtual machine.

Unattended runs are goo so that your machine does not need to be logged in. The flow can start when ever it needs to without person needing to be logged in to the workstation

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/run-unattended-desktop-flows