If you’ve ever used Power Automate (formerly known as Microsoft Flow), then you know that it can be a little slow. And if you haven’t used Power Automate yet, then let me tell you something: It’s not normal for software to be slow. No one likes to wait around for things to load, especially when there are more efficient ways to do things. So why does Power Automate sometimes seem like it’s running in slow motion? And could it get any worse? I’ll explain why this happens and how we can fix it!
Slow for some is fast for others.
In Power Automate, an action is considered slow if it takes longer than 40 seconds to complete. Conversely, an action is considered fast if it takes less than 25 milliseconds to complete. This classification is based on Microsoft’s understanding of customer preferences, where the focus is on improving server performance rather than adhering to specific speed benchmarks.
By prioritizing faster execution times, Power Automate aims to enhance user experience and overall efficiency. This emphasis on performance ensures that actions within Power Automate are completed within reasonable timeframes, avoiding unnecessary delays for users.
It’s important to note that these thresholds for slow and fast actions in Power Automate are defined by Microsoft based on their experience and customer expectations.
When I started working with Power Automate (formerly known as Microsoft Flow) in 2017, things were going very slow.
When I started using Power Automate (formerly Microsoft Flow) in 2017, I quickly noticed that the performance was lacking. The primary reason for this was the platform’s recent introduction, resulting in a small number of users and minimal server activity. Due to limited resources, my connections would frequently drop, leading to frustrating delays as I waited for them to reconnect before continuing with my tasks. Needless to say, this situation was far from pleasant.
However, since then Microsoft has made a lot of improvements to make the product faster and better.
Since then, Microsoft has implemented numerous enhancements to enhance the speed and overall quality of the product. The sluggish performance of Power Automate can be attributed to its cloud-based nature, which necessitates a reliable internet connection for optimal functionality. It is crucial to ensure a robust internet connection with a speed exceeding 100Mbps throughout the process.
But with all the upgrades, from time to time Power Automate will still go through performance issues.
Despite the various upgrades, Power Automate may occasionally encounter performance challenges. This article will explore the concept of performance issues and provide solutions for addressing them when they arise in Power Automate.
A performance problem typically arises due to any of the following four factors:
- High server load, which occurs when there is an excessive workload for the server.
- Insufficient memory or storage space on a server that is currently unavailable due to high load.
- Lengthy execution of large queries, resulting from a significant amount of CPU usage.
- Hardware problems such as faulty memory chips or hard drives.
It’s very frustrating!
If you’ve ever been disappointed while using cloud software, you’re likely familiar with the frustrations it can bring. For those who haven’t experienced it, imagine a scenario where every interaction with the product feels sluggish, accompanied by a distorted and echoing narration reminiscent of Morgan Freeman’s voice, as if it’s originating from your own thoughts. This impersonation speaks in a monotonous tone, delivering phrases like “this will happen if this occurs” or “an error has occurred.” It’s no surprise that Power Automate has gained popularity! It seems as though the company has understood our inclination for a mildly vexing experience that keeps us engaged.
However, setting humor aside, the reality is that such situations can be genuinely exasperating.
In this blog post we will list out some of the reasons why Power Automate might be going slow.
Power Automate functions as a cloud-based service, which means it is hosted on the internet and accessed through internet connectivity. This setup occasionally leads to reduced performance, especially when the internet connection is weak. While using Power Automate from a home or work environment may not be problematic, it is important to ensure reliable internet connections for users in various global office locations to ensure smooth usage of Power Automate across all sites.
It is worth noting that the cloud’s speed and reliability are not always consistent, particularly when issues arise with other internet-based services or hardware, like malfunctioning traffic lights. These circumstances can impact the functionality of your Power Automate account as well. Therefore, it is advisable to investigate any other possible causes of issues before contacting support.
We will also provide some tips on how to improve the performance of your flows.
o enhance the performance of your flows, the first factor to consider is their complexity. Flows that have only a few steps generally execute much faster than those with a larger number of steps, possibly extending into dozens or even hundreds. It is crucial to acknowledge that as the complexity of a flow increases, so does the likelihood of encountering bugs or security issues.
If you have a need to create multiple automation use cases, it is advisable to utilize multiple simple flows instead of a single complex flow. By adopting this approach, you can take advantage of all the available features while maintaining speed and reliability for each step in your process.
Don’t be mean to Power Automate, even if it is slow at times!
If you find the tool’s slowness frustrating, rest assured that you are not alone. It is a common issue encountered by users, and there are various factors that can contribute to it. It is important not to solely blame Power Automate for the sluggishness, as the cause could potentially lie within your own setup.
To ensure swift data loading in Power Automate, it is crucial to employ proper schema design for the tables in your database. If you are loading data into an existing table that was not specifically designed for this purpose, it is likely to result in longer processing times, possibly even significantly longer.
Furthermore, when dealing with complex data sets, there may be numerous columns in a table that need to be populated by different processes or functions, such as triggers, user-defined functions, and stored procedures. The complexity and size of these processes, particularly those with extensive nesting or a high number of lines, can also contribute to slower load times.
Conclusion
In this blog post we discussed some of the reasons why Power Automate might be slow, and how to improve its performance. We hope you find these tips helpful! If you have any other questions or comments please leave them below, we’d love to hear from you.
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