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French6891's avatar
French6891
Brass Contributor
Oct 08, 2024

Power Automate Licensing

Hi, 

 

I'm trying to understand the licensing around Power Automate.. the documentation is somewhat confusing so I can't figure it out exactly.

 

So let's say someone built a cloud flow with a Premium connector therefore took out a Premium license all sorted on that.... could the owner then share that flow with run-only privileges to other users and they are able to run it too, (even if they didn't have a license assigned?).... Would it just run on the primary owners license? OR would they be required to have a Power Automate Premium license too?

 

And for the Process license, the flow is licensed, so everyone can use without have a premium licensed assigned to each user?

 

Please can someone let me know if I’m correct in my thinking or at least clarify :).

 

Thanks so much

Power Platform
Pricing & Licensing
  • Nick_Beacroft's avatar
    Nick_Beacroft
    Steel Contributor
    Oct 09, 2024
    All users that run or trigger the flow would need to be licensed.

    Whilst it may be technically possibly to use a service account and only that account is licensed, for license compliance all users that trigger the flow must be licensed.

    Microsoft refer to this as multiplexing, and there is an explanation of this in the licensing guide.

    Depending on how many users are tiggering the flow, how many flows etc, it may be more cost effective to license as business flows rather than each user they may trigger the flows using Power Automate per flow licensing.

    Power Automate Process licenses are for unattended desktop automation, rather than cloud flows.
    • French6891's avatar
      French6891
      Brass Contributor
      Oct 09, 2024

      Hi Nick,

      I appreciate the response. That's useful.

       

      So for the below:

      Instant flows (that is, flows that use a manual trigger such as a button or an item being selected) can be shared by using run-only permissions. Any user who's added as a run-only user won't have access to edit or modify the flow in any way; they'll only have permissions to trigger the flow.

      If the flow is set to the Power Automate Premium user plan, then it gets the plan of its primary owner if the flow is an automated or scheduled flow. If the flow is an instant/button flow, it uses the license of the user running the flow".

       

      This means that automated and scheduled flows can be invoked by others without a license as it will run off of the primary owners plan, but the instant flow doesn't and would run off of the user invoking the flow hence it wouldn't work for them? 

      Thanks,

      • Nick_Beacroft's avatar
        Nick_Beacroft
        Steel Contributor
        Oct 10, 2024
        As I mentioned. Whilst your description of using a premium connector instant flow with a manual trigger being run (in the background) by a single licensed user account is technically possible. In my opinion it is not compliant with Microsoft's product terms and use rights, where all users triggering the flow should be licensed with a Power Automate Premium license, or you would license the business flow.

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