A cloud flow starts with a trigger. An automated cloud flow responds to an event, such as a message arriving in Outlook. An instant cloud flow starts when a person selects a button. A scheduled cloud flow uses Recurrence. Actions describe the work that follows, including sending an email or creating a list item.
Desktop flows automate steps in applications and files through Power Automate for desktop. They can work with a program that has no suitable cloud connector, but the machine and session requirements still matter. This course runs both kinds against fictional fixtures inside your browser. Nothing reaches a workplace account or controls your computer. Choose the starting event before choosing the action cards; a correct email action cannot fix a flow that starts for the wrong reason.