Where are Power Automation Desktop (PAD) flows saved?

Question

Where are Power Automation Desktop (PAD) flows saved?

Paul Hannon 0

There appears to be no typical 'save as'. Why? I do NOT want to save to OneDrive, these flows are confidential to my employer.

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5 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

For a work or school account, Power Automate for desktop flows are saved in your organization’s Microsoft Dataverse environment—not as files in OneDrive—so no OneDrive folder needs to be selected.^1^

Why there is no conventional “Save As”

A desktop flow is a managed Dataverse record rather than a normal file such as a Word document. Specifically, desktop flows are held in the Dataverse Process table; the v2 schema also stores required flow data, images, and metadata in desktop-flow binary records.^2^

To create a separate copy:

Open the Power Automate portal.
Select My flows → Desktop flows.
Select the flow.
Select Save As.
Enter a new name and select Save.

This creates another desktop flow in Dataverse; it does not create a local file or send the flow to OneDrive.^3^

Confidentiality and employer access

The flow is stored in your employer’s Power Platform environment, but access is governed by sharing and Dataverse security roles:

User access permits running the flow without editing, deleting, or sharing it.
Co-owner access permits editing, sharing, and deleting it.
Users whose Dataverse role grants organization-wide Read access to the Process table can access all desktop flows in that environment and appear as co-owners.^3^

For confidential flows, ask the Power Platform administrator to review:

The flow’s Manage access page.
Dataverse roles with organization-wide Process-table access.
Environment membership and data-loss-prevention policies.
Whether secrets are embedded in actions or variables.

Passwords and other secrets should not be placed directly in ordinary variables. Mark sensitive variables appropriately and use Get credential where applicable; sensitive values are then masked during debugging and excluded from run logs.^2^

If the flow is being created under a personal Microsoft account rather than the employer’s work account, stop and confirm the intended account and environment with the employer before adding confidential material—the Dataverse storage details above specifically apply to work, school, and organizational premium accounts.^1^

References

Answer 2

Paul Hannon 0

Thanks. But why am I forced to register for update and tips just to access an AI chat bot? You are killing the goose...
Microsoft has become ridiculous. I can't even change the Home page in Edge. Users will condemn MS first chance they get.

You deserve it.

Paul Hannon 0 Reputation points

2026-11-09T06:13:06.3+00:00

I will unsub first email I get!
Aetherin 3,845 Reputation points Independent Advisor

2026-11-10T18:47:23.6033333+00:00

Hi @Paul Hannon,

I understand that you are frustrated with the overall experience, and that protecting the confidentiality of your employer’s work is an important concern.

However, I would like to clarify that I am not part of Microsoft’s official support team. This is a user-to-user forum where community members voluntarily share guidance based on their own knowledge and experience. We do not have access to Microsoft’s internal systems or influence over its product decisions.

I came across your post and suggested the Power Automate Community simply because your question is specifically about Power Automate Desktop rather than OneDrive. That community is more likely to have members with the relevant product expertise to discuss how PAD flows are stored and what options may be available for managing them securely.

My intention was only to direct you to a forum better suited to address your specific concerns, not to dismiss or avoid your question. In any case, I hope you will consider the available information and find a suitable way forward for your situation.

Thank you for your understanding.

Answer 3

Hi @Paul Hannon,

Based on your description, it sounds like you're trying to understand where Power Automate Desktop (PAD) flows are stored and whether they can be saved locally rather than in OneDrive. If I understand correctly, your question is primarily related to the design and storage architecture of Power Automate Desktop, rather than a core OneDrive for Business feature.

Since your question is currently posted under the Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For business category, I'm concerned that this forum may not be the best place to provide detailed guidance about how PAD flow files are stored, managed, and secured. Those topics fall under the broader Power Automate / Power Platform ecosystem and are typically handled by specialists familiar with PAD's architecture and governance capabilities.

If, after reviewing the information provided here and any AI-generated responses in this forum, you still have questions or would like more detailed guidance regarding PAD flow storage, security, or management, I would recommend posting your question in the Microsoft Power Automate Community, where Power Automate engineers, MVPs, and experienced community members actively discuss topics such as flow storage architecture, local and cloud-based management, security controls, and enterprise governance. They will be in a much better position to provide accurate and specialized assistance for your scenario.

User's image

I apologize for redirecting you to a different community, but I wanted to suggest a forum that may be more suitable for your specific question and more likely to provide the detailed expertise you're looking for.

Thank you for your understanding.

Answer 4

Paul Hannon 0

There it is. Microsoft have fenagled another convoluted method of stealing data. You cannot 'Save as', you may only save a copy locally. But MS still gets everything. To MS, I'm just a lab-rat without Rights. Well FY, MS - I will NOT use PAD for anything but Excel macros.

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Answer 5

Paul Hannon 0

The short answer is: NO, there is no "save as". There is only "save a copy".
MS still gets everything you develop. But of course they do. That is their MO. MS knows AI is taking over so they've decided to wring the neck of the goose because there won't be any more golden eggs.

Okay, not so short after all.

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