Migrating SharePoint 2013 Workflows to Power Automate: A Step-by-Step Migration Plan
Before starting your migration from SharePoint 2013 workflows to Power Automate, taking stock of your current environment is essential. Begin by auditing all existing workflows to identify which ones are actively used, which can be retired, and which need enhancement. Document dependencies like lists, libraries, and third-party integrations. Next, review Power Automate’s capabilities to ensure feature parity or plan for any necessary redesigns.
Once you’ve mapped your workflow needs, create a migration timeline that includes testing and user training. Rebuild workflows in Power Automate, validate functionality, and involve key stakeholders for feedback. Finally, decommission old workflows only after confirming full adoption.
Why Move to Power Automate Now
Migrating from SharePoint 2013 workflows to Power Automate is a strategic move toward preparing your business for the future. SharePoint 2013 workflows are now deprecated, with Microsoft no longer investing in their improvement or long-term support. This leaves your organization vulnerable to potential security risks, compatibility issues, and limited functionality.
Power Automate, on the other hand, is actively supported, continuously enhanced, and designed to integrate seamlessly across Microsoft 365 and other modern platforms. Moving to Power Automate positions your team to take advantage of low-code automation, advanced logic, and better integration with tools like Teams, Outlook, and Dataverse.
It enables greater agility, scalability, and a more user-friendly experience for both IT teams and end users. Transitioning sooner also means avoiding last-minute scrambles or disruptions as legacy workflows begin to break down or become unsupported in future updates.
It’s smart to hire SharePoint migration consultants who understand both legacy systems and modern automation tools to ensure a successful migration. SharePoint migration experts can help assess your current workflows, plan a phased transition, and rebuild processes in Power Automate without losing critical functionality. With the right team in place, you can follow this step-by-step migration plan that minimizes disruption and maximizes results.
Step 1: Pre-Migration Workflow Audit
Before diving into the technical work of migrating from SharePoint 2013 workflows to Power Automate, the first and most crucial step is conducting a thorough pre-migration audit. This gives you a clear understanding of which workflows exist, how they function, and whether they still meet business needs. Without this clarity, you risk carrying over outdated or broken workflows that add unnecessary complexity to your new system.
Start by identifying all active and inactive workflows, and categorize them based on usage, business value, and complexity. Some may need only minor adjustments in Power Automate, while others require complete redesigns. Be sure to document dependencies like custom lists, libraries, and third-party connectors so nothing is overlooked during the rebuild.
Next, engage with stakeholders across departments to understand how workflows are used in practice. What appears obsolete might still be critical to daily operations. You may also find opportunities to consolidate or improve inefficient processes using Power Automate features like conditional logic, approval flows, or cross-platform integration.
Partnering with a Microsoft system integration company like i3solutions at this stage can simplify the process. Our experts bring structure to the audit, helping you decide which workflows to migrate, retire, or reimagine and this will set a strong foundation for a scalable migration.
Step 2: Inventory & Map Dependencies
After auditing your existing workflows, the next critical step is creating a detailed inventory of all related assets and mapping their dependencies. Every workflow in SharePoint 2013 interacts with various components, such as lists, libraries, content types, custom forms, and even third-party tools. If these dependencies aren’t properly accounted for, they can break your new Power Automate flows or lead to unexpected gaps in functionality.
Start by documenting each workflow’s connections. Does it trigger from a list item change? Is it linked to a specific content approval process? Does it send emails or update metadata across site collections? Creating a centralized map of these relationships helps you understand the full scope of what’s impacted by the migration and reduces the risk of missing critical elements during rebuilds.
Be sure to include permissions and user roles in your mapping. Power Automate may handle permissions differently from SharePoint 2013, so workflows that rely on elevated privileges or specific user access may need adjustment. This is also the time to consider simplifying or consolidating overly complex workflows by identifying shared dependencies that could be simplified.
Having a complete dependency map allows you to prioritize which workflows to migrate first and identify any technical blockers in advance. It also makes it easier to communicate requirements with your IT team or SharePoint migration service consultants, ensuring the transition to Power Automate is not only accurate but optimized for long-term success.
Step 3: Select Replacement Solutions
With your workflows audited and dependencies clearly mapped, the next step is to identify the best replacement solutions in Power Automate. Not every SharePoint 2013 workflow has a direct one-to-one counterpart, so you’ll need to evaluate which features in Power Automate can replicate or improve the existing functionality. This may involve redesigning workflows to take advantage of Power Automate’s modern capabilities, such as adaptive triggers, integration with Microsoft Teams, or built-in approval flows.
Choosing the right components often depends on complexity. For simple task automation, out-of-the-box templates might suffice. But for more intricate processes, custom flows using advanced conditions, loops, and connectors will be necessary. This is where guidance from the best Microsoft Power Automate development services firm becomes invaluable. At i3solutions, we can help you design efficient, scalable workflows personalized to follow your own business requirements, without unnecessary complications.
Ultimately, the goal is to not just replicate, but enhance. Power Automate offers features that SharePoint 2013 never supported, giving you a chance to improve efficiency of your operations and increase process visibility. You can select the right replacement solutions now, so you’ll be setting your company up for a more flexible and sustainable automation future.
Step 4: Build & Test in Power Automate
Once you’ve chosen your replacement solutions, it’s time to start building your workflows. Begin with high-priority or simpler workflows to get quick wins and establish a development rhythm that suits your business. Use Power Automate’s low-code interface to recreate logic, triggers, and actions. Pay close attention to any enhancements identified during the earlier audit.
Testing is just as important as building. After each flow is created, run it in a controlled environment to check for errors, missing data, or unexpected behavior. Validate that all conditions and actions perform as intended, and verify that dependencies, such as lists and user permissions, are working correctly.
Involving end users early in the testing phase can catch usability issues before deployment. Ask for feedback on whether the flow behaves as expected, if it simplifies their work, or if any additional improvements can be made. This ensures user adoption later on.
For more complex or business-critical workflows, it’s smart to hire Power Automate consultants. Our professionals can help fine-tune your performance, implement best practices, and build error-handling or fail-safes into your flows. Our experience also helps avoid common pitfalls that can slow down your migration or affect functionality in your operations.
Finally, document each flow thoroughly, including its purpose, logic, and any custom configurations. This not only helps with future maintenance but also supports scalability as your organization continues to automate more processes. Skipping this step now could lead to confusion and costly rework down the line.
Step 5: Validate & Optimize
After building and initial testing, it’s essential to validate your new Power Automate workflows in a live or production-like environment. This means running them under real-world conditions, using actual data and typical user scenarios. The goal here is to guarantee that your workflows perform reliably, deliver the expected outcomes, and integrate seamlessly with your existing Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
Validation isn’t just about making sure things work. It’s also about confirming that they work well. Monitor each flow for performance issues, delays, or unexpected behaviors. Check logs and flow histories to spot inefficiencies or potential issues that may not have been obvious during testing. Also, ensure that notifications, permissions, and data handling align with compliance or governance policies, such as role-based access control (RBAC), and Microsoft’s Data Loss Prevention (DLP) rules.
Once validated, take time to optimize. Power Automate offers built-in analytics to help identify where flows can be simplified or sped up. For example, unnecessary steps can be removed, triggers can be refined, and conditions can be made more precise. These tweaks not only improve your performance but also reduce the risk of errors over time.
This step is also a good moment to gather final feedback from users and stakeholders. Are the new workflows improving their experience? Are there still manual steps that could be automated? Use this insight to make final adjustments before moving on to full deployment.
Step 6: Train End Users
Even the best workflows won’t succeed if end users don’t know how to use them. That’s why training is a key final step in your Power Automate migration. Once your new flows are validated, it’s time to train the people who will use them daily. Whether they’re approving requests or triggering processes, proper training ensures a smooth transition.
Start by grouping users based on how they interact with each workflow. Some may only need a quick overview, while others (team leads or admins) will benefit from more in-depth sessions. Use demos, walkthroughs, and simple guides to make onboarding clear and highlight how Power Automate makes their tasks easier.
Interactive training also opens the door for valuable feedback. Users may spot inefficiencies or suggest improvements you hadn’t considered during development. Incorporating this feedback early can help increase adoption and overall satisfaction with the new system.
You can also hire experienced Microsoft Power Automate developers who understand the tech and communicate it clearly to make training even more effective. Our insights can bridge the gap between technical design and real-world use, ensuring your team is confident and capable in this new automation environment.
Why Hire i3solutions
i3solutions is a trusted Microsoft system integration company with deep expertise in Power Automate and SharePoint. We’ve helped organizations across industries modernize their workflows with customized automation solutions that reduce complexity and drive real business value. Our Microsoft SharePoint specialists understand both legacy SharePoint environments and the capabilities of Microsoft’s latest automation tools, making us the ideal Microsoft partner for your migration journey.
Recognized as the best Microsoft Power Automate development services firm, we bring a proven track record of success in complex, enterprise-level migrations, without causing downtime or disruption. If you’re migrating a handful of workflows or an entire ecosystem, we assure you that every detail is handled with precision, from dependency mapping to performance tuning.
When you hire experienced Microsoft SharePoint developers and Power Automate consultants from i3solutions, you’re getting more than just technical expertise—you’re getting a strategic partner. Our team works closely with your stakeholders, aligns with your business goals, and delivers automation solutions built for scalability, performance, and long-term success.
Common Pitfalls & How We Avoid Them
One of the most common pitfalls in migrating from SharePoint 2013 workflows is failing to audit existing workflows properly. Many organizations assume their workflows are still relevant or used, only to discover mid-migration that they’ve moved outdated or broken processes. At i3solutions, we conduct a thorough pre-migration audit to ensure only valuable workflows are transitioned.
Another frequent issue is overlooking dependencies. SharePoint workflows often rely on lists, libraries, permissions, or third-party tools. Missing even one of these can cause the new flow to break or behave unexpectedly. Our team carefully maps all dependencies upfront, ensuring nothing critical is left behind during the move to Power Automate.
Finally, poor testing and user training can derail even the most technically sound migrations. Without validation in real-world conditions and adequate user onboarding, workflows can fail post-launch or go underutilized. That’s why we recommend you hire SharePoint migration consultants who understand both the technology and the people using it.
Migrate with Confidence & Hire Power Automate Experts from i3solutions!
Ready to leave outdated SharePoint 2013 workflows behind? i3solutions makes your transition to Power Automate simple, strategic, and stress-free. We’re a Microsoft system integration company with a proven track record in handling complex migrations. Whether you’re upgrading a few workflows or modernizing your entire environment, our team is here to guide every step.
Hire Power Automate consultants from i3solutions to ensure a flawless migration. With deep expertise, hands-on support, and scalable solutions, we help you unlock the full potential of Power Automate. Contact us now and let’s position your automation strategy for sustainable growth and innovation.
