#PowerPlatformTip 48: 'Sharing of Flows & Power Apps'

TL;DR: Share a flow by adding a co-owner or, for instant flows, a run-only user. Share an app as User or Co-owner. To move flows and apps to another environment or person, use Send a copy, the legacy Import Package for single items, or a solution with all dependencies.

💡 Challenge

“Can you share that flow with me?” can mean three different things: work on it together, just run it, or get your own copy in another environment. Picking the wrong way leads to people with too many rights, flows that stop when their creator leaves, or imports that fail because of missing dependencies and connections.

✅ Solution

Decide first what the other person needs, then pick the matching way:

1️⃣ Work on it together: add a co-owner to the flow, or share the app as Co-owner.

2️⃣ Only run it: add a run-only user to an instant flow, or share the app as User.

3️⃣ Own copy: use Send a copy for a flow, the export/import package for a single flow or app, or a solution for everything that belongs together.

4️⃣ Automate it: back up and move flows, apps and solutions with a flow (see #PowerPlatformTip 8).

flowchart TD
    A["What does the other person need?"] --> B{"Scope"}
    B -->|"Edit and manage together"| C["Flow: add co-owner<br/>App: share as Co-owner"]
    B -->|"Only run or use it"| D["Instant flow: run-only user<br/>App: share as User"]
    B -->|"Own copy of one flow or app"| E["Send a copy or<br/>Export/Import package"]
    B -->|"App + flows + tables"| F["Solution export/import<br/>with dependencies"]

🔧 How It’s Done

1. Share a flow with a co-owner.

🔸 Open the flow’s details page and select Edit in the Owners section. Add a user, a security group or a Microsoft 365 group.

🔸 Every owner can view the run history, edit the flow, change connections, add or remove other owners (but not the creator) and delete the flow. If the flow is used by a team, add a group as owner, so it survives when one person leaves.

2. Share an instant flow with run-only users.

🔸 Only instant flows, which use a manual trigger such as a button or a selected item, can be shared run-only. On the details page select Edit in the Run only users section.

🔸 For each connection decide whether run-only users provide their own connection or use the one already defined in the flow. A run-only user can’t edit the flow.

3. Share a canvas app.

🔸 Select the app, then Share. Enter users or Microsoft Entra security groups and pick the permission:

• User: can use the app.
• Co-owner: can use, edit and share the app, but can’t delete it or change its owner.

🔸 If the app uses Dataverse, assign the matching security roles in the same dialog.

4. Hand over a copy.

🔸 Send a copy (on the flow’s details page) gives another person their own, independent copy of the flow, without your connections. You can’t revoke it afterwards.

🔸 Export package: on make.powerautomate.com select My flows, the flow, then Export → Package (.zip). Import it in the target environment via My flows → Import → Import Package (Legacy). Canvas apps are exported the same way in Power Apps, including the flows they use. After the import, turn the flows on and check that the app still calls them.

5. Move everything that belongs together with a solution.

🔸 Put the app, its flows, connection references, environment variables and tables into one solution. Export it as managed or unmanaged and import it in the target environment.

🔸 Check the dependencies before the export. A missing table or connection reference is the most common reason an import fails.

🎉 Result

Colleagues get exactly the access they need, flows keep running when people change roles, and moving apps and flows between environments works without broken dependencies.

🌟 Key Advantages

🔸 Least privilege: run-only users and app Users can’t change anything.

🔸 No single point of failure: a group as co-owner keeps a flow manageable after someone leaves.

🔸 Clean transport: solutions carry apps, flows and their dependencies together.

🎥 Video Tutorial

🛠️ FAQ

1. Can I share flows with external users outside my organization?

Yes. Guest users can be added as owners of a cloud flow, and canvas apps can be shared with guests. The guests must exist in your Microsoft Entra ID tenant and need a matching license for what the app or flow uses.

2. What happens to the flow run history when I move a flow?

It stays in the original environment. An export or a solution only carries the flow definition and its settings, so the run history starts empty in the target environment.

3. Do shared users get the same permission level as the flow owner?

Co-owners do, except that they can’t remove the flow’s creator. Run-only users can only start an instant flow. Apps distinguish between Co-owner (use, edit, share) and User (use only).

🔗 Related Tips

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 8: ‘Automate Backups & Restores for Flows, Apps & Solutions’ - automate the export and backup of flows, apps and solutions.

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 76: ‘PowerApps Sharing with Guests’ - extend sharing to external users via Teams Groups.

🔸 #PowerPlatformTip 87: ‘Licensing, Sharing Canvas Apps with Guests’ - get the licensing side right before you share with anyone outside your tenant.