TL;DR: Map parent-child flow dependencies automatically with Serge Luca’s ‘Which flow calls which flow’ PowerShell utility for safe deployment ordering.
💡 Challenge
Managing and deploying Microsoft Power Automate solutions with numerous parent-child flow relationships is complex. You need to know which flows call others to activate them in the correct order and assess the impact of any changes.
✅ Solution
Use the “Which Flow Calls Which Flow” utility to automatically analyze and map parent and child flows, ensuring correct activation order and clear visibility into dependencies.
🔧 How It’s Done
1. Access the GitHub repository
🔸 Visit https://github.com/sergeluca/PowerPlatform-Which-flow-calls-which-flow
🔸 Clone or download the utility to your local machine.
2. Run the analysis script
🔸 Execute the provided PowerShell script against your solution folder.
🔸 The tool scans flow definitions to identify caller and callee relationships.
3. Review the generated mapping
🔸 Open the output (CSV or console report) to see parent-child flow links.
🔸 Plan deployment by activating child flows before their parents.
🎉 Result
You get a clear, comprehensive map of all flow dependencies, enabling error-free deployments, faster impact analysis, and better governance of complex Power Automate solutions.
🌟 Key Advantages
🔸 Visualize parent-child flow relationships instantly
🔸 Avoid deployment errors by following the correct activation order
🔸 Speed up impact analysis when modifying or refactoring flows
🛠️ FAQ
Q: Does this utility work with flows across different environments?
The utility analyzes flows within solution files or specific environments. For cross-environment analysis, export solutions from each environment and run the analysis separately, then correlate the results.
Q: What happens if I have circular dependencies between flows?
The utility identifies circular dependencies in its output, highlighting these as potential issues. Resolve them by redesigning the flow architecture into a proper hierarchical structure.
Q: Can this tool help me identify unused or orphaned flows?
Yes. Flows that don’t appear as either callers or callees are likely standalone. Those appearing only as callees might be leaf flows, while those with no references at all could be orphaned flows ready for cleanup.
Marcel Lehmann
Microsoft MVP