TL;DR: Automate scheduled solution exports (.zip) to SharePoint/OneDrive/Azure Blob so you always have a backup to import and restore flows, apps, and solutions.
Delete or break a flow and there’s no built-in “undo”, Power Automate has no one-click restore. The fix is to treat backups like any other workflow: automate the export and import of your flows, apps and solutions on a schedule, so a clean copy is always ready to restore from.
💡 Challenge
There’s no standard way to restore a single flow once it’s been deleted or badly changed. Doing manual exports now and then is easy to forget, time-consuming, and prone to human error, exactly the moment you need a backup is when you discover you don’t have one.
✅ Solution
Package your flows and apps in a solution and automate its export (a .zip) with a scheduled cloud flow, storing each export in SharePoint, OneDrive or Azure Blob for a versioned history.
When disaster strikes, import the saved .zip back into your environment to recover the flow, app or whole solution.
🔧 How it’s done
1. Read the full step-by-step guide
🔸 The complete walkthrough, building the backup flow and restoring from it, lives here: Safeguarding Your Workflow with Power Automate: How to Create and Restore Backups for Your Flows.
2. Build the automated backup flow
🔸 Use a scheduled cloud flow that exports your solution (or flow package) as a .zip on a timer, daily or weekly.
🔸 Save each export to SharePoint, OneDrive or Azure Blob Storage so you keep a versioned history, not just the latest copy.
3. Restore when needed
🔸 Import the saved .zip back into the target environment to bring the flow, app or solution back to life.
🎉 Result
You get a reliable, hands-free backup and restore mechanism, a time machine for your workflows. No more hoping you remembered to export before something broke.
🌟 Key Advantages
🔸 Automation: set it and forget it, the flow handles backups on schedule.
🔸 Efficiency: no manual exports or imports, saving you time.
🔸 Reliability: always prepared for mishaps with automated backups as your safety net.
🔗 Related Tips
- Full guide: Create and Restore Backups for Your Flows, the detailed walkthrough behind this tip.
🛠️ FAQ
Q1: Can I schedule automated backups for multiple environments?
Yes. Configure separate flows per environment, or use environment variables to target several environments from a single flow.
Q2: What file formats are supported for solution exports?
The Power Platform exports solutions as .zip, both managed and unmanaged, including all components and dependencies.
Q3: How often should I run automated backups?
It depends on your development cycle, but daily or weekly backups are common practice for production environments.
Marcel Lehmann
Microsoft MVP