Exporting Power Automate Flows: Standard Packages vs. Solutions

1. Introduction

Power Automate allows two main approaches for exporting flows:

1. Standard Export (ZIP Package) – Export a single flow as a .zip file containing JSON definitions and metadata.
2. Solution Export – Package flows (and other resources) inside a Solution, designed for application lifecycle management (ALM) across environments (development, test, production).

Understanding the differences between these two methods is essential when building flows that need to be moved, reused, or maintained across multiple environments.

2. Standard Export (ZIP Package)

How it works

• You select a single flow and export it as a package (.zip).
• The package contains JSON files (manifest.json, definition.json, optional connections.json and flow.json).
• On import, you can create a new flow or update an existing one.
• Connections must be remapped manually during import.

Advantages

• Simple and quick.
• Easy to share a single flow.
• Useful for backup purposes.

Limitations

• Not ideal for multiple flows or apps that depend on each other.
• Connections and environment variables are not managed cleanly.
• Manual reconfiguration required on every import.
• Harder to maintain across environments.

3. Exporting with Solutions

What is a Solution?

A Solution in Power Platform is a container that can include:

• Power Automate flows
• Power Apps
• Tables (Dataverse)
• Connections
• Environment variables
• Other related resources

Solutions provide a structured way to move components between environments.

How Solution Export Works

1. Create a new Solution in Power Apps/Power Automate.
2. Add your flow(s) and other components (apps, tables, connectors).
3. Export the solution in one of two modes:
   • Unmanaged: editable, used in development.
   • Managed: locked, used in production.
4. Import the solution into another environment (e.g., test, production).

Advantages

• Supports ALM best practices.
• Allows you to define environment variables (for URLs, list names, IDs).
• Multiple flows, apps, and resources can be moved together.
• Managed solutions prevent accidental modifications in production.
• Easier to version and maintain over time.

Limitations

• More complex than standard export.
• Requires familiarity with Solutions, ALM, and Dataverse.
• If not using Dataverse or multiple environments, may be overkill.

4. Side-by-Side Comparison

5. Recommended Scenarios

• Use Standard Export when:
  • You want to quickly share a single flow.
  • The flow is standalone and does not depend on other resources.
  • You need a simple backup.
• Use Solutions when:
  • You are working with multiple environments (Dev, Test, Prod).
  • You need to manage multiple flows, apps, and shared resources together.
  • You want to follow ALM best practices.
  • You require environment variables for easier configuration.

6. Example Workflow: Exporting a Flow via Solution

1. In Power Automate, go to Solutions.
2. Click New Solution, give it a name and publisher.
3. Open the solution and click Add existing → Flow.
4. Select your flow(s) to include.
5. Once all resources are added, click Export.
6. Choose Managed (for production) or Unmanaged (for development).
7. Download the .zip solution package.
8. Import into the target environment via Solutions > Import.

7. Best Practices

• Always use Solutions when planning long-term deployments across environments.
• Define environment variables inside Solutions to avoid hard-coded site URLs or list names.
• Keep unmanaged solutions in development, and use managed solutions for production.
• Version your solutions consistently (e.g., 1.0.0.0, 1.0.1.0).
• Test thoroughly after each import into the new environment.

8. References

• Export and import flows in Power Automate
• Solutions overview in Power Platform
• Use environment variables with solutions
• Managed vs. Unmanaged solutions

9. Conclusion

While Standard Export is sufficient for simple or standalone flows, Solutions provide a more powerful and structured method for managing flows and related resources in enterprise environments. Solutions support environment variables, managed deployments, and lifecycle management, making them the recommended approach for professional and large-scale scenarios.