Automate News Posts on SharePoint with Power Automate

Key insights

• Create news posts in SharePoint automatically using Power Automate involves a series of four key HTTP requests: copying a template, checking out the post, writing and saving a draft, and finally publishing the post.
• The process minimizes manual effort and improves efficiency and accuracy in news posting.
• Andrew Hess, the presenter, discusses each step and demonstrates testing results in a tutorial video format, aiming to solve a commonly asked question across various forums.
• The HTTP requests are specifically formatted to interact with SharePoint's API, handling tasks like copying templates from a specified URL, checking out pages for editing, saving drafts, and publishing finalized content.
• The tutorial provides practical examples and code snippets for viewers to understand and implement the processes in their own SharePoint environments.

Understanding SharePoint Automations with Power Automate

Power Automate streamlines the process of content management in SharePoint, particularly for creating and managing news posts. By automating these tasks, businesses can ensure that their news dissemination is both timely and consistent. The use of HTTP requests in this automation process allows for precise control over each step from creation to publication. This capability is crucial for maintaining an organized and current news section on a company's SharePoint site, with minimal manual intervention. Andrew Hess's tutorial aims to demystify this process, providing viewers with a clear, step-by-step guide on setting up their automations, thereby enhancing their digital workflow and content management strategies.

Create News Posts with Power Automate and SharePoint Automagically

Creating news posts automatically with Power Automate involves a sequence of four HTTP requests. The initial request is used to copy the existing template for the news post. Following this, the second request checks out the news post for editing purposes.

The third step in the process involves writing and saving a draft of the news post. Finally, the fourth request is responsible for publishing the completed post, ensuring a streamlined and efficient process that minimizes manual efforts.

Introduction to the Tutorial

This tutorial was created in response to a familiar query on numerous forums, leading Andrew Hess to develop a detailed video explanation. The video aims to assist viewers in mastering the process of automated news posting using SharePoint and a popular automation tool.

Andrew Hess encourages viewers to like and subscribe to his channel, hinting at more helpful content in future releases.

Step-by-Step Guide and Testing Results

• 0:42 - Create Template: Utilizes the SharePoint API to duplicate an existing news post template.
• 1:53 - Initiate the automation process.
• 2:37 to 8:40 - Detailed breakdown of HTTP requests needed to copy the template, check out, write/save, and finally publish the news post.

At 10:20, Andrew discusses testing results, demonstrating the practical application and effectiveness of the automation process in a real-world scenario.

Technical Insights

The technical part of the video includes specific API endpoints used for different steps such as copying a template, checking out a page, saving drafts, and publishing. Each has its unique URL and parameters, meticulously outlined to aid users in implementation.

Andrew provides actual examples of JSON payloads and properties that need to be set, ensuring viewers can easily replicate the process.

Conclusion

Automating news posts using SharePoint and a powerful automation tool can drastically reduce the time and effort traditionally required. Andrew Hess's walkthrough provides a comprehensive guide, from setup to implementation, ensuring even those new to automation can successfully automate their news posting process.

Details on SharePoint and Automated Workflow

SharePoint is a robust platform that allows users to manage and automate various business processes. One of its powerful features is the ability to automate news posts, a necessity in dynamic business environments where information dissemination is crucial. Utilizing automated workflows, organizations can ensure consistent and timely updates.

The tool mentioned in the video simplifies complex processes by handling tasks that would typically require manual input. This not only saves time but also enhances the accuracy of the posts by eliminating human errors. The video tutorial by Andrew Hess on MySPQuestions channel covers this automation in depth, showing the steps from the initial setup to the final execution and testing.

The adoption of such technologies can transform business operations, making them more efficient and responsive to changes. As businesses continue to evolve and digital transformation becomes a staple, the integration of automated solutions, especially in content management and dissemination, becomes inevitable.

Furthermore, testing these automated setups is crucial as it ensures that all parts of the workflow function as expected before going live. This aspect of automation is often overlooked but is essential for maintaining the integrity and reliability of published content.

Therefore, businesses looking to enhance their digital strategies should consider adopting such automation tools, which not only streamline operations but also provide significant long-term benefits. With platforms like SharePoint and tutorials from experienced professionals like Andrew Hess, setting up these automated systems is more accessible than ever.

People also ask

"How do I turn a SharePoint page into a News post?"

To convert a SharePoint page into a News post, start by navigating to the Site Pages library of your site. Find the page you want to promote as a News post, then use the "Promote" button or option, and select "Post as News." This will effectively change your standard SharePoint page into a News post, making it visible in all news widgets across the site.

"Can you schedule News posts in SharePoint?"

Yes, scheduling News posts in SharePoint is possible. To do this, you can utilize the "Page scheduling" feature, which must be enabled by your administrator. Once activated, you can set a future date and time for your News post to be published, allowing for precise timing in your communication strategy.

"Can Power Automate be used with SharePoint?"

Yes, Power Automate integrates seamlessly with SharePoint. You can leverage this integration to automate workflows between SharePoint and other services. It's useful for creating automated processes for tasks like document approvals, data collection, and synchronization of lists or libraries, enhancing the overall efficiency of your SharePoint environment.

"How to create a News post template in SharePoint?"

To create a News post template in SharePoint, start by designing a page with the desired layout, web parts, and formatting that fits your communication needs. Once your layout is ready, save the page as a template. This allows you to reuse the structure for future News posts, ensuring consistency and saving time on setup.

Keywords

Power Automate SharePoint news posts, automate SharePoint news creation, SharePoint Power Automate integration, automatic news posting SharePoint, workflow automation SharePoint, Power Automate news publishing, SharePoint automation tools, enhance SharePoint with Power Automate