Microsoft Power Automate

# Fix list: Microsoft Power Automate

From Anchor Terminal's listing at https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/power-automate, the October 2026 research run, assessed 8 October 2026. Grade B, 62 out of 100.

This is everything the published grade says the listing lacks, the biggest possible gain to the total first. It comes from the reason given for each score, the checklist each category was scored against (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist), the provenance checks, the deductions, what we couldn't check and what the review panel asked for. A fix counts at the next check, once it's public.

For a coding agent working on Microsoft Power Automate: work through the items below in the product, its docs and its public pages. Each category gives the reason for its score, with the points each checklist item earned, and the checklist itself, so the gap is the items that earned less than their points. Change the product, not the wording, and keep a note of what you changed and where it's published.

## 1. Payments & pricing, 25 out of 100, up to 9.4 more on the total

Why it scored 25: No x402, MPP or L402 (0). Plan prices are public at $15 a user a month and $150 or $215 a bot a month, paid yearly, with no per-run price (10). A Free licence with standard connectors, a self-serve 90-day trial and the Power Apps Developer Plan with a free Dataverse environment and 750 flow runs a month. None of the pages says whether a card is needed (15 of 20). A person registers an app in Entra ID and an administrator creates the application user (0).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-payments):

The published rubric, also on the [x402 page](https://www.anchorterminal.com/x402/).

- 40, a machine payment protocol (x402, MPP or L402) on the tool's own endpoints. 10 to 30 when it covers only some endpoints or only goes through a third party, and the note says which.
- 20, per-call or per-unit pricing published without a login. 10 for public plan-only pricing, 0 for "contact sales" or prices behind a login.
- 20, a free tier or trial that doesn't need a card.
- 20, autonomous onboarding, meaning an agent can get access without a person signing up in a browser (keyless use, x402, a programmatic key API).

Payment platforms and agent wallets rarely charge for their own API over a machine protocol, so the first line has steps for them, and the highest one that applies counts. 40 when x402, MPP or L402 runs on all their own endpoints, 30 when it runs on part of their own API, 25 when their merchants can accept one, 20 for running a facilitator, 15 for paying as a buyer, and 0 when the only protocol is their own. Merchant acceptance sits above a facilitator because the platform's own customers can charge agents through it, while a facilitator settles for sellers who wire up the protocol themselves. The counter-argument (a facilitator does more for the protocol as a whole) has a point. Each note says which step applied.

Open-source software you run yourself is scored on its hosted or paid option if it has one. A free, self-hosted package with nothing to buy gets 20, 20 and 20 for the last three lines, and 0 to 40 for the first only if it ships a payment protocol.

## 2. Reliability, 63 out of 100, up to 7.4 more on the total

Why it scored 63: Graded on the Dataverse Web API for solution-aware cloud flows, with the HTTP request trigger noted. Tenant service health is in the Power Platform and Microsoft 365 admin centres behind an admin sign-in. The unauthenticated page at status.cloud.microsoft exists but rendered only a title for our reader (10 of 20, because the page with history needs a login). No readable incident history (5). Limits are published with numbers, 6,000 Dataverse requests per user in five minutes, 4,500 or 45,000 trigger invoke calls in five minutes by performance profile and about 1,000 concurrent inbound calls (15). Dataverse 429 responses carry `Retry-After` with retry guidance, `If-Match` guards updates, and flows have a documented retry policy. No idempotency key was found for trigger calls (13 of 15). The SLA of 1 October 2026 pays a 25 per cent credit below 99.9 per cent uptime for Power Automate (10). Web API v9.2 is generally available. OAuth on HTTP triggers is described as still rolling out (10).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-reliability):

Hosted APIs, MCP servers, models and platforms.

- 20, a public status page with component history (Statuspage, Instatus, BetterStack or the vendor's own).
- 0 to 30, the incident record for the last 90 days on that page. 30 for a clean record or trivial incidents only, 20 for minor incidents only, 10 for one major outage (an hour or more of a core API down, or errors across the board), 0 for several. 5 when there's no history we could read, and the note says so.
- 15, rate limits documented with numbers.
- 15, documented 429 or overload handling (Retry-After, backoff guidance), and idempotency keys or safe-retry guidance where writes are involved.
- 10, an SLA published for any paid tier.
- 10, the surface agents use is generally available, not beta or preview.

Local packages, SDKs, frameworks and stdio MCP servers.

- 20, installs from an official package with supported runtimes stated.
- 25, a public CI and test suite, passing on the default branch.
- 0 to 25, open crash or regression issues relative to activity (25 for few and handled, 0 for many, old and unanswered).
- 15, semver discipline and breaking changes called out in a changelog.
- 15, version 1.0 or later, or declared stable.

Protocols are read from their reference implementations, the public facilitators or servers, spec stability and test vectors.

## 3. Security & auth, 61 out of 100, up to 6.8 more on the total

Why it scored 61: OAuth 2.0 through Microsoft Entra ID with coarse scopes, limited by Dataverse security roles (26 of 30). The legacy Anyone mode of the HTTP trigger carries a shared access signature in the URL query string, a documented option, so 10 comes off (16). Security roles, record sharing through `GrantAccess`, data policies that restrict connectors, and trigger modes that name allowed users or service principals. No approval step before an API delete was found (14 of 20). Flow runs carry third-party data from connectors, and the pages we read give no injection guidance (3 of 15). Purview logs flow creation, edits, deletions and permission changes once auditing is on, and runs are `flowruns` rows, which Microsoft says are not lossless (13 of 15). The Azure SOC 2 Type 2 report lists Power Automate, and security.txt points to MSRC and the bounty policy, but its Expires date of 23 September 2026 has passed (15 of 20).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-security):

- 0 to 30, the credential model. 30 for OAuth 2.1 with scopes, or scoped and revocable keys with rotation. 20 for plain revocable API keys. 10 for one all-powerful key. 10 off when a secret can travel in a URL query string as a documented option.
- 0 to 20, read-only or least-privilege modes, and confirmation or approval for destructive actions.
- 0 to 15, prompt-injection posture where the tool returns untrusted content (documented mitigations or guidance). A tool that returns no untrusted content gets 10.
- 0 to 15, audit logs or per-call visibility for the operator.
- 0 to 20, a security programme. security.txt or a disclosure policy, a bug bounty, SOC 2 or ISO 27001, advisories handled in public.

Models are read for retention, whether API data trains models (and whether that's off by default), zero-retention options and certifications. Frameworks for telemetry defaults, approval hooks, guardrails and sandboxing.

## 4. Schema & documentation, 68 out of 100, up to 5.2 more on the total

Why it scored 68: Each environment serves a CSDL `$metadata` document and Learn has a reference page for the `workflow` entity type. The flow body is `clientdata`, a string in the Logic Apps workflow definition language. No public OpenAPI document was found for flow management (15 of 25). learn.microsoft.com/llms.txt returns 404, but Learn returns Markdown for requests with `Accept: text/markdown`, which is how we read every page (10). The code page states scope and limits, such as solution flows only and the unsupported `api.flow.microsoft.com`, and describes 14 columns (13 of 20). Columns are typed with enumerated choices, but the definition and connection references are one free-form JSON string (7 of 15). Request and response examples for .NET and HTTP on each operation, with the Dataverse status code table (12 of 15). The version is in the URL (v9.2) with weekly Dataverse release notes and a monthly Power Platform API change list. Power Automate's own released versions page stops at 2508.2 of August 2025 (11 of 15).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-schema):

APIs and MCP servers.

- 25, a machine-readable contract (a public OpenAPI file or similar; for MCP, typed JSON Schema inputs on every tool).
- 10, llms.txt or Markdown docs served for agents.
- 0 to 20, descriptions that say what a tool is for, when to use it and when not to, read from the tool definitions in the source or the API reference.
- 0 to 15, typed inputs with enums, constraints and required fields, and no free-form JSON blobs.
- 0 to 15, examples and documented error responses.
- 15, versioning and a public changelog.

Models are read from the API reference, the OpenAPI file, llms.txt, the structured-output and tool-use docs and the model cards. Frameworks from docs a model can follow, typed interfaces, examples and the API reference.

## 5. Agent ergonomics, 69 out of 100, up to 5 more on the total

Why it scored 69: `$select` and `$top` size responses, which matters because `clientdata` holds a whole flow. No MCP server for cloud flows was found (18 of 25). `$filter` on category and state, `@odata.nextLink` paging, and date and owner filters on the Power Platform API list call (18 of 20). Errors are JSON with a documented status code table, and each `flowruns` row has an error code and message (16 of 20). `If-Match` and `If-None-Match` guard writes. No documented call runs, cancels or resubmits a flow, and trigger calls have no idempotency key (9 of 20). Creating a flow needs five properties, one of them a hand-built definition with connection references, and flows start switched off. Dataverse SDKs for .NET and Python exist, with flow samples for .NET only (8 of 15).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-ergonomics):

- 0 to 25, context cost. For MCP, the number and size of the tool definitions (25 for ten or fewer compact tools, 15 for 11 to 30, 5 for more than 30, plus up to 10 back for toolsets, dynamic loading or read-only subsets). For APIs, whether responses can be sized (field selection, limits, summaries).
- 20, pagination, filtering and output-size controls.
- 20, actionable, documented error responses, codes and messages an agent can recover from.
- 20, idempotency or safe retries, and for MCP the `readOnlyHint` and `destructiveHint` annotations.
- 15, sensible defaults, few required parameters, and official SDKs in at least two languages.

Models are read for tool use, structured output, prompt caching, context length, batch and SDKs. Frameworks for how much code and how many defaults a tool-calling agent with MCP needs.

## 6. Maintenance & community, 76 out of 100, up to 2.1 more on the total

Why it scored 76: Dataverse service update 9.2.26094 went to early release on 2 October 2026, and the Python Dataverse client 1.1.0 was published on 7 October 2026 (30). Service updates are weekly, nine listed since 7 August 2026 (20). Public release notes, a dated deprecations page and a community forum. Power Automate's own released versions page has no entry after August 2025, and we did not test support (8 of 15). Current Dataverse SDKs for .NET (1.2.27) and Python, and a monthly Power Platform management SDK (2.0.3503.299, 5 August 2026). None is specific to flows and no MCP server for cloud flows was found (12 of 15). The Python client is marked Production/Stable. CI was not checked (6 of 10).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-maintenance):

- 0 to 30, time since the last release, or the last published model or API change for a closed service. 30 within 30 days, 20 within 90, 10 within 180, 0 older.
- 20, at least three releases or dated changelog entries in the last 90 days.
- 0 to 25, responsiveness. Issues and pull requests answered on GitHub (the open issues and how recent the replies are). For closed services, a public changelog and a support or community channel that answers, 0 to 15.
- 15, presence in the official MCP registry under a verified namespace (MCP servers), or current official SDKs (APIs and models).
- 10, package health, current dependencies and CI.

Models are read for deprecation notice periods and model churn rather than release counts.

## 7. Transparency & trust, 76 out of 100, up to 2.1 more on the total

Made of editorial 62, provenance 89.

Why it scored 76: Closed service under the Microsoft Product Terms for Microsoft Power Platform (15). The privacy statement, last updated September 2026, says customer agreements control for enterprise products and points to the Data Protection Addendum, which we did not read. Retention is stated for run history (30 days), `flowruns` rows (28 days by default) and Purview audit data (90 days). The statement's line on training AI models is not reconciled with the enterprise terms in what we read (18 of 30). The deprecations page was updated on 6 October 2026 with dated notices, the Power Platform API promises 12 months between deprecation and retirement, and the docs say plainly that `api.flow.microsoft.com` is unsupported (17 of 20). A flow runs in its environment's region, with a published region list and data kept inside the geography. We did not read a subprocessor list (12 of 20).

The checklist (https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/#checklist-transparency):

- 0 to 30, source availability and licence clarity. 30 for open source under an OSI licence, 15 for closed with clear terms, 0 for unclear terms.
- 0 to 30, data handling and retention statements that agree with each other (privacy policy, DPA, retention periods, subprocessors).
- 0 to 20, a deprecation policy or notices with dates.
- 0 to 20, telemetry disclosed with an opt-out (local software), or subprocessors and data locations disclosed (hosted).

The other half of Transparency and trust is the provenance score, computed from checked facts (below). The category score is the mean of the two.

Provenance checks not met in full (half of this category, computed from checked facts):

- Terms of service: read, states 2 of the 7 things a reader expects (5.7 of 10)
- Privacy policy: read, states 8 of the 8 things a reader expects, and has 1 clause that costs points (8 of 10)
- security.txt: published but past its Expires date (5 of 10)

## What we couldn't check

What we couldn't read counted as absent. Publishing it on a page a plain HTTP fetch can read (not only in a browser) lets the next check count it.

- unchecked: incident history, because status.cloud.microsoft rendered only a title and tenant service health needs an admin sign-in
- unchecked: whether the Free licence, the 90-day trial or the Power Apps Developer Plan needs a card
- unchecked: the text of the Products and Services Data Protection Addendum and the subprocessor list
- unchecked: CI and issue handling on the Dataverse client repositories. No GitHub page was read
- unchecked: whether the Python Dataverse client can write the `workflows` table. The Power Automate docs show .NET and raw HTTP only
- Whether setting `statecode` to 1 through the Web API is the supported way to turn a flow on. The code page lists the values and says a new flow must be enabled, without an example
- Whether a public OpenAPI file exists for the Power Platform API. The reference pages were read, not a spec file
- Whether the Dataverse MCP server can read or write `workflows` rows. Its docs were not read for this listing and no Power Automate page mentions it
- The lead was right on the interface and on solution-aware flows only. It did not mention the read-only Power Platform API calls for flows and runs, or the HTTP request trigger

## Weaknesses

- Flows under My flows can't be managed in code, and Microsoft calls the `api.flow.microsoft.com` API unsupported
- A flow's definition travels as `clientdata`, one string of encoded JSON with connection references the caller builds by hand
- No documented call runs, cancels or resubmits a flow. Starting one means an HTTP request trigger built into the flow
- The legacy Anyone trigger mode carries its signature in the URL query string as `sig=`
- Power Automate's own released versions page stops at version 2508.2 of August 2025, and service health needs an admin sign-in

## What costs an agent a turn today

The notes we give agents before they call it. Each one is a workaround an agent shouldn't need.

- Filter `workflows` on `category eq 5` for cloud flows, and add `$select`, because `clientdata` holds the whole definition
- Flows created through the API start with `statecode` 0 (off). The docs say to turn the flow on before use
- Put the flow in a solution first. Flows that sit only under My flows are outside the supported API
- On 429 wait the `Retry-After` seconds. Reads of `flowruns` count against the daily Power Platform request allowance
- Treat an HTTP trigger URL with `sig=` as a secret, and prefer the tenant or named-user trigger modes with a bearer token for `https://service.flow.microsoft.com/`

## When it's done

Send what changed and where it's published as a dispute (https://www.anchorterminal.com/builders/#disputes, or `POST https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/contact` with `"kind": "dispute"`). Disputes are answered in public, and the listing is checked again by the same checklist. Paying for an audit or a listing claim changes nothing here.