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How to Create a Monthly Power Automate Reminder for an Excel File

Maira Mehtab Sep 22, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user wants to set up an automated monthly email reminder for multiple team members to update a shared Excel workbook hosted on SharePoint.

Product: Power Automate, Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Automating a monthly notification process for collaborative workbook updates.
Observed behavior: Users need to receive a scheduled email containing a direct link to the shared Excel file, ensuring they can access and modify it without creating version conflicts or file corruption.

Before you start

Ensure you have access to Microsoft Power Automate, a list of the recipient email addresses, and the direct sharing link to the Excel file stored in SharePoint.

Solution 1Recommended

Create a Scheduled Cloud Flow in Power Automate

Set up a monthly recurrence flow to automatically send reminder emails with a direct link to your shared SharePoint Excel file.

Using Power Automate to schedule emails ensures that team members are reliably reminded to input their data on time. Providing a direct link to a cloud-hosted file rather than sending an attachment prevents multiple conflicting copies from being generated.

Start a new scheduled flow

Log in to Power Automate, click on 'Create' on the left-hand navigation menu, and select 'Scheduled cloud flow' from the available options.

Configure the monthly recurrence

Give your flow a recognizable name (e.g., 'Monthly Excel Update Reminder'). Set the starting date and time, and configure the repeat interval to '1' and the frequency to 'Month'. Click 'Create'.

Add the email action

In the flow editor, click 'New step'. Use the search bar to find and select the 'Send an email (V2)' action under Office 365 Outlook.

Specify recipients and include the file link

In the 'To' field, enter the email addresses of the six recipients. In the 'Body' field, type your reminder message and paste the direct sharing link to the SharePoint Excel file.

Save and test the flow

Click 'Save' at the top right of the screen. To ensure it works, click 'Test', select 'Manually', and run the test to verify that the email is delivered correctly to all recipients.

Avoid File Corruption: By directing users to update the file via a SharePoint link, multiple users can co-author the workbook simultaneously without risking file corruption or data loss.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Seamless Spreadsheet Collaboration

While Power Automate works with SharePoint for automated reminders, managing team file updates doesn't have to be complex. WPS Office offers a free, lightweight alternative to Microsoft Office with robust cloud collaboration features, allowing you to share and co-edit spreadsheets effortlessly.

1. Download and open WPS Office: Install WPS Office and launch WPS Spreadsheet to open your existing Excel workbook.
2. Save to WPS Cloud: Click on 'Save As' and choose WPS Cloud to ensure your file is accessible online.
3. Share with your team: Click the 'Share' button in the top right corner to generate a secure collaboration link. Send this link to your team members for real-time co-editing.

Fully compatible with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx, .xls) and CSV file formats.Built-in WPS Cloud storage for easy link sharing and real-time collaborative editing.Lightweight software suite that installs quickly and uses minimal system resources.Free alternative to Microsoft Office featuring a highly familiar user interface for a smooth transition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I customize the email body for my Power Automate Excel reminder?

Yes, when configuring the 'Send an email (V2)' action, you can use the built-in rich text editor to format your text, insert tables, and use dynamic content to personalize the message for your team.

Why should I send a SharePoint link instead of attaching the Excel file?

Sending a SharePoint link ensures that all recipients collaborate on a single, centralized version of the document. Sending file attachments creates multiple independent copies, which leads to version control issues and tedious manual data merging.

How do I pause or stop the monthly Power Automate email reminder?

To stop the automated reminders, navigate to 'My flows' in Power Automate, select your scheduled cloud flow, and click 'Turn off' from the top command bar. You can toggle it back on whenever you need it again.

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