Flows Disappear When Imported into Power Automate

Over the last several months, I began experiencing something strange whenever Package (Legacy) is imported. So far, the only templates used have come from the BB Template Showcase or the BB Microsoft Power Platform resource page. One of the templates (Birthday Notifications) is older (2020) and opens in Classic Designer. The other template (Daily Gift Digest Notifications) is a bit newer (2021) and opens in New Designer. Both result in the same experience. Several other BBU instructors have reported the experience independently of each other.

The Experience

The template is downloaded, and the import process is completed successfully.

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If you navigate away from this page and click on My Flows, the flow does not appear in the library. This is a change point. In the past, this presented an opportunity to demonstrate the existence of the flow in the library and allowed for review of the necessary controls – most importantly, Turn On. I have found “solutions” on the web that are inconsistent at best. One involves deleting a Connection used by the flow. For some weird reason this causes the flow to appear. However, this fix can be immediate, or it can take over 40 minutes before the flow appears.

Another option, provided by Ashley Moose, has proven 100% consistent, but still does not address the underlying issue of “why does the flow not appear”?

Ashley’s solution is to click Open Flow in the screen above. This will open the flow in Designer (New or Classic) and allow for normal edits to the flow. However, before you begin editing the flow, you can click the Back Arrow at the top of the flow (not the browser).

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This will bring you to the flow Overview page where you are presented with several options including the option to Turn On the flow.

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By turning on the flow from this page, the flow immediately appears in the My Flows library.

Has anyone else has run into this issue? If so, are there other suggestions for a true resolution to the issue?

Answers

  • Alex Wong
    Alex Wong Community All-Star
    Ninth Anniversary Kudos 5 Facilitator 3 Raiser's Edge NXT Fall 2025 Product Update Briefing Badge

    I have seen this too and didn't think much of it and thought it's just a browser's glitch. I don't import usually, generally only when i import to help someone with their imported flow. So haven't really look into this much.

    However, I think this is more of a Power Automate glitch to report to Microsoft, so until they realize and fix it, it's going to be the workarounds you mentioned.

  • I created a new flow today and it disappeared for at least 1 hour. I kept refreshing, nothing. Suddenly I went in again and it appeared. It does sound like a Microsoft issue, not a Blackbaud one.

    Also, I always click Open Flow when I import a flow from Legacy like Ashley does. Then I save it again if I need to or make changes. It will appear after that.

  • Jeff Lallo
    Jeff Lallo Blackbaud Employee
    Fourth Anniversary Kudos 1 Name Dropper Participant

    @Carol Grant - you created a new flow? From "blank" or did you "import". Just curious if the problem is bigger than importing legacy flows.

  • @Jeff Lallo New flow but from a Blackbaud template named Trigger a flow from a SKY Add-in Adaptive Card action. I worked on it, saved it as I went along. Then I went back to My Flows and it disappeared for an hour or more. I almost started over but it did appear after a long time of refreshing and some anxiety on my end. I wouldn't call it a problem, just a delay.

  • Jeff Lallo
    Jeff Lallo Blackbaud Employee
    Fourth Anniversary Kudos 1 Name Dropper Participant

    Gotcha…it only seems to be a "problem" for the instructor who has a virtual room full of students waiting to see the results :-)