Power Automate Group By, Sum & Count Without Apply to Each – Efficient Expense Workflow
Supercharge your Power Automate flows by grouping, counting, and summing large datasets—without a single “Apply to Each”! Discover how to use XML and XPath in Power Automate Cloud Flows for lightning-fast, low-code data aggregation, perfect for SharePoint and beyond.
In this hands-on tutorial, you’ll learn how to transform JSON arrays into XML, leverage XPath for advanced calculations, and avoid common performance pitfalls like excessive API calls and flow throttling. If you’ve ever struggled with slow flows or hit Power Platform limits, this method will change the way you approach workflow automation. Real-world use cases like expense reporting and summary emails are covered, all with just seven actions—no loops or variables required.
What You’ll Learn:
✔️ Build efficient Power Automate cloud flows for grouping, counting, and summing data
✔️ Automate SharePoint data aggregation using XML and XPath—no “Apply to Each” needed
✔️ Reduce API calls and avoid throttling for high-performance, scalable workflows
✔️ Dynamically create personalized summaries and emails for each user with minimal actions
Timestamps:
00:00 – How to Group, Count, and Sum Data in Power Automate—No Apply to Each!
01:02 – Real-World Scenario: Employee Expenses in SharePoint
02:14 – Step-by-Step: Building the Flow and Getting Distinct Values
05:02 – Transforming JSON to XML and Using XPath for Aggregation
08:14 – Reviewing Output: Fast, Accurate Results Compared to SharePoint
10:12 – Flow Structure: Actions, API Calls, and Output Breakdown
14:02 – Using Select and Compose for Distinct, Sorted Values
17:15 – Converting JSON to XML and Validating with XPaather
20:10 – Aggregating Data by Employee with XPath Expressions
24:22 – Final Output Review and Flow Optimization Tips
#PowerAutomate #workflowautomation #LowCode #PowerPlatform #digitaltransformation
Ready to make your flows faster and smarter? Try these techniques in your next Power Platform project and let me know your results or questions in the comments! For more time-saving automation tips, check out my efficiency playlist linked above.
Additional Links:
🔗 • Copilot Studio - Custom Agents More efficiency videos in this playlist
🫠 About me:
👋 Hi, I'm Damien Bird — Power Platform Cloud Solution Architect at Microsoft ☁️
🧠 Former Forum Super User (2021/22) & Business Applications MVP (2022)
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