Automate Your Microsoft Planner Labels for Enhanced Efficiency

As a long-time user of Microsoft Planner, I rely on its features daily for efficient task and project management. One feature often overlooked is the labeling function. Microsoft describes labels as a way to swiftly and visually identify commonalities among tasks—whether those are requirements, locations, dependencies, or time constraints. However, if you’re a regular Planner user, you know that labels primarily serve as static visual aids—which i believe is a missed opportunity for automation.

Imagine if adding labels to tasks could trigger specific actions. What kind of actions? I considered several possibilities, from generating checklist items to automating email updates. Yet, none seemed too fully justify utilising labels, especially given the multitude of options available alongside the labelling function. Then, a breakthrough moment struck me...

The Concept

Frequently, I find myself juggling plans with numerous team members and tasks, often requiring collaboration across different departments. For instance, in a recent project with 16 marketing team members, assigning tasks to everyone became a daunting task. Why not use those colour labels to denote department names—like "Marketing," "Finance," or "Procurement"? When a label is applied, it can automatically assign the entire team or selected members. By imbuing labels with purpose and leveraging Microsoft Power Automate, we can streamline processes and reclaim valuable time.

How It Works

I based my Power Automate flow on the trigger of new Planner task creation. While other options like recurring triggers every hour or day exist, they felt too slow and less immediate. By using new task creation as a trigger, I also set it to double-check all older tasks and auto-update if necessary—serving as a safety net.

To ensure precision, I added a second condition to my flow. For example, if you’ve already assigned some members from the marketing team using the Marketing label (pink in our example), but you don’t want to auto-add others this time, the flow stops updating assigned members if they are already allocated.

After that, it’s smooth sailing! Just set multiple conditions: if pink, assign; if not pink, check if pear; if not pear, check if... and so on. Once you’ve configured it, you’re all set!

Downloading the Solution

We’ve created a solution that you can easily implement! To download it, simply click the link below and then head to Power Automate to upload the solution. As always, if we can support you in any way, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at support@nomorebadmondays.com

Download Solution