Move and Delete Files Like a Pro using Power Automate Desktop

Introduction

Hello developers! 👋

If you're someone who works with repetitive file operations like moving files from one folder to another or cleaning up old files by deleting them — Power Automate Desktop (PAD) is your new best friend.

In today’s blog post, I’ll walk you through how to use the Move File and Delete File actions in PAD with a simple, real-world scenario that many of us encounter daily — sorting downloaded invoices and clearing temp folders. Let's dive in!

Scenario

Imagine you receive daily invoices into a folder called Downloads. You want to:

1. Move all PDF invoices to a folder called Invoices
2. Delete any .tmp or .log files that are not needed

Sounds simple? Let’s automate it!

Step-by-Step: Move File Action

🔧 Action Used: Move File

🛠 Use Case: Moving the files from Downloads to Invoices folder.

1. Launch Power Automate Desktop
2. Create a new flow — name it something like SortInvoicesFlow.
3. From: Get files in folder
   • Folder: C:\Users\gowth\OneDrive\Documents\Learn PowerApps.docx
4. Destination
   • C:\Users\gowth\PAD Demo Fodler

✅ That’s it! Now, every time you run this flow, your PDFs will be neatly organized.

Step-by-Step: Delete File Action

🗑️ Action Used: Delete File

🛠 Use Case: Deleting the  files from Downloads folder

1. Add another Delete files in folder action: C:\Users\gowth\OneDrive\DS 160\Blocks-1s-200px.svg

🎯 And just like that, no more temporary files cluttering your folder!

Bonus Tip: Add Logging 📋

To make your flow more professional, log each action to a text file or console. Just use Write to text file action inside the loops so you can review what was moved or deleted later.

Final Thoughts

Power Automate Desktop makes file handling super easy — no more manual cut-paste or Ctrl+Del! Whether you're a business user or a developer, automating these small but repetitive tasks can save a lot of time.

Please let me know in the comments if you'd like a blog on renaming files, zipping folders, or emailing invoices after moving them. Until then, happy automating! 🚀