Attended vs Unattended RPA in PL-500: What’s the Difference? (2026 Guide)


If you're preparing for the PL-500 Microsoft Power Automate RPA Developer, you must clearly understand the difference between Attended and Unattended RPA.

This is one of the most tested topics in the exam.

Microsoft evaluates whether you can:

  • Choose the correct automation model

  • Recommend the right license

  • Design cost-effective automation

  • Understand security implications

  • Identify infrastructure requirements

Let’s break it down clearly.

What Is RPA in Power Automate?

In Microsoft Power Automate, RPA (Robotic Process Automation) refers to Desktop Flows that automate:

  • Legacy desktop applications

  • Web apps without APIs

  • Windows UI interactions

  • File system operations

  • On-prem systems

RPA uses UI automation rather than APIs.

Now let’s compare the two models.

What Is Attended RPA?

Attended RPA runs with human interaction.

It is triggered manually by a user and executes on that user’s machine.

Key Characteristics

  • User must be logged in

  • Triggered manually

  • Runs on local machine

  • Assists employees during work

  • Lower infrastructure cost

Example Use Case

An employee clicks a button in Excel to:

  • Extract data

  • Log into a legacy system

  • Update records automatically

The user stays present during execution.

What Is Unattended RPA?

Unattended RPA runs without human interaction.

It executes automatically on a virtual machine or server environment.

Key Characteristics

  • No user logged in

  • Scheduled or event-triggered

  • Runs on VM or machine group

  • Fully autonomous automation

  • Requires separate licensing

Example Use Case

At midnight, a bot:

  • Logs into accounting software

  • Processes invoices

  • Sends summary reports

  • Updates databases

No human intervention required.

Attended vs Unattended RPA: Side-by-Side Comparison

Attended RPA :

Human Interaction : Required
Runs On : User machine
Trigger Type : Manual
Licensing : Premium (Attended)
Infrastructure: Minimal
Best For : Employee productivity

Unattended RPA :

Human Interaction : Not required
Runs On : VM / Server
Trigger Type : Scheduled / Automatic
Licensing : Process License
Infrastructure: VM + machine setup
Best For : Enterprise automation

Licensing Difference (Very Important for PL-500)

Attended RPA License

  • Included in Power Automate Premium (Per User)

  • Good for personal automation

Unattended RPA License

  • Requires Power Automate Process license (Per Bot)

  • Higher cost

  • Used for enterprise-level automation

Exam tip:
If automation runs automatically without a user logged in → Unattended license required.

Infrastructure Differences

Attended RPA

  • Runs on employee workstation

  • No dedicated VM required

  • Simple configuration

Unattended RPA

  • Requires:

    • Virtual machine

    • Machine group configuration

    • Secure credential storage

    • Gateway setup (if needed)

Infrastructure is often tested in PL-500 scenarios.

Real PL-500 Scenario Examples

Scenario 1

A sales employee wants to click a button to automatically enter data into a desktop CRM.

Correct Answer:
Attended RPA

Scenario 2

A company wants invoices processed automatically every night without user involvement.

Correct Answer:
Unattended RPA

Scenario 3

Automation must run even when no employees are logged into Windows.

Correct Answer:
Unattended RPA

Security Considerations

Attended

  • Uses current user credentials

  • Lower security complexity

  • Limited risk exposure

Unattended

  • Uses stored credentials

  • Requires secure vault

  • Needs stronger governance

  • Enterprise security controls required

Security awareness is tested in PL-500.

When to Choose Attended RPA

Choose Attended if:

  • Human decision is required

  • User supervises automation

  • Process is partially automated

  • Budget is limited

  • It’s personal productivity automationWhen to Choose Unattended RPA

Choose Unattended if:

  • Process must run 24/7

  • No human interaction needed

  • Automation must scale

  • Enterprise-grade workflow required

  • Large volume repetitive tasks exist

Common PL-500 Mistakes

Confusing scheduled automation with attended RPA
Forgetting VM requirement for unattended
Choosing attended when automation runs overnight
Ignoring licensing cost impact
Overengineering automation

Exam Strategy Tip

When reading scenario questions, ask:

  1. Is a human present?

  2. Does automation run automatically?

  3. Is scheduling required?

  4. Is enterprise-scale automation needed?

  5. What license is required?

These five questions help eliminate wrong answers quickly.

Conclusion

Attended RPA = Human-assisted automation
Unattended RPA = Fully autonomous bot-driven automation

For PL-500 success, remember:

  • Attended = User-triggered

  • Unattended = Scheduled/automatic

  • Unattended requires separate process license

  • Infrastructure matters

Mastering this difference gives you a serious advantage in the exam.


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