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When indicating going through a place or reaching a goal as a result of an effort, 经过 and 通过 both can be used.
e.g.
汽车通过/经过了大桥向港口开去。(Qìchē tōnɡɡuò / jīnɡɡuò le dà qiáo xiànɡ ɡǎnɡkǒu kāi qù.)
The trunk went through the bridge towards the port.
通过/经过多次修改，这篇报告终于写好了。(Tōnɡɡuò / jīnɡɡuò duō cì xiūɡǎi, zhè piān bàoɡào zhōnɡyú xiěhǎo le.) This report has been done finally after many revises.
经过 means “pass by” “go through”(a position) which is often used with places, such as a door, a house, a bridge etc.
经过 + Place
从 + Place + 经过
e.g.
我每天上班要经过一家面包店。(Wǒ měitiān shànɡbān yào jīnɡɡuò yì jiā miànbāo diàn.) I always pass by a bakehouse when I go to work every day.
从这里去长沙要经过武汉。(Cónɡ zhèlǐ qù Chánɡshā yào jīnɡɡuò Wǔhàn.) From here to Changsha, you will pass by Wuhan.
昨晚一群羊从我家门口经过。(Zuó wǎn yì qún yánɡ cónɡ wǒ jiā ménkǒu jīnɡɡuò.) There was a flood of sheep passing through my home.
经过 can also be used to indicate having passed a process, going through a time or an experience.
“after”
经过 + Event / Time
e.g.
经过一百多年，这些动物的遗体变成了化石。(Jīnɡɡuò yì bǎi duō nián, zhèxiē dònɡwù de yítǐ biànchénɡle huàshí.) After more than one hundred years, the remains of these animals have turned into fossils.
经过调查，我们发现这件事和他没关系。(Jīnɡɡuò diàochá, women fāxiàn zhè jiàn shì hé tā méi ɡuānxi.) After investigating, we found that it has nothing to do with him.
这个方案是经过所有人同意的。(Zhèɡe fānɡ’àn shì jīnɡɡuò suǒyǒu rén tónɡyì de.) This plan has been approved by everyone.
经过 can be a noun to mean a process or a course where 通过 can’t.
e.g.
你把整件事的经过告诉大家。(Nǐ bǎ zhěnɡ jiàn shì de jīnɡɡuò ɡàosu dàjiā.) You tell the entire thing to everyone.
事情的经过是这样的。(Shìqínɡ de jīnɡɡuò shì zhèyànɡ de.) The process of the whole thing went like this.
通过 puts emphasis on passing through a place from one end to another or from one side to another one, such as a tunnel, a bridge, a door etc.
“pass-through” “traverse”
通过 + (Place)
e.g.
这边在修路，所有车都不能通过。(Zhè biān zài xiū lù, suǒyǒu chē dōu bù nénɡ tōnɡɡuò.) This side of the road is under construction, all vehicles are prohibited to pass.
要去中心，你要通过两道门。(Yào qù zhōnɡxīn, nǐ yào tōnɡɡuò liǎnɡ dào mén.) If you want to go to the center, you should pass through two doors.
When expressing passing or ratifying a bill, a policy or legislation or in terms of passing or qualifying an exam or an interview etc., we should use 通过. 经过 can’t be used in this case.
Subject + 通过 + Object
e.g.
恭喜你通过这次的面试。(Gōnɡxǐ nǐ tōnɡɡuò zhè cì de miànshì.) Congratulation to you for qualifying in this interview.
这个国家今年2月通过了性别平等法。(Zhèɡe ɡuójiā jīnnián èr yuè tōnɡɡuòle xìnɡbié pínɡděnɡ fǎ.)
你今年能通过HSK 5级的考试吗？(Nǐ jīnnián nénɡ tōnɡɡuò HSK wǔ jí de kǎoshì mɑ?) Could you pass the HSK 5 exam this year?
When emphasizing the means, the method, the manner even the media which is used to achieve an outcome, 通过should be used while 经过 can’t. In this situation, 通过can either be placed before or after the subject.
“through” “by” “via”
通过 + Means / Method / Manner / Media, Subject + Verb + Object
Subject + 通过 + Means / Method / Manner / Media + Verb + Object
e.g.
他们常常通过翻译软件交流。(Tāmen chánɡchánɡ tōnɡɡuò fānyì ruǎnjiàn jiāoliú.) They often communicate by a translation application.
我是通过他才认识你的。(Wǒ shì tōnɡɡuò tā cái rènshi nǐ de.) I know you via him.
通过不同的方法，我们解决了这个问题。(Tōnɡɡuò bù tónɡ de fānɡfǎ, women jiějuéle zhèɡe wèntí.) We figured out this problem in different ways.
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