URLs with % signs

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Posted on by tezza192

Please could someone help me - I have been trying to find a solution to what seems a simple issue -

If a URL has the % sign in it - how do you express it in PD without it throwing a syntax error.

For example - the below URL is something im trying to launch a browser to (I have changed domain for security)

https://test.com/IT%20Service%20Desk/

I have tried:

1. Doubling % to cancel

2. %'%'%

3 %"%"%

None of these work - how is this possible in PD to express? I have even tried setting a variable / reading text from file as variable - alkl gives the same error

Thanks

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Power Automate Desktop

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Gidi 601 on at

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% should be escaped by %% so try https://test.com/IT%%20Service%%20Desk/
tezza192 18 on at

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As stated in my initial post, this doesn't work with URLs
Gidi 601 on at

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Then try to decode the URL before you use it (e.g. with a vbscript).
tezza192 18 on at

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Does any one have another method? It's crazy there isn't a simpler solution than doing scripting
Gidi 601 on at

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Sure, you can use action 'Go to web page' to open the URL:

A more complex approach should do it to as the launch new browser action seems to have some limits regarding special characters in the URL.
Instead of using the build-in action Launch new browser to open your URL you should start the browser via 'Run DOS command', wait for Window and Launch new browser with Attach to active tab.
Use e.g. 'start chrome "%URL_variable%"' for starting Chrome browser with your URL:
The flow would then look like this:
Agnius Bartninkas Most Valuable Professional on at

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I would preferably use Run application, but Run DOS command also works. Run application is a bit better, because it can actually make the flow wait for the app to load.

Alternatively, on another thread people mentioned that using Launch new Chrome to navigate to Google or some similar page, and then using Go to web page to navigate to the actual URL you need also works fine.

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