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Power Automate Desktop - Unable to Render URL - Syntax error, invalid url value error (Launch new Chrome or browsers)

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Hi everyone, thank you in advance for your time and help. I'm new to Power Automate Desktop, but use KNIME Analytics, Studio X and other tools. Using Power Automate Desktop, I am trying to render this URL using Chrome (or any other browsers) to trigger a file download into the local Downloads folder. You can paste this URL into any browser and hit enter to trigger the download. Power Automate Desktop does not seem to like the parameters after ? mark and throws errors, such as syntax error or invalid value error. I have tried different Actions that uses URL and I'm seeing the errors as well. Does PAD not allow inclusion of parameters after ? mark in the URL? https://trends.google.com/trends/api/widgetdata/multirange?hl=en-US&tz=300&req=%7B%22resolution%22:%22WEEK%22,%22comparisonItem%22:%5B%7B%22geo%22:%7B%22country%22:%22US%22%7D,%22time%22:%222020-01-01+2020-12-31%22,%22complexKeywordsRestriction%22:%7B%22keyword%22:%5B%7B%22type%22:%22BROAD%22,%22value%22:%22how+to+cook+ramps%22%7D%5D%7D%7D,%7B%22geo%22:%7B%22country%22:%22US%22%7D,%22time%22:%222019-01-01+2019-12-31%22,%22complexKeywordsRestriction%22:%7B%22keyword%22:%5B%7B%22type%22:%22BROAD%22,%22value%22:%22how+to+cook+ramps%22%7D%5D%7D%7D,%7B%22geo%22:%7B%22country%22:%22US%22%7D,%22time%22:%222018-01-01+2018-12-31%22,%22complexKeywordsRestriction%22:%7B%22keyword%22:%5B%7B%22type%22:%22BROAD%22,%22value%22:%22how+to+cook+ramps%22%7D%5D%7D%7D%5D,%22requestOptions%22:%7B%22property%22:%22%22,%22backend%22:%22IZG%22,%22category%22:0%7D%7D&token=APP6_UEAAAAAYEVOjj3ln2nNLX3slAL2N0B4q2rvhuwV&tz=300 OR, I could hit this URL to render the same and use Click, etc to trigger the CSV download, but this also throws errors. https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?date=2020-01-01%202020-12-31,2019-01-01%202019-12-31,2018-01-01%202018-12-31&geo=US,US,US&q=how%20to%20cook%20ramps,how%20to%20cook%20ramps,how%20to%20cook%20ramps Any guidance or information will greatly be appreciated. Thank you!!

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miketran13 720 on at

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Hi,

In PAD, if you have any variables contains this "%" then PAD will understand it as their variables. So, in your cases, PAD recognizes these % and try to parses the variable. Then it will show the syntax error.
I think you can just decode your URL before PAD can use it.

Thanks and hope it can help you.
Mike
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Community Power Pla... Microsoft Employee on at

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That worked, thank you @miketran13 . Are there Actions to decode/encode URLs within PAD? I couldn't find any. Thank you.
miketran13 720 on at

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In PAD, you have no actions for Decode/Encode, but I think you can use VBScript for doing this.

//Mike
JackyGrealish 79 on at

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Hi, I also have the similar issue but removing the '%' does not bring me to the webpage. It is a sharepoint link btw.
HekaHeimo 8 on at

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Hi! You can use online url decoders to make it compatible.
MattJimison 579 Most Valuable Professional on at

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You can simply escape any % characters that you need in your url (or anywhere else in PAD) by adding another % character in front of it. This will ensure that PAD doesn't think you're trying to use a variable, and it will still only send one % when launching the browser. I'd recommend a quick 'find and replace' on your value where you find % and replace it with %%.

Here's an example:

Original URL:
https://www.google.com/search?q=power+automate+%25+character

Escaped URL to enter into Power Automate Desktop:
https://www.google.com/search?q=power+automate+%%25+character

Double % when entering the value in Dialog:

Correct URL Launching in Browser:

Find this post helpful? Please mark it as the solution and/or provide kudos so that it will help others in the future.

Cheers,
Matt
elcuevero2 3 on at

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It's been a while, but for everyone's (sharepoint) benefit, In the case of sharepoint links, it's easier to create a direct shortcut (hit the ... or copy link) it will create a shorter version without the encoding.
Fuji98 29 on at

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This is the advice I needed. Thanks
GeekForLife 3 on at

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Here's a simple Excel formula (no VBA required) to DECODE URLs:
https://www.ghosh.com/blog/url-decode-formula-for-excel/