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How to pass variable/parameters values to desktop URL

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Posted on by paulross

Hello,

I would like to trigger a flow from an external application by launching the desktop flow url as below. I can execute the flow fine using the sample url format.

ms-powerautomate:/console/flow/run?workflowName=[workflowName]

However I also need to also pass some input variables to the flow within the url as parameters, however struggling to find any examples of this syntax anywhere. I assume it is possible? for example variable1=XXX,variable2=YYY

Regards paul

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Power Automate Desktop

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VJR 7,635 on at

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Looks like that provision is not there yet.

This is the link you might have already gone through.

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/power-automate/desktop-flows/run-pad-flow

Perhaps the alternative for now is to set the variables within the flow.

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paulross 6 on at

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Yes been through link several times. Seems like a strange limitation of the desktop automate. Guess I'll have to go the more complex path of cloud connection, assuming there is an API can to trigger flow with JSON attributes. Was just trying to keep everything on premise as some customers have some security constraints preventing cloud access.

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VJR 7,635 on at

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Hi Paul,

This is not a limitation yet because running desktop flows via URLs has been released very recently. Could you share your exact requirements to see if there could be a good alternative than a complex one.

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paulross 6 on at

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Hi, Basic requirement to be able to trigger the flow from an external application using the URL. The external application allows us to create custom menu actions to launch an external URL and pass attributes into the url string.

For example something like this ....... ms-powerautomate:/console/flow/run?workflowName=MyFlow&inputvariable1="56"&inputvariable2="activate"

So instead of manually enter the input variables. They can be passed with the trigger URL.

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VJR 7,635 on at

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I get your point. Can you do something like writing those input variable values to another application and reading those values via PAD. Do not know what are the possibilities for you but just thinking out loud about a database, Azure, Cyberark, etc.

Or can you have PAD interact with that external application from where you are already calling the URL?

Also submit an Idea here as this will be required by everyone soon.

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zxcx08 2 on at

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Hi, I have the same use case about passing an input variable to PAD using console URL. Tried paulross suggestion but it didn't work for me. Anyone here find out how to pass an input variable to PAD using console URL?

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elan 4 on at

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it is very hard to understand how MS expect run an attended desktop Flow without ability to pass dynamic variables ???

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elan 4 on at

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Do You need special access right to view these ideas ?

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paulross 6 on at

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For anyone else trying this, as per previous suggestion as a work around I write the variable first to a temp file and then read the temp file in the workflow. Its clunky and lot of extra steps, but kind of does the trick. Certainly more cleaner and flexible to have facility to just pass directly. I am unable to access the ideas page, so hope someone with privileges has done so.

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VJR 7,635 on at

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The ideas page is moved to a new location here

https://ideas.powerautomate.com/

@elan @paulross

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