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Downloading files with Microsoft Edge is not supported. Consider using the Automation Browser.

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Posted on by mbenyishay

I am trying to download a CSV file through MS Edge, using the "click download link on web page" action. I get the runtime error message: "Downloading files with Microsoft Edge is not supported. Consider using the Automation Browser."

I have the PA extension installed in Edge, and other automation actions work fine. Nothing that I've seen on the web indicates that you can't use Edge to download files, nor how to set up a separate "automation browser." Any ideas?

PAD download file from Clarity Looker.png

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Power Automate Desktop

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VJR 7,635 on at

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Can you get the URL behind the button?

This can be done by hovering the mouse on the button and a download link is visible in status bar.

Or

Right click on the button and then 'Copy Link'

Another way is to add an UI element of this button and then viewing its details in the Selector window.

Once you get that, use it in the Download from web action and it will work.

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mbenyishay 77 on at

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Hi there,
I was able to add the UI element of the download button without a problem (highlighted in the screenshot). I put this element into a "click download link on web page" action. That's where I got the error about downloading from Edge (bottom of the screenshot).
Hovering the mouse over the download button does not bring up anything in the status bar, and right-clicking on it does not include any link options. Maybe because it's entirely in JavaScript?

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Jamar_Forsythe Microsoft Employee on at

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This action is specifically an Internet Explorer/Automation Browser action, it's a carry-over from WinAutomation, it will only work in Internet Explorer or the Automation Browser.

You could consider doing a "Get files in folder" before clicking the download link, then after the download is complete use "Get files in folder" and "Subtract list" to find the new file.

Also you can click the download link then once its complete you can use "Get Files" with Creation Time set to Descending order.
After that just reference the top file "%File[0]%"

If you're wondering how to check if a file has downloaded, you can use the "Wait for file" action with a timeout set to a little above the average download time for that file. You will need to know the full name and path of the file beforehand.

This is not a simple as a single action, but that functionality just hasn't been developed for the modern browsers yet in PAD.

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mbenyishay 77 on at

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Yaaaaay this worked, thank you!

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BK123 2 on at

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Hello Jamar
Where exactly do I use %File[0]% to reference the top file after sorting?
Thanks!

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