Perform actions in desktop flows by calling external APIs

The Power Automate desktop flows in Microsoft Power Automate offer a range of possibilities to automate tasks on your desktop. One powerful feature is the ability to perform actions by calling external APIs. In this article, we will explore how you can leverage this functionality to enhance your desktop flows.

Understanding APIs

Before we dive into the details, let’s quickly understand what an API is. API stands for Application Programming Interface, and it allows different software applications to communicate and interact with each other. APIs can be used to retrieve data from external systems, perform actions, or even trigger events.

Calling External APIs in Desktop Flows

To call an external API in a desktop flow, you can use the “HTTP Request” action. This action enables you to send HTTP requests to a specified endpoint and interact with the API. Here’s how you can set it up:

1. Begin by adding the “HTTP Request” action to your desktop flow.
2. Next, provide the URL of the API endpoint you want to call. This URL should include the necessary parameters, headers, and authentication details required by the API.
3. Specify the HTTP method to be used for the request, such as GET, POST, PUT, or DELETE.
4. If the API requires any request headers, you can add them using the “Headers” field in the action. Headers typically include authentication tokens, content type, or any other relevant information.
5. If the API accepts request parameters, you can pass them through the “Request Body” or the URL itself. The request body can be in various formats, such as JSON or XML, depending on the API’s requirements.
6. Finally, you can process the response received from the API by mapping the output fields to variables in your flow. This allows you to extract and utilize the returned data in subsequent actions.

Let’s take an example to demonstrate calling an external API. Suppose you want to automate the process of retrieving weather information for a specific location. To achieve this, you can make use of a weather API, such as OpenWeatherMap.

First, sign up for an account on OpenWeatherMap (https://openweathermap.org/) and obtain an API key. This key will be necessary for authenticating your requests.

Once you have the API key, follow these steps:

1. Add an “HTTP Request” action to your desktop flow.
2. In the “URL” field, enter the API endpoint along with the necessary query parameters to specify the location and any other required details. For example, you can include the city name and the API key in the URL.

http://api.openweathermap.org/data/2.5/weather?q=London&appid=

3. Set the HTTP method to “GET” since we are retrieving weather information.
4. If the API requires any headers, specify them accordingly. In this case, you can set the “Content-Type” header to “application/json”.
5. Once you receive the response from the API, you can extract relevant data by mapping the response fields to variables. For instance, you may want to store the temperature, humidity, or weather description for further processing.

With this implementation, your desktop flow will be able to call the OpenWeatherMap API and retrieve weather information for the specified location.

It’s important to note that the process of calling external APIs depends on the specific API you are working with. Each API has different requirements, authentication methods, and parameters. Therefore, it is advisable to refer to the API documentation to understand its usage and implement the necessary configurations in your desktop flow.

Conclusion

Power Automate desktop flows provide a simple yet powerful method to perform actions by calling external APIs. By leveraging this functionality, you can automate a wide range of tasks that involve interacting with external systems and retrieving or updating data. So go ahead and explore the possibilities that external API integration offers in Power Automate desktop flows!