Power Automate Element Wildcards: Unlocking Flexibility in Automation
Power Automate is a powerful tool for automating repetitive tasks and workflows, but sometimes you need to target specific elements on a web page or application that have dynamic or unpredictable identifiers. This is where element wildcards come in handy, giving you the flexibility to interact with these elements efficiently.
What are Element Wildcards?
Wildcards are special characters that allow you to match multiple elements based on partial or incomplete information. In Power Automate, you use wildcards within selectors to target elements that may have slightly different attributes or values.
Common Wildcards in Power Automate
Power Automate supports several wildcards, including:
- "*" (asterisk): Matches any string of characters.
- "?" (question mark): Matches a single character.
- "[]" (square brackets): Matches any character within the brackets.
- "!" (exclamation mark): Excludes elements that match the following character.
Using Wildcards in Selectors
Let's say you want to click a button with the text "Submit" on a webpage. However, the ID of the button might change each time you run the flow. Here's how you can use wildcards to target the button:
Without Wildcards:
"//*[@id='submitButton']"
This selector will only work if the button ID is exactly 'submitButton'.
With Wildcards:
"//*[@id='*SubmitButton']"
This selector uses the asterisk wildcard to match any string ending with 'SubmitButton'. This will work regardless of the specific characters before 'SubmitButton'.
Benefits of Using Element Wildcards
- Flexibility: Wildcards allow you to adapt to changing element identifiers.
- Reliability: They help ensure your flows work even when elements have dynamic properties.
- Efficiency: You can target multiple elements with a single selector.
Tips for Using Element Wildcards
- Start with specific selectors: Always try to target elements with specific attributes whenever possible. Use wildcards only when necessary.
- Test your flows: Thoroughly test your flows after using wildcards to ensure they work as expected.
- Document your selectors: Keep track of the selectors you use, including wildcards, to make it easier to understand and maintain your flows.
Examples of Using Wildcards
Scenario 1: Target any element with the class name 'product-item'
"//*[@class='product-item']"
Scenario 2: Target any button with a text that starts with 'Download'
"//*[@type='button' and contains(text(), 'Download')] "
Scenario 3: Target any element within a table that contains the text 'Error'
"//*[contains(text(), 'Error')]"
Conclusion
Element wildcards are a powerful tool in Power Automate for handling dynamic web elements and ensuring your automation flows remain reliable and efficient. By understanding the different wildcards and how to use them effectively, you can create flexible and robust automations that adapt to changing web applications and user interfaces.