How to trigger a PAD flow with a keyboard shortcut?

[Netanel105]

Hi,

I created a PAD flow I'm happy with, and I want to be able to trigger it with a keyboard shortcut.

How do I do that?

Thanks in advance! 🙂

[DamoBird365]

Hi @Netanel105 

Desktop Flows can only be scheduled from PowerAutomate which in turn needs a user license.  There is currently no way to automate your PAD from a local PC.

I have logged an idea here for you to vote on:

https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Automate-Ideas/Schedule-Power-Automate-Desktop-from-within...

If this post helps, then please consider Accept it as the solution to help the other members find it more quickly.
Cheers,
Damien

[Netanel105]

Hi @DamoBird365 ,

Thanks for your answer.

I upvoted your idea.

Note however I didn't just mean scheduling, but also manual triggering, just not from PAD itself, but from anywhere, using a keyboard shortcut.

For example, let's say I want to copy text to clipboard, manipulate it somehow, and than paste it.

Then I would like to use CTRL+C to copy, then custom keyboard shortcut to trigger PAD flow to manipulate it, then CTRL+V to paste.

So not only it's not possible to schedule, it's also not possible to trigger PAD flow manually using a keyboard shortcut?

Thanks a lot for your help!

[Nalgah]

This is how I create a shortcut key 'trigger'.  It's not really a trigger, but it works like one.  There are ways to run this flow automatically by creating a cloud flow to run this flow when I boot up my computer (and hence login to Microsoft online) but I've never needed it to be that automated.

Here's a flow I use all the time.  Basically it repeats your keystrokes in a loop.  Usually I know when I'm going to need it so I just open PAD and run this flow, then I go to work - and when I need this flow I just hit my shortcut keys:

1. First I give it a label 'Start'
2. Then It waits for a shortcut key indefinitely (Ctrl + Back in this case)
3. Then copies the text in the clipboard (because often it's what I just copied that I need to paste). 
4. Next it asks you what keystrokes you want to enter (like ABC, 123, {Enter}, {Space}, {Ctrl}(c), {Ctrl}(v), etc.)
5. Then it asks how many times to repeat the keystrokes
6. It takes the response from #5 and converts it to a number
7. Then it creates a loop from 1 to %TextAsNumber%.
8. Inside the loop it sends your keystrokes to the active window as many times as you told it to.
9. Loop Ends.
10. And finally it restarts the flow by going to the 'Start' label where it waits for my shortcut keys again.

To end the flow you can hit the default stop keys (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+T), or open PAD and stop the flow.  It also stops when you restart or shutdown your computer.

Hope this helps!

[w1sd0m]

This is awesome. Any process conflicts so far? 

[Nalgah]

No conflicts so far.  I still use this from time to time.  When I need it, it's a real time saver.  I don't run this in conjunction with other processes though so not sure how it would work if other processes were firing at the same time.