Parameter 'Initial URL': Syntax error

[JackyGrealish]

Hi, I need to open a sharepoint link where I upload documents in it. But the sharepoint url contains '%' and PAD cannot continue the process. I have tried ways such as removing any % or double it up by %% but it does not work. Is there any other solutions that can overcome this? this is what happens when doing the above. Thanks 🙂

[Ankesh_49]

@JackyGrealish See it solves your issue: https://powerusers.microsoft.com/t5/Power-Automate-Desktop/Facing-Parameter-Initial-URL-Syntax-error...

Cheers,

Ankesh

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[JackyGrealish]

Do you mean adding a '%' at the end? as I just tried it and it still prompt me the same error.

[Ankesh_49]

Set it in a variable in single quotes and pass the variable

[VJR]

I do not know if there is any url encoding functionality in PAD, but can you try by replacing the % characters with its corresponding equivalent.

For example replacing %20 with space and the others as per the table inside.

https://www.w3schools.com/tags/ref_urlencode.ASP

[Ankesh_49]

I mean like this: %'https://www.bing.com/?toWww=1&redig=2688499BF0034643B6B289E9F4D81BCA'%

[Ankesh_49]

@JackyGrealish Adding to what @VJR has suggested(Escape The Special Characters In The URL)

I would recommend you to try this approach and eventually you will get your URL which can be parsed by PAD:

Lets say this is a lengthy SP URL: 

https://ABCD.sharepoint.com/sites/Power/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?newTargetListUrl=%2Fs...

The trick could be to break it into smaller sections. PAD doesn't check whether the URL address itself is a valid web page until run-time. Its only checking for invalid characters.

Split up your string
split up the string and enter increasingly longer sections at a time.

https://ABCD.sharepoint.com/sites/Power/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?newTargetListUrl=%2Fs...

Then add another short section:

https://ABCD.sharepoint.com/sites/Power/Shared%20Documents/Forms/AllItems.aspx?newTargetListUrl=%2Fs...

If it gives an invalid message. You would know that the second half of the string has a special character that needs to be escaped.

Keep adding on sections
It wont take long before you have a full URL that PAD can parse.

Cheers,

Ankesh

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