How to Use Variables in Microsoft Power Automate Desktop

This video guide shows how to use the most common variable types in Microsoft Power Automate Desktop: Text, Numerical, Boolean, DateTime, List, DataTable, and Custom Object.

VIDEOS FOR YOU:

POWER AUTOMATE DESKTOP GROUPS:
- Join my network with 4000+ Automation/RPA developers, where we solve Automation/RPA problems, network, and help each other upgrade our careers. It's free!

FOLLOW ME:

0:00 Intro
In Microsoft Power Automate Desktop, we have various variable types - here are the most common ones.

0:20 Text
A text variable is any text, from email addresses to the text content of a Word file. It's also the most used variable type in Power Automate Desktop. Give your text variable a name and then a value.

3:00 Numerical
A numerical value in Power Automate Desktop is a number. It's also the only variable type we can use for mathematical operations. When you want to do a calculation with a numerical variable, use the arithmetic operations inside the percentage signs surrounding the numerical value.

6:28 Boolean
A boolean can hold two values: True or False. We use it a lot when we want to evaluate something with a condition.

10:03 DateTime
A DataTime variable is always in the format "MM/d/yyyy hh:mm:ss". We can quickly convert (transform) it to any date or time we want.

13:40 List
A list is a collection of items, e.g., a list of text values, numericals, or booleans.

19:26 DataTable
A DataTable is a collection of DataRows. It looks and acts like an Excel sheet. In Power Automate Desktop, we use DataTables because they are faster to manipulate than Excel sheets.

26:03 Custom Object aka Dictionary
A custom object is key value pairs. It looks much like a JSON and can quickly be transferred to a JSON.

#powerautomate #powerplatform #office365

[garylhaas]

good stuff - knowing the basics is important

[Luzankia]

Thanks for the insight on the variables as a list.

[georgegeorge]

Thank you for the tutorial! I learned a lot so far. Do you know where I see the documentation on the sintaxis of the variables? I you use it in many videos.

[paultran]

great and valuable video tutorial thank you

[Adsiedem]

Is there a tutorial that shows how to assign a flow to keyboard shortcuts?

[AbhinavSharma-zs]

Hi Anders, your videos are great, i find useful as you describe, How can i copy one no from excel and search on different website and result of that got into that excel file only and work shall be dynamic, Can you tell me please.

[nareshkumar-qoqy]

How to iterate through rows of a data table in web pages without knowing end point. Please reply...

[steve_account]

This video goes HARD on 4 times speed to get to the actual information you are trying to get to.