Configure Power Automate for desktop proxy settings

Article
06/17/2024

To reach Microsoft's cloud services, it might be necessary for web requests originating from various Power Automate for desktop components to be directed through a network proxy server.

When to configure proxy settings

Configure proxy settings when you’re connected to the internet using a proxy server.

The following are some of the proxy related errors you might encounter in a Power Automate for desktop component:

System.Net.WebException: The remote server returned an error: (407) Proxy Authentication Required
System.Net.WebException

This issue might occur if Power Automate for desktop is installed by someone other than the intended user, such as help desk personnel or through automated deployment solutions like Configuration Manager.
The proxy server in your network requires authentication.
The communication with the cloud services requires network proxy authentication.
During startup Power Automate couldn't sign you in. The proxy server in your network requires authentication.

How to configure proxy settings

Configure how Power Automate for desktop interacts with a proxy server using the Power Automate proxy configuration files. As an alternative, you can use the Windows registry to configure proxy settings that aren't available in the proxy configuration files.

Important

From Power Automate for desktop version 2.45, the proxy settings can be configured in centralized way, through the Power Automate proxy configuration files, and are not overridden on a product upgrade.
It is suggested that you configure the proxy settings using only the Power Automate proxy configuration files, as they apply to all the on-premises components. Proxy settings configured through Windows registry apply only to a subset of components like the Console and Designer.
If a proxy setting is configured in both Windows registry and configuration files, the registry key takes precedence. Learn how to configure proxy settings through Windows registry

Proxy setting	Description	Configuration file element/value	Registry key
Proxy server	The proxy address and port	proxyaddress="your_proxy_address"	ProxyServer
Use default credentials	Authenticate to the proxy server with default account credentials	useDefaultCredentials="True"	UseDefaultProxyCredentials
Bypass proxy server	Don't honor the Windows Proxy settings and bypass the proxy server	enabled ="False"	DisableWindowsProxy
Bypass list of IP addresses	Provide a set of regular expressions that describe addresses that don't use a proxy	`<bypasslist> <add address="bypassed_address" /> <add address="bypassed_address" /> </bypasslist>`	ProxyBypassList
Use network credentials	Authenticate with a generic credential from Windows’ Credential Manager	Not applicable	ProxyNetworkCredentialsKey
Automatic detection of proxy configuration script	Location of the proxy configuration script	scriptLocation="your_proxy_script_location"	Not applicable

How to update proxy configuration files

All proxy configuration files are stored in the installation folder and are listed in the following table. The default installation folder location is "C:\Program Files (x86)\Power Automate Desktop".

Proxy file	Related component	Description	Component type	Account type
PAD.Proxy.config	All Power Automate for desktop application components	Console, Designer, some machine runtime app functionalities such as list environments and edit machine details, etc.	Application	User
UIFlowService.Proxy.config	UIFlowService.exe	The Power Automate service (UIFlowService) communicates with Power Automate cloud services for machine registration and running desktop flows	Service	Virtual account
Microsoft.Flow.RPA.LogShipper.Proxy.config	Microsoft.Flow.RPA.LogShipper.exe	Logs collector service	Service	NetworkService
Microsoft.Flow.RPA.UpdateService.Proxy.config	Microsoft.Flow.RPA.UpdateService.exe	Update applications service	Service	System

To configure the proxy settings:

Close all instances of Power Automate for desktop.
- Ensure that the icon doesn't exist in the system tray.
- Ensure that no processes are running in the background using Windows Task Manager.
For all the proxy files, edit each file with administrator rights as shown in the following examples:

Example #1 – Configure proxy with address and authenticate with default account credentials
```
<defaultProxy useDefaultCredentials="True"> 
    <proxy
      bypassonlocal="True"
      proxyaddress="replace_with_your_proxy_address"
    />
</defaultProxy>
```
Example #2 - Configure proxy with script location and authenticate with default account credentials
```
<defaultProxy useDefaultCredentials="True"> 
    <proxy
      scriptLocation="replace_with_your_proxy_script_location"
    />
</defaultProxy>
```
Example #3 - Configure proxy with address and don't authenticate with default account credentials
```
<defaultProxy> 
    <proxy
      bypassonlocal="True"
      proxyaddress="replace_with_your_proxy_address"
    />
  </defaultProxy>
```
For more examples of how to update proxy configuration files, refer to .NET documentation.
Save the changes.
Restart Power Automate for desktop.
Restart the Power Automate services:
1. In Windows, open the Services desktop app. Press Windows+R to open the Run box, enter services.msc, and then press Enter or select OK.
2. Look for Power Automate service, Power Automate log shipper service, and Power Automate update service.
3. Right-click on each service and select Restart.

Note

If the new proxy settings do not take effect even after restarting the services, try clearing the internet cache from your system. Go to Control Panel, search for and open Internet Options. From the General tab, select Delete. Ensure that at least Temporary Internet files and Cookies are selected, and select Delete.

For authenticated proxy servers, change the "Power Automate Service" (UIFlowService.exe) account with an allowed domain service account

To change the on-premises Service account, use the Troubleshoot tab in the Power Automate machine runtime application or use the TroubleshootingTool.Console.exe command line utility.

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