Use the GetEnvironmentVariable component

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 1 minute to read

    • Retrieve the value of an environment variable by using the GetEnvironmentVariable component in RPA Desktop Design Studio. For example, you can get the value of the TEMP variable.

    Before you begin

    Role required: none

    About this task

    You can configure the properties for the GetEnvironmentVariable component. For more information about these properties, see Properties of the Environment components.

    Procedure

    1. In the Toolbox pane, navigate to Utilities > Environment.
    2. Drag the GetEnvironmentVariable component to the Design surface.
    3. To configure the input field, see Configure port properties.
    4. Connect the data and control ports of the GetEnvironmentVariable component to the corresponding ports of the other components as described in the following table.
      Port type Purpose of connection Mandatory?
      Data In (variable) Takes the environment variable through the Data Out port of another component. Yes
      Data Out Returns the value of the specified environment variable and passes to another component. Yes.

      To preview the data, right-click the Return field and click Preview Data.
      Control In Connects to the Control Out port of one or more components. Yes
      Control Out Connects to the Control In port of another component or the default end component. No. Connecting the port is optional.
    5. Optional: To test the component, under the DESIGN tab, click Run.

    GetEnvironmentVariable component

    You want your robot to process files and save logs to different folders depending on whether it's running in Development or Production mode.

    1. At the start of the automation, use SetEnvironmentVariable to define the following variables:
      • ENV_MODE = Development
      • LOG_PATH = C:\RPA\Dev\Logs

      This variable defines if robot is running in the development mode, where to store the log files.

      SetEnvironmentVariable with development environment details.
    2. Later in the workflow, when saving log files, use GetEnvironmentVariable to retrieve the value of LOG_PATH.

      The robot dynamically stores the log files as per the value in the LOG_PATH variable.

    3. In production, simply update the environment variable setup to:
      • ENV_MODE = Production
      • LOG_PATH = C:\RPA\Prod\Logs
      SetEnvironmentVariable with production environment details.

      The robot now logs to the production folder automatically, because it reads the LOG_PATH value from the environment variable.