RPA.Outlook.Application

module RPA.Outlook.Application

class RPA.Outlook.Application.Application

Application(autoexit: bool = True)

Outlook.Application is a library for controlling the Outlook application.

About Email Filtering

Emails can be filtered according to specification set by Restrict method of the Item class https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/office/vba/api/outlook.items.restrict.

Couple of examples:

Examples

Robot Framework

Python

from RPA.Outlook.Application import Application def send_message(): app = Application() app.open_application() app.send_message( recipients='EMAILADDRESS_1, EMAILADDRESS_2', subject='email subject', body='email body message', attachments='../orders.csv'

For more information, see: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/previous-versions/office/developer/office-2007/bb219950(v=office.12

Caveats

This library works on a Windows operating system with UI enabled only, and you must ensure that you open the app first with Open Application before running any other relevant keyword which requires to operate on an open app. The application is automatically closed at the end of the task execution, so this can be changed by importing the library with the autoexit=${False} setting.

If you’re running the Process by Control Room through a custom self-hosted Worker service, then please make sure that you enable an RDP session by ticking “Use Desktop Connection” under the Step configuration.

If you still encounter issues with opening a document, please ensure that file can be opened first manually and dismiss any alert potentially blocking the process.

Check the documentation below for more info:

variable APP_DISPATCH

APP_DISPATCH = 'Outlook.Application'

variable ROBOT_LIBRARY_DOC_FORMAT

ROBOT_LIBRARY_DOC_FORMAT = 'REST'

variable ROBOT_LIBRARY_SCOPE

ROBOT_LIBRARY_SCOPE = 'GLOBAL'

property app

property app

method close_document

close_document(save_changes: bool = False)

Close the active document and app (if open).

  • Parameters: save_changes – Enable changes saving on quit. (False by default)

method get_emails

get_emails(account_name: Optional[str] = None, folder_name: Optional[str] = None, email_filter: Optional[str] = None, save_attachments: bool = False, attachment_folder: Optional[str] = None, sort: bool = False, sort_key: Optional[str] = None, sort_descending: bool = True)

Get emails from a specified email folder. Can be used to save attachments.

Parameters
  • account_name – needs to be given if there are shared accounts in use, defaults to None
  • folder_name – target folder where to get emails from, default Inbox
  • email_filter – how to filter email, default no filter, ie. all emails in folder
  • save_attachments – if attachments should be saved, defaults to False
  • attachment_folder – target folder where attachments are saved, defaults to current directory
  • sort – if emails should be sorted, defaults to False
  • sort_key – needs to be given if emails are to be sorted
  • sort_descending – set to False for ascending sort, defaults to True
  • Returns: list of emails (list of dictionaries)

method mark_email_as_read

mark_email_as_read(email: Any, read: bool = True)

Mark email ‘read’ property. Can be used to mark email as unread.

Parameters
  • email – target email
  • read – True marks email as Read, False as Unread

method move_emails

move_emails(account_name: Optional[str] = None, source_folder: Optional[str] = None, email_filter: Optional[Any] = None, target_folder: Optional[str] = None, mark_as_read: bool = True)

Move emails from source folder to target folder.

Use of “account_name” is recommended if there are shared accounts in use.

Parameters
  • account_name – needs to be given if there are shared accounts in use, defaults to None
  • source_folder – folder where source emails exist
  • email_filter – how to filter email, default no filter, ie. all emails in folder
  • target_folder – folder where emails are moved into
  • mark_as_read – mark emails as read after move, defaults to True
  • Returns: True if move operation was success, False if not

Python example.

outlook = RPA.Outlook.Application() # moving messages from Inbox to target_folder outlook.move_emails( target_folder='Processed Invoices', email_filter="[Subject]='incoming invoice'" ) # moving messages from source_folder to target_folder outlook.move_emails( source_folder='Incoming Invoices', target_folder='Processed Invoices', email_filter="[Subject]='incoming invoice'" ) # move message objects from `get_emails` result emails = outlook.get_emails("[Subject]='incoming invoice'") outlook.move_emails( target_folder='Processed Invoices', email_filter=emails )

Robot Framework example.

method open_application

open_application(visible: bool = False, display_alerts: bool = False)

Open the application.

Parameters
  • visible – Show the window on opening. (False by default)
  • display_alerts – Display alert popups. (False by default)

method quit_application

quit_application(save_changes: bool = False)

Quit the application.

  • Parameters: save_changes – Enable to save changes on quit. (False by default)

method save_email_attachments

save_email_attachments(attachments: Any, attachment_folder: str, overwrite: bool = False)

Save email attachments.

Note. Keyword “Get Emails” can be also used to save attachments.

Parameters
  • attachments – all attachments from email or single attachment
  • attachment_folder – target folder where attachments are saved, defaults to current directory
  • overwrite – overwrite existing file if True, defaults to False

method send_email

send_email(recipients: Union[str, List[str]], subject: str, body: str, html_body: bool = False, attachments: Optional[Union[str, List[str]]] = None, save_as_draft: bool = False, cc_recipients: Optional[Union[str, List[str]]] = None, bcc_recipients: Optional[Union[str, List[str]]] = None)

Send email with Outlook

Parameters
  • recipients – list of addresses
  • subject – email subject
  • body – email body
  • html_body – True if body contains HTML, defaults to False
  • attachments – list of filepaths to include in the email, defaults to []
  • save_as_draft – email is saved as draft when True
  • cc_recipients – list of addresses for CC field, default None
  • bcc_recipients – list of addresses for BCC field, default None
  • Returns: True if there were no errors
Examples

library = Outlook() library.open_application() cc_recipients = ["recipient3@domain.com","recipient4@domain.com"] library.send_email( recipients="recipient1@domain.com", cc_recipients=cc_recipients, bcc_recipients="recipient3@domain.com;recipient4@domain.com", subject="hello from Outlook", body="empty body", attachments=os.path.join(os.path.curdir, "example.xslx") )

method wait_for_email

wait_for_email(criterion: Optional[str] = None, timeout: float = 5.0, interval: float = 1.0)

Wait for email matching criterion to arrive into mailbox.

Parameters
  • criterion – email filter to wait for, defaults to “”
  • timeout – total time in seconds to wait for email, defaults to 5.0
  • interval – time in seconds for new check, defaults to 1.0
  • Returns: list of messages or False

Possible wait criterias are: SUBJECT, SENDER and BODY