Use case · Systems without an API
Data entry into a Citrix-hosted application from a SharePoint list
A workflow reads the rows waiting in a SharePoint list, and a bot on a Bot Runner opens the Citrix session, finds the fields by image anchors, types the values, reads the confirmation with OCR and marks the row done. Rows that fail verification come back to the owner with a screenshot. It is slower than API automation and far faster than a person — and it is the only way in.
- Who it is for
- Teams whose line-of-business application — an insurance AMS, a hospital admin system outside the US, a government portal, a legacy ERP — is published through Citrix or a remote desktop, so no automation tool can see its controls.
- Systems involved
- Citrix / RDP published app (Studio surface automation)SharePoint list / Excel 365TeamsAI Workflows
How the run goes
5 steps · logged per run
- Trigger01
Rows marked Ready
SharePoint list / Excel
- Bot02
Enter in Citrix app
Image anchors, keyboard, OCR check
- System03
Verify save
Confirmation read from screen
- System04
Row marked Done
With screenshot link
- Person05
Fix failed rows
Teams mention with screenshot
How it runs, step by step
- 1
Rows are prepared in a SharePoint list or an Excel table with a status column. A schedule or a status change triggers the run; the workflow validates the row (required fields, formats) before any screen is touched.
- 2
The bot opens the published application on a Bot Runner where the Citrix client is installed, waits for the screen using image anchors, and navigates by keyboard where possible — tab order is more reliable than clicking pixels.
- 3
Each field is typed, the screen is checked after the save with OCR on the confirmation region, and the record number is captured. The run log keeps a screenshot per row.
- 4
The row is marked Done with the record number and the screenshot link, or Failed with the reason; failures are posted to the owner in Teams.
- 5
Throughput is tuned by session count: two or three runner sessions handle most daily volumes.
Limits — what this does not do
- Surface automation depends on screen resolution and theme; the Citrix session is pinned to a fixed configuration and retested after client updates.
- Slower than control-based automation (a record a minute, not a second); plan sessions accordingly.
- OCR verification reads what is on screen; business validation rules stay in the workflow before the entry.
Questions about this process
Because the app runs on another machine; Citrix sends pixels. The bot therefore works from images, OCR and keyboard — surface automation — and verifies each step on screen.
With a fixed session configuration and verification after each save, yes; the failure path (screenshot to a person) is part of the design, not an afterthought.
Where the Citrix admin installs the automation virtual channel, control-based selectors become possible and the bot gets faster; most clients start without it.
Build this on your systems in a guided sandbox.
Tell us the process; after a 30-minute call the sandbox is ready from 24 hours, and we build the first run with your team.