As a Power Automate Desktop user, you might’ve come across scenarios where you need to generate random numbers—maybe for testing, simulation, or assigning temporary IDs dynamically.
Luckily, PAD (Power Automate Desktop) has a built-in action for this. But what if you need a list of random numbers? No worries, we’ll cover both in this blog with an easy-to-follow, real-world Indian developer’s perspective.
Let’s roll the dice and automate randomness. 😄
🎯 Why Generate Random Numbers in PAD?
Here are some real-life examples:
- For data-driven testing, you may want random IDs or values.
- In automation demos, to avoid hardcoded input.
- While simulating user behavior in test environments.
- Creating random OTP-like numbers for mock flows.
🧩 Option 1. Generate a Single Random Number
PAD provides a native action called "Generate random number" under “Number” actions.
Step 1. Create a new flow in Power Automate Desktop.
![Create a flow]()
Step 2. Search and drag the action “Generate random number”.
![Generate random number]()
Step 3. Set the Minimum value and Maximum value (Example: 100 to 999 for a 3-digit number).
![Set minimum value and maximum value]()
Step 4. Name the output variable as randomNumber.
🔸 Example Output
Random number between 100 and 999 = 658
Easy, right?
![Variable value]()
🧠 Pro Developer Tips
- Use Display message or Write to text file to output the list.
- Wrap the whole thing in a subflow and reuse it as a utility.
- You can also combine this with "Set variable as text" to convert the list into a string for emails or logs.
🏁 Use Case Examples for Indian IT Projects
| Scenario |
Where to Use |
| RPA Testing |
Generate mock employee IDs or policy numbers |
| Excel Automation |
Fill cells with dummy values |
| Chatbot Backend |
Simulate OTP/random fallback |
| Retail POS |
Create temporary coupon codes |
📌 Final Words
The ability to generate random data is a tiny yet powerful part of automation. Whether you need one number or a bunch, Power Automate Desktop makes it simple and code-free.
This trick often helps me during testing and quick prototyping. Try it out in your next automation project and thank me later. 😄