SoftwareCentral · Tools

Open URL

An Open URL tool opens a web address in a new browser tab when a user clicks it in the Tools menu. Use it for a web site, or for a tool that starts from an address, such as the Intune remote assistance tool.

Opens in the user's browser The address needs a scheme Pop-ups must be allowed

1 What it does

An Open URL tool opens the address you enter in a new browser tab, on the computer of the user who clicks the tool.

The address is opened by the user's browser, so it must be reachable from that computer. The tool does not run on the server. When the tab opens, the tool window closes by itself.

Some browsers block pop-ups The tab is opened when the user clicks the tool. A browser can block that pop-up, and then nothing seems to happen. Allow pop-ups for SoftwareCentral, as described in the troubleshooting table below.

2 Set up an Open URL tool

Create the tool in Manage Tools, or open an existing tool with its edit window, and set its type to Open URL.

  1. In the tool window, type a Name. The name can be up to 50 characters.
  2. Optionally, type a Description.
  3. Set Type to Open URL. The window then shows the text Enter the URL to open in the users browser. and a URL box. The Parameters box is hidden for this type.
  4. Type the full address in the URL box, for example https://…
  5. Click Save, or Cancel to leave without a change.
Edit window of the tool Intune Remote Assistance. Name is Intune Remote Assistance, Type is Open URL, and the URL box contains ms-remote-help://. The Save and Cancel buttons are at the bottom.
Earlier version: the edit window of a tool with Type set to Open URL and the URL box filled in. The fields and the text Enter the URL to open in the users browser. match the current window; the picture itself was not retaken.

3 The URL

The address must start with a scheme, such as https://. The window checks that the text contains ://, and refuses to save the tool if it does not.

EntryResult
https://www.contoso.comSaved. The web site opens in a new tab.
ms-remote-help://Saved. A scheme of an application, such as the Intune remote assistance tool.
www.contoso.comNot saved. The window shows Invalid URL. It must contain a url scheme.
Do not put secrets in the address The URL is stored with the tool and is shown in its edit window. Do not put passwords, keys or tokens in it.

4 Example: Intune remote assistance

You can use the Open URL type to start the Intune remote assistance tool from SoftwareCentral.

The tool is set up in the same way as any other Open URL tool: set Type to Open URL, and enter the address of the remote assistance tool in the URL box. The picture in section 2 shows this set-up.

5 Best practice

  • Allow pop-ups for SoftwareCentral on the computers that use the tool. The tab is opened by a pop-up, so a blocked pop-up looks like a tool that does nothing.
  • Use an address the user's computer can reach. The browser on the user's computer opens the address, so an internal address must be reachable from that computer, not only from the server.
  • Keep secrets out of the address. The address is stored with the tool and shown in its window.
  • Give the tool only to the roles that need it. Assign it with Assign Tools to Security Roles, so that only the people who need the address see the tool.
  • Test it on a client computer. The tab opens in the browser of the computer where the tool is clicked, so a click on the server shows you nothing useful.

6 Troubleshooting

SymptomCauseWhat to do
The window shows Invalid URL. It must contain a url scheme.The URL box has no scheme, so the text does not contain ://. For example, www.contoso.com has no scheme.Type the full address with its scheme, for example https:// in front of it.
Clicking the tool does nothing that you can seeThe browser has blocked the pop-up that opens the new tab.Allow pop-ups for SoftwareCentral in the browser, then click the tool again.