Open URL from a FileMaker script

Beginner

Launch web pages, mailto links, and custom URL schemes from scripts using the Open URL step, with error handling for unsupported schemes.

What you'll learn

How to open a web URL from a FileMaker script
How to construct a mailto: link with pre-filled subject and body
How to open a custom URL scheme to launch another app
Why Open URL does nothing in server-side scripts
How to build the URL dynamically from field data

Open URL passes a URL string to the operating system, which opens it in the default application for that scheme. This covers web pages (https://), email (mailto:), FaceTime (facetime:), and any custom URL scheme registered on the device. In server-side scripts (FMSA scheduled scripts) Open URL does nothing -- it requires a client session.

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Open a web URL from a field value

Build the URL string in a variable, validate it is not empty, then call Open URL with the "No dialog" option to suppress any system confirmation prompt.

FileMaker Script

Set Variable [ $url ; Value: Trim ( Contacts::WebsiteURL ) ]

If [ IsEmpty ( $url ) ]
  Show Custom Dialog [ "No website URL is on file for this contact." ]
  Exit Script [ Text Result: "empty" ]
End If

# Add https:// if no scheme is present
If [ Left ( $url ; 4 ) != "http" ]
  Set Variable [ $url ; Value: "https://" & $url ]
End If

Open URL [ No dialog ; URL: $url ]

Commit Records: skip validation and no-dialog flags New Record / Request with scripted default values