---
title: "system.net.openURL"
description: "Opens the given URL or URI scheme outside of the currently running Client in whatever application the host operating system deems appropriate."
---

# system.net.openURL

> Opens the given URL or URI scheme outside of the currently running Client in whatever application the host operating system deems appropriate.

This function is used in **Python Scripting**.

## Description
Opens the given URL or URI scheme outside of the currently running Client in whatever application the host operating system deems appropriate. For example, the URL:

```
"http://www.google.com"
```
will open in the default web browser, whereas this one:
```
"file://C:/Report.pdf"
```
will likely open in Adobe Acrobat. The Windows network-share style path like:
```
"\\Fileserver\resources\machine_manual.pdf"
```
will work as well (in Windows).

 
:::caution
Be careful not to use this function in a full-screen client, as launching an external program will break your full-screen exclusive mode.
:::

## Client Permission Restrictions
This scripting function has no [Client Permission](../../../ignition-modules/vision/vision-project-properties/vision-project-properties.md#vision-permissions-properties) restrictions.

## Syntax
`system.net.openURL(url [, useApplet])`

### Parameters
Type | Parameter | Description 
------- | ------- | ------
String| `url` | The URL to open in a web browser.
Boolean| `useApplet` | If set to true (1), and the client is running as an Applet, then the browser instance that launched the applet will be used to open the URL. [optional]

### Returns

Nothing

### Scope

Vision Client

## Code Examples
```python title="Example #1"
# This code would open a web page
system.net.openURL("http://www.google.com")
```
```python title="Example #2"
# This code would open a PDF document located at C: on the client computer
# Note the double backslashes are needed because backslash is the escape character
# for Python
system.net.openURL("file://C:\\myPDF.pdf")
```
```python title="Example #3"
# This code would open a PDF document from a Windows-based file server
# Note the double backslashes are needed because backslash is the escape character
# for Python
system.net.openURL("\\\\MyServer\\MyDocs\\document.pdf")
```