How to Set Screen Resolution in Automation Anywhere
Set Automation 360 Bot Runner resolution correctly, match scaling and zoom, and fix bots that fail when unattended sessions use different displays.
Direct answer: In Automation 360, set the Bot Runner resolution for RDP deployments in Administration > Settings > Devices. Edit Resolution settings for a device session, choose a predefined value or Custom, enter the dimensions, then save. The setting is used when a new RDP session is created. Regular deployments keep the device’s existing resolution, so the Control Room value is ignored.
For bots that use coordinates, screenshots, image matching, OCR, or physical recorder actions, match the Bot Creator and Bot Runner resolution, display scaling, and application zoom. A resolution change by itself may not explain a failure: DPI scaling, browser zoom, and even the RDP display driver can affect the result.
Set the resolution for an Automation 360 RDP session
Before you begin
- Sign in to Control Room with the rights and permissions needed to change device settings.
- Confirm that the bot will run through an RDP-based deployment. This Control Room setting does not control regular deployments.
- Record the Bot Creator’s resolution, scaling, and application zoom so you can reproduce them on the Bot Runner.
Control Room procedure
- Open Administration > Settings > Devices.
- Edit Resolution settings for a device session.
- In Screen resolution, select a predefined resolution, or choose Custom and enter the required values.
- Choose whether to Enforce this screen resolution for existing device sessions. Use this when the device-level setting must be enforced.
- If users or device administrators must not change the value, select Do not allow devices to override resolution settings.
- Click Save.
Automation Anywhere creates the RDP session with the selected resolution at deployment time. Enforcement applies to new device sessions; it does not retrofit an already active session. If an active runner still has the old dimensions, end that session and create a new one. See the official Configure screen resolution for a device session guide.
Device-level settings and override behavior
Automation Anywhere also exposes resolution management at the device level. Before relying on a device’s own resolution value, make sure Allow devices to override resolution settings is enabled in the Control Room settings. A device can then use a predefined resolution or a custom value. This behavior is for RDP-based deployments; regular deployments use the device’s existing session resolution.
| Deployment type | Resolution used | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| RDP-based deployment | Resolution configured for the device session in Control Room | New session creation, enforcement, and device override permissions |
| Regular deployment | The device’s existing resolution | Windows display settings on the runner itself |
Match more than resolution
Resolution is the width and height of the display. Automation Anywhere’s resolution-dependent package guidance also calls out scaling and zoom. Capture a bot at one configuration and run it at another, and the same logical control can occupy different coordinates or produce different pixels.
| Setting to compare | Why it matters | Recommended practice |
|---|---|---|
| Screen resolution | Changes window dimensions and coordinate locations. | Use the same width and height on Bot Creator and Bot Runner. |
| Windows DPI scaling | Changes the physical size and position of controls. | Use the same scaling value; SAP Logon Recorder automation is documented as reliable at 100% DPI scaling. |
| Browser or application zoom | Changes rendered page geometry and text size. | Set the same zoom before recording and running. |
| Monitor configuration | Moving a window between monitors can change available coordinates. | Keep the runner’s monitor arrangement stable. |
| RDP display driver | Image pixels can differ slightly even with matching dimensions and scaling. | Prefer object-based selectors where possible and allow image matching tolerance for unavoidable pixel variation. |
Which Automation Anywhere actions are affected?
The official resolution-dependent package reference identifies the following failure modes:
| Package | What can break | Resolution-dependent data |
|---|---|---|
| App Integration | Capture area may capture the wrong part of a window when coordinates move. | X, Y, width, height |
| Image Recognition | Different scaling, zoom, or display drivers can alter pixels and reduce the matching percentage. | X, Y, width, height, image pixels and features |
| Mouse | Coordinate-based Click actions can land on another control. | X and Y |
| OCR | Capture-area rectangles can miss or include the wrong text. | X, Y, width, height |
| Recorder | Physical clicks and delayed text actions can behave unexpectedly when DPI scaling differs. SAP Logon is reliable at 100% DPI scaling. | X, Y, width, height and physical actions |
| Screen | Capture-area screenshots can contain the wrong region. | X, Y, width, height |
A repeatable validation checklist
- Identify whether the failure occurs in an RDP or regular deployment.
- Write down the actual Bot Creator and Bot Runner width and height.
- Compare Windows scaling and application or browser zoom.
- Confirm that the runner created a new session after the Control Room change.
- Classify the failing action: coordinate, image pixel, OCR rectangle, or physical recorder action.
- Run a small diagnostic bot that captures the full screen and the target area before the failing step.
- For image recognition, recapture the reference image on the runner or adjust the matching strategy after the display configuration is stable.
- For OCR and capture-area actions, recapture the rectangle at the final runner dimensions.
- For Recorder and SAP Logon, verify 100% DPI scaling before changing bot logic.
Troubleshooting common errors
The Control Room value had no effect
Cause: The bot used a regular deployment, which uses the device’s existing resolution.
Fix: Confirm the deployment mode. For a regular deployment, change and standardize the device session itself. For RDP, verify the session was recreated after saving the setting.
The active session still has the old resolution
Cause: Resolution enforcement applies to new sessions, not sessions that already exist.
Fix: End the old device session and deploy again. Confirm the new session dimensions before running the bot.
A device override is ignored
Cause: Control Room may not allow devices to override resolution settings, or a Control Room-level rule may be enforcing another value.
Fix: Review the override permission and the options Enforce this screen resolution for existing device sessions and Do not allow devices to override resolution settings. Then create a new session.
Clicks land beside the target
Cause: Mouse coordinates changed because resolution, scaling, or zoom changed.
Fix: Match all three display settings and recapture the action. Where the application supports it, prefer object-based automation over fixed screen coordinates.
Image Recognition finds the wrong result
Cause: Image matching depends on pixels and features. A different resolution, scaling value, zoom level, or RDP display driver can change those pixels.
Fix: Capture the reference image on the same runner configuration, keep the RDP display settings stable, and inspect the matching percentage. Matching dimensions alone do not guarantee identical pixels.
OCR returns incomplete or incorrect text
Cause: The capture rectangle no longer covers the intended text.
Fix: Match resolution, scaling, and zoom, then recapture the OCR area. Check that the window is in the same position and size when the action runs.
SAP Logon Recorder actions fail only unattended
Cause: The runner may use DPI scaling other than 100%, or physical actions may be executing in a differently sized session.
Fix: Set the runner to 100% DPI scaling, match the Creator’s resolution, and create a fresh RDP session before retesting.
The multi-display utility cannot change the screen
Cause: The Automation Anywhere App Store’s Change Display Resolutions listing states that it requires a physically logged-in user and does not support RDP login.
Fix: Do not use that utility as a replacement for the Automation 360 Control Room RDP setting. Treat older App Store utilities as legacy options and verify platform compatibility before deployment.
Legacy utility options
Automation Anywhere’s App Store lists Machine Screen Resolution Change, which reads the current resolution and changes it using dimensions in a Config.xml file. Its listing identifies Automation Anywhere Client 11.0 or later, Command Prompt, and PowerShell, and labels the platform 11.x. The listing was last updated December 1, 2020.
The Change Display Resolutions listing can enumerate monitors, change resolutions, and restore them, but states that a physically logged-in user is required and RDP login is unsupported. It is labeled platform 11.x and was last updated September 1, 2022.
These entries are useful references for legacy environments. For Automation 360 RDP deployments, use the current Control Room session setting and validate the runner’s actual display configuration.
Performance, reliability, and cost considerations
- Performance: A larger resolution gives the bot more pixels to capture and process. Keep the smallest resolution that contains the application’s required controls, while preserving the dimensions used when the bot was built.
- Reliability: Stable sessions matter more than changing resolution at runtime. Apply the value before deployment, recreate sessions after changes, and keep scaling, zoom, monitor layout, and display drivers consistent.
- Maintenance: A coordinate-heavy bot requires recapture when the display contract changes. Document the expected resolution, scaling, zoom, and monitor arrangement with the bot.
- Cost: Resolution settings are part of Automation Anywhere device and session administration. The research sources do not provide a separate per-resolution fee or performance benchmark.
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FAQ
Does the Control Room resolution setting work for regular deployments?
No. Regular deployments use the device’s existing session resolution. The Control Room value applies to RDP-based deployments.
Do I need to restart a running Bot Runner?
You need a new device session for a changed resolution to take effect. End and recreate the session if the existing one still uses the old value.
Is matching resolution enough for image recognition?
No. Match scaling and zoom too, and remember that a different RDP display driver can produce different pixels.
What is the safest DPI value for SAP Logon Recorder automation?
Automation Anywhere documents SAP Logon Recorder automation as reliable at 100% DPI scaling.
Can an App Store resolution bot replace the Control Room setting?
Not in every environment. The listed utilities target older 11.x platforms, and the multi-display utility explicitly does not support RDP login.
