---
title: "Execute Command"
slug: "execute-command"
updated: 2026-02-26T20:20:59Z
published: 2026-02-26T20:20:59Z
canonical: "documentation.decisions.com/execute-command"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://documentation.decisions.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Execute Command

| ## Step Details |
| --- |
| **Introduced in Version** | 4.0.0 |
| **Last Modified in Version** | 7.12.0 |
| **Location** | Flow Management |

The **Execute Command** step runs a command executable on the server, similar to the [Run Command Program on a File](/step-library/docs/run-command-line-program-on-file) step. The main difference is that **Execute Command** does not require a file input; instead, it runs the executable specified in **Command** with optional arguments from **ParameterString**.

**Important:** Command execution is disabled by default for security reasons. Enable it in **Settings.xml** by adding (if missing) or setting the following tag:  
`<AllowCommandExecutionInSteps>true</AllowCommandExecutionInSteps>`

---

## Properties

#### Setup

| Property | Description | Data Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Command | The absolute path to the command executable to run. Supported types include **.bat**, **.cmd**, and **.exe**. Network share (UNC) paths (for example, `\\server\share\file.bat`) are supported; mapped drive letters are not supported. | String |
| ParameterString | Optional command parameters, separated by spaces (for example, flags, arguments, or values accepted by the executable). | String |
| Get Command and Arguments from Flow | Retrieves the inputs for **Command** and **ParameterString** through the Flow. | Boolean |

**Note:** Relative paths are not supported for **Command**.

#### Outputs

| Property | Description | Data Type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ErrorCode | Returned when the command fails to execute. | --- |
|  | CommandErrorOutput | The error output produced by the command (stderr), when available. | String |
|  | CommandOutput | The standard output produced by the command (stdout), when available. | String |
|  | ReturnCode | The return/exit code produced by the executable, when available. | String |
| Success | Returned when the command executes successfully. | --- |
|  | CommandOutput | The standard output produced by the command (stdout), when available. | String |

---

## Example

The following example shows sample values for the **Command** and **ParameterString** inputs.

| Property | Example Value |
| --- | --- |
| Command | `C:\Windows\System32\cmd.exe` |
| ParameterString | `/c echo Hello World >> C:\Examples\testing.txt` |

![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/image-1772061977412.png)

---

## Common Errors

### Command execution is disabled

This error occurs when command execution is disabled for security reasons. Enable it in **Settings.xml** by adding (if missing) or setting the following tag:

`<AllowCommandExecutionInSteps>true</AllowCommandExecutionInSteps>`

### Could not find the file specified

A standard error when utilizing the step is an incomplete or incorrect path to the executable. Ensure that the full path in **Command** is complete and includes the correct file extension, and that the path is accessible to the Decisions service account. This message can be found in the **CommandErrorOutput**.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/6ef8bcc1-6489-4486-9ad1-83acff7e5df0/Images/Documentation/image-1673896340021.png)