Make a rest csom call - error in body

Question

I'm using a flow http request and wish to update a sharepoint column with the following uri:

_vti_bin/client.svc/ProcessQuery

It all works , but when i try to add html tags, <a href="https://google.com">Google</a> within parameter tags

I get an error:

<Request xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/clientquery/2009" SchemaVersion="15.0.0.0" LibraryVersion="16.0.0.0" ApplicationName="Javascript Library">
    <Actions>
        <Method Name="SetFieldValue" Id="4" ObjectPathId="3">
            <Parameters>
                <Parameter Type="String">wfRef</Parameter>
                 <Parameter Type="String"><a href="https://google.com">Google</a></Parameter>
            </Parameters>
        </Method>
        <Method Name="SystemUpdate" Id="5" ObjectPathId="3" />
    </Actions>
    <ObjectPaths>
        <Property Id="1" ParentId="0" Name="Web" />
        <Method Id="2" ParentId="1" Name="GetList">
            <Parameters>
                <Parameter Type="String">/sites/mySite</Parameter>
            </Parameters>
        </Method>
        <Method Id="3" ParentId="2" Name="GetItemById">
            <Parameters>
                <Parameter Type="Number">12</Parameter>
            </Parameters>
        </Method>
        <StaticProperty Id="0" TypeId="{3747adcd-a3c3-41b9-bfab-4a64dd2f1e0a}" Name="Current" />
    </ObjectPaths>
</Request>

Error message:

 "ErrorInfo": {
      "ErrorMessage": "The element 'Parameter' in namespace 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/clientquery/2009' has invalid child element 'a' in namespace 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/clientquery/2009'. List of possible elements expected: 'Property, Object, Include' in namespace 'http://schemas.microsoft.com/sharepoint/clientquery/2009'.",
      "ErrorValue": null,

I've tried escaping the forward slashes with a backslash but get same error.

Any ideas anyone?

Answer 1

Well, the message is clear that you have an A element within your Parameter XML. Your A element must be escaped, or else it will be rendered as a normal XML. It's not the slashes you need to escape, it's the whole A element itself within that you need to escape.

Use this tool: https://www.freeformatter.com/xml-escape.html. You'll get this:

<a href="https://google.com">Google</a>