PowerShell interpreter

To use the PowerShell interpreter, you’ll first need to set up our Microsoft Cloud Bundle, which contains the Azure integration.

PowerShell support is currently in beta, with general availability expected soon. We're gathering customer feedback to improve performance and expand context support. Scroll to the end of this page to view our current known issue list.

Use PowerShell in Rewst

Rewst now supports PowerShell as a scripting option, giving you a familiar and flexible alternative to Jinja. PowerShell code can run in workflows, transitions, and data aliases by using secure Azure-hosted Function Apps deployed via Rewst. This means:

You write PowerShell in the same places you’d use Jinja, like the Live Editor or within a workflow.
You start a block with the #ps header to tell Rewst to run that code using the PowerShell interpreter.

Note that all Crates in Rewst use Jinja only. To modify a Crate, you must use Jinja.

Rewst’s App Builder does not currently support the use of PowerShell.

PowerShell and Jinja can’t be mixed in the same code block.

What is PowerShell?

PowerShell is a command-line shell and scripting language used for automating tasks across Windows and other systems. Think of it as a way to write scripts that manage files, configure systems, and interact with services. It’s especially useful for MSPs who manage Microsoft-heavy organizations. If you’re new to Powershell, see Microsoft’s documentation here.

How is PowerShell incorporated into Rewst?

When you use a #ps block:

Your code is sent to a dedicated Azure Function App tied to your Rewst org.
The app runs the script in an isolated PowerShell environment.
The result is returned to Rewst and used just like Jinja output would be.

Only CTX and RESULT objects are available as context inside PowerShell blocks.

In Rewst’s version of PowerShell, the return behavior is streamlined: whatever the last evaluated expression is, be it a string, variable or object, that’s what gets returned as the raw response. Unlike traditional PowerShell, where Write-Output may return multiple values throughout the script’s execution, the interpreter doesn’t collect all of those outputs. It only captures the final evaluated value. If you want to return multiple items, wrap them in an array or object and ensure that’s the last line in your script. For example:

$first = @{ Name = "Alpha"; ID = 1 }
$second = @{ Name = "Beta"; ID = 2 }
$results = @($first, $second)
$results  # <- This will be the returned value in Rewst

Why use PowerShell in Rewst?

If you already know your way around PowerShell, there’s a good chance that you’ve used it to script against systems like Active Directory, Exchange, Intune, or local machine configurations. Rewst now lets you tap into those skills directly, without needing to learn Jinja first.

Example: Onboard a new user across Microsoft tools

You’re an MSP admin, and a new hire just joined a client’s company. You need to:

Create an account in Microsoft Entra ID
Assign them to the correct security groups
Add a license in Microsoft 365
Apply a specific configuration profile in Intune
Notify the manager via Teams

With PowerShell in Rewst, you could:

Use #ps in a workflow task to create the user and assign licenses using New-MgUser and Set-MgUserLicense
Add a transition that checks if the PowerShell command returned successfully before continuing
Trigger a Teams message, or use Jinja if needed, to confirm that setup is complete

Since you're using Rewst workflows, you could plug this right into an intake form or ticket trigger to automate everything end-to-end.

Example: Automate recurring maintenance tasks

Let’s say every Friday, you:

Run disk cleanup scripts on on-prem servers
Export reports from Microsoft Exchange mailboxes
Update device compliance status in Intune
Rotate passwords in a privileged access system like CyberArk or Keeper

Using scheduled workflows and #ps blocks, you could:

Authenticate securely to each environment using credentials stored in Rewst
Run your PowerShell logic as you would on a jump box, but now in the cloud
Push results to Slack, a ticket, or even update the status in a custom dashboard

Example: Bridge Microsoft and non-Microsoft systems

You might already be using PowerShell to work with:

VMware or Hyper-V
SQL Server management
Custom REST APIs for backup software like Veeam or Datto

With the PowerShell interpreter in Rewst, you can:

Use #ps to query and transform data
Pass that result to a Jinja block for parsing or formatting
Chain it into third-party tools to complete tasks such as updating asset data in IT Glue, pushing events to SentinelOne, or enriching a ticket in ConnectWise PSA

Even if Rewst doesn’t have a built-in connector for something, PowerShell gives you the ability to script your way through it, just like you would in a local environment.

Cost considerations

Microsoft’s free tier allows for 1 million function executions, plus 400,000 GB-seconds of compute each month. Beyond those free limits, additional executions are billed according to Azure’s pay-as-you-go rates. Typically, these are fractions of a cent per million executions, plus memory usage.

For many Rewst customers who only run occasional PowerShell workflows, the monthly cost is minimal or effectively $0 since this number of executions will fall within the free tier.
Higher-traffic organizations can pay Microsoft anywhere from a few dollars to tens of dollars a month for function usage, depending on volume and script complexity.

Resource naming conventions

When creating an Azure Function App, the app name must be globally unique across all Azure tenants. This name is used not only for the Function App itself, but also for the associated App Service, storage account, and the app’s root URL.

To ensure uniqueness and avoid naming collisions, we use "rewstinterpreters" as the base name and append a UUID.

Setup: deploy PowerShell interpreters

To start using PowerShell, you’ll need to deploy an Azure Function App interpreter through Rewst. We use a ZIP deployment process for the Function App code.

Make sure that you have successfully set up the Microsoft Cloud integration bundle before attempting these steps.

Navigate to Tools > Interpreters in the left side menu of your Rewst platform.
Click PowerShell (Beta) to expand the accordion menu. The two drop-down fields within the menu will populate with options pulled from your Azure instance, to line up with your subscriptions.
Click down carrot in the Subscription drop-down selector and choose your relevant subscription.
Click down carrot in the Resource Group drop-down selector and choose your relevant resource group.
Click Deploy.
1. This process may take a few moments. An in-progress message will display while you wait. You can leave the page if desired, without interrupting the deployment.
2. Once finished, a deployed message will appear at the bottom of the accordion menu, along with a Remove interpreter button. If deployment fails, a red error message will appear in a dialog on your screen.

What gets created

Rewst creates the following in your Azure environment during deployment of the interpreter:

A PowerShell 7.4-based Function App
A shared consumption App Service Plan
Application insights for logging
A Storage Account for keys and triggers

Use a parent organization’s Azure

If you don’t have Azure set up for your organization, you can override the Azure integration with a parent organization's configuration. This lets sub-orgs run PowerShell without duplicating infrastructure.

How to use PowerShell in Rewst

In the Live Editor

The Live Editor supports real-time PowerShell testing.

Navigate to Tools > Live Editor.
Click Jinja2 to switch the Live Editor over to PowerShell.
Use #ps to start a PowerShell block:

   powershell
   CopyEdit
   #ps
   "Hello from PowerShell"

Remember, don’t mix PowerShell and Jinja in the same block. You can use both in the same workflow, just not together in one snippet.

In workflow components

powershell CopyEdit #ps "Hello from PowerShell"

PowerShell works in:

Tasks – e.g., for generating dynamic output
Transitions – e.g., to determine conditional logic
Data Aliases – e.g., when transforming or mapping data

Use #ps exactly as you would #jinja:

powershell
CopyEdit
#ps
if ($CTX.User.Name -eq "Alice") {
  return "VIP"
} else {
  return "Standard"
}

The `#psl` header

The interpreter also allows for a #psl header for line-by-line PowerShell. Currently its use is limited and not the focus of our first version of the PowerShell interpreter. Use #ps unless you're testing something specific.

Additional use considerations

Azure Function execution timeout for PowerShell is similar to that of Jinja. Expect 30-60 seconds for actions, and 10 seconds for parameters.
All output from PowerShell is processed as JSON. For best results, use ConvertTo-JSON when returning data.