In some embodiments, a robotic process automation (RPA) design interface comprises a dedicated menu item which, when invoked, includes a file download activity into an existing robotic workflow. A configuration interface further enables the developer to set activity parameters such as a download trigger event and a destination folder for the downloaded file. In some embodiments, executing the download activity comprises the RPA robot suspending subsequent activities of the current robotic workflow until the respective download is complete, and automatically determining a set of runtime attribute values (e.g., filename, size, etc.) of the downloaded file.