Excel VBA, open url without opening browser
<p>I am working on a project that requires a certain amount of interactivity between the excel user and a web server. </p>

<p>I know you can use the </p>

<pre><code>    hyperlink.follow 
</code></pre>

<p>method to open a url within the default browser.</p>

<p>However what I would like to accomplish is to be able to open a url behind the scenes without the page opening in a browser.</p>

<p>Does anyone know how this can be accomplished.</p>

<p>the following constraints apply.</p>

<ol>
<li>We cannot assume the user has a particular browser installed, ie. chrome, for example, nor can we assume the user has a browser installed at all.</li>
<li>We cannot assume the users all have the same os. Some may have win7, some may have win10. We just don't know.</li>
<li>We can assume that the computer is connected to the internet and has an IP address, and that firewalls will not be an issue.</li>
</ol>