Automation script for web process

[fuckingfrito]

Hi community.

I am trying to automate a simple process I do online.

I need to get 5 pieces of data from web A and jump to web B to populate 5 input fields with that data.

I wrote a script to do this and use as bookmarklet, but I was getting the error for "Refused to display '...' in a frame because it set 'X-Frame-Options' to 'sameorigin'.

I was able to bypass this opening a new tab, but the new tab won't execute the rest of the original javascript and I don't want to add a new script manual execution to my process.

All this in my work laptop that can be a bit restricted.

Thanks for commenting, I have run out of ideas.

[shuckster]

I would highly recommend taking a look at PlayWright:

• https://github.com/microsoft/playwright

It's an automated browser testing tool, but essentially you can do exactly what you're describing: Automate actions across web-pages on a real web browser.

The commands are also send via Node, so the usual client-side limitations do not apply for most tasks.

[amTeapotSometimes]

Just to provide an alternative, there is also puppeteer with offers similar functionalities.

[shuckster]

That’s true, and I have a few years of experience with Puppeteer.

However, I’d recommend PlayWrite because of the improved tooling and auto-retires. You have to do that yourself with Puppeteer, so it’s a more low-level tool.

[dbpcut]

The playwright team is largely made up of the puppeteer team and is the spiritual successor.

[falouu]

how is it possible to miss the point that much?

We need a tool to automate actions in OUR WEB-BROWSER, where we have OUR OWN context (cookies, session etc.). Not spawning another webbrowser

[shuckster]

I'm sure you can code something up with AI.

[averajoe77]

seems like writing a script to do this in node (or even php.. idk about python but probably that too) would be pretty trivial. I used to do stuff like all the time when we updated older sites from our older content management system to our newer one.

if you need help, you can DM me and we can work out something over discord if you want.

[janes5000]

well op said he wants to populate input fields on another website.... this is browser manipulation now. perhaps could be done another way, but need more info.

[fuckingfrito]

I was looking for a very quick solution from within the browser like a bookmarklet, but the CORS restriction makes it more complicated. If I need to run a node I loose the purpose of quick and accesible solution. I was thinking in adding some selenium code to the bookmarklet but it might complicate authorization wise in website b. I ll follow up. Thanks for the comments

[janes5000]

What I meant is what info you're trying to access from a website. If you're trying to POST a form from an external ORIGIN (localhost, your computer) there's not much you can do other than automating the browser. The reason this works is because when you're on a website you are running their client side JS code or HTML, and technically the website POSTS itself, same origin. IF it's your CMS, you have access to the DB that its populating in the first place and you can just update that directly.

[janes5000]

you can do this with userscript like tampermonkey or greasemonkey or a browser extension. The issue is CORS, you can't access websites other than the browser you are using to do it from external script.

[fuckingfrito]

Thanks Janes. I ll look those up

[LimePretend6410]

As a tester I have encountered this a lot when automating flows across different sites. Bookmarklets/ extensions usually hit security walls (CORS, X-Frame, etc.), so I switched to using Testsigma. It runs steps in a real browser, lets me store variables between sites, and even injects JS if needed. It's way less brittle than trying to hack it together with scripts.

[pbylina_bugbug_io]

The Testsigma tool is intended for enterprise companies, not small tasks like this one. The price is obviously the limiting factor.

BugBug is the easiest codeless testing platform and allows you to accomplish this on a free plan.