Unseeing Browser

Help Activities
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1

Friends,

I need to develop a bot that opens and logs in to an application and after that scrapes a table, etc. This is an unattended bot and the client does not want to interfere with his daily desktop tasks. The client insisted that there is a way to NOT see the app while the bot is working. I do not know any activity that would let us navigate without seeing the app open and interferes with daily desktop tasks.

Please advise, if there is any way to run this bot in the back end without opening the browser and interfering with clicks?

Thank you in advance.

2

Hello @michelle.soto

What your client is referring to might be Robot session which operates in a small window for itself.
Here you can chose to run robots in a separate Windows session or on a virtual desktop.

You could of course also opt for the complete unattended robot, which automatically logs into a Windows session and performs their actions.

Best regards
Soren

3

Thanks for your prompt response.
Client was not referring to PIP because I mentioned that the only way that user and bot cannot be interfering to each other is to have a VM. He insisted there is an activity or property to hide browser and do not interfere daily tasks. Therefore, I am wondering if this is even possible, to do all the activities within a browser without seeing it moving or to even have the browser open?

4

Well in theory “Chromium” or “Simulate” input type should work around the user.
But that does’nt mean that he cant still close the browser by accident.

Regards
Soren

5

Ok, user can still do daily tasks using ‘Simulate’ or ‘Chromium’ if they maintain browser open is this correct?
Does the browser has to be on focus or can be behind other apps?

6

Yes that is correct - the browser can be in the background or minimized.

You can define Input mode and Resize window in the properties of your Use Application/Browser activity:

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Regards
Soren

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7

Question… when minimizing the browser will all of the activities perform
correctly? For example, I am minimizing the browser at this time but if I want to extract a table, it only extracts the first page vs. when browser is completely open, it extracts the entire table.

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Is it possible to minimized a web page and still perform all the tasks within it correctly? (extraction, clicks, etc)

Asking because, I was able to perform a couple of clicks and types while minimized but when I tried to extract a table, ONLY the first page of the table got extracted. If I maximize the page, all of the table pages get extracted.

Therefore, I am trying to find out if most of the activities work with a minimized web page?

Thank you

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@michelle.soto

few would be performed and few might not…it depends on the target webapp support. Wherever chomium api or headless is workign those would be supported…

But why do you want to minimize and perform? is it an attended bot?..

cheers

10

Thanks for your prompt response.

Because clients prefers not to see the web app while he is performing his daily tasks. I suggested a VM but didn’t accept that suggestion, therefore I am trying to look for options to run it as “invisible” as possible.

Unattended bot.

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@m.soto

try to use headless in use app browser and check if it is working then you can else you cannot

also as you already advised unattended would be a better option

cheers

12

Didn’t work :frowning: “A browser started by WebDriver in headless mode does not support this kind of operation.”

Maybe solution would be to have the web page open and using Chromium option for all interaction so it doesn’t interfere with his daily work.

Based on my understanding he can run unattended bot on his desktop AND VM, correct?

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@michelle.soto

he can run unattended in attended mode also…but it would run just as any normal process
and chromium api if supported then should be good

cheers

1 Like