Overview

The Browser actions empower a robotic process to open and interact with web browsers. Through these actions, you can navigate to a URL and interact with the web page just as a human would: click on the page controls, select options, enter values in text fields, retrieve HTML items, and more.

This page describes how to integrate Browser actions into your robotic process, which provide an easier and more robust development experience.

If you need to extend Appian RPA capabilities, you can use Java to create workflow libraries for robotic processes.

Browser actions architecture

Browser actions require Selenium to work properly and interact with browsers.

Automatically update web drivers

Instead of having to manually download and add web drivers to your support files, Appian can automatically maintain Selenium web drivers for you. This option is turned off by default.

With this option selected, Appian will automatically provide the necessary web drivers for the browser you are using in your robotic processes and the task recorder. When you allow Appian to add and update web drivers automatically, you avoid the common problem of having a web driver go out of date when the corresponding browser updates.

To allow Appian to automatically provide web drivers:

1. Go to the Settings tab.
2. In the Configuration tab, go to Security policies.
3. Select Allow Appian to provide selenium web drivers.
4. Click Save security policies.

That's it! With this option selected, there isn't anything else to configure.

Components

This area describes each of the components needed to work with the Appian RPA Browser actions:

• Java Selenium drivers: Appian RPA uses the Selenium WebDriver API, which contains different language-specific implementations, such as Java. The Java implementations, included in the Maven dependency selenium-java, are called drivers. It is important to know this terminology to avoid confusion.
• Servers: executable programs that drivers communicate with. Drivers use servers to interact with browsers. These servers, sometimes known as proxies, are necessary and are available to download as external components, since they are developed by third parties. This page uses the term servers to avoid confusion.

• Browsers: the web browsers to use in the automation. The following table summarizes browser and resource compatibility:

  	Windows	Mac	Linux
  Chrome	Supported	Supported	Supported
  Firefox	Supported	Supported	Supported
  Edge	Supported	Supported	Unsupported
  Edge (IE Mode)	Supported	Unsupported	Unsupported
  Opera	Supported	Unsupported	Unsupported

The following image shows how all these components are connected:

Different servers available for each supported browser:

• ChromeDriver: server to link Browser actions with Chrome.
• EdgeWebDriver: server to link Browser actions with Edge. You'll need a specific web driver version to use Edge (IE Mode) with the task recorder.
• InternetExplorerDriver: server to link Browser actions with Edge (IE mode).
• GeckoDriver: server to link Browser actions with Firefox.
• OperaChromiumDriver: server to link Browser actions with Opera.

Here is what the support file structure looks like for the various resource types:

Windows:

Driver paths for Windows are case insensitive. The path can begin with an upper or lowercase letter (ChromeWebDriver or chromeWebDriver) and the robotic process will reference both with the same result.

Mac:

Driver paths for Mac are case insensitive. The path can begin with an upper or lowercase letter (ChromeWebDriver or chromeWebDriver) and the robotic process will reference both with the same result.

Linux:

Driver paths for Linux are case sensitive and must begin with an uppercase letter, for example: ChromeWebDriver. If the path doesn't begin with an uppercase letter, the robotic process won't be able to reference the support file.

Compatibility between components

Not all versions of each component are compatible with each other. We recommend that you always work with the most recent versions of the browsers and their bridge servers. In all cases, they must be compatible with the Selenium version integrated into the Appian RPA Browser actions. Visit the links below for each web browser to know what versions are supported for the rest of the components:

• Chrome: See the supported versions for ChromeDriver.
• Edge: See the supported versions for EdgeWebDriver.
• Firefox: See the supported versions for geckodriver.
  • Note: For Mac developers we recommend using the non-64-bit version of geckodriver (ending in macos.tar.gz rather than macos-aarch64.tar.gz).
• Opera: See the supported versions for OperaChromiumDriver.

Using Browser actions

The Browser module lets you configure how the robotic process opens and interacts with a web browser. Browser actions are listed in the Browser area of the palette.

• Close browser
• Get attribute
• Interact with element
• Navigate to URL
• Open browser
• Return window title
• Select frame
• Set timeout in seconds
• Switch tab or browser

Close browser

This action closes the browser on the resource.

You can configure CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION section of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Close: Choose which browser to close:
  • Active browser: Close the active browser on the resource. If you use this action in the middle of the workflow, be sure to add an action to switch to another browser to continue browser automations. Otherwise, the robotic process won't know which browser to use after you close the active one.
  • Specific browser: Close a browser by specifying its type.
    • Browser type: Specify the browser type using a dropdown menu. Options include Google Chrome, Firefox, Edge, and Opera.
  • All browsers opened by robot: Close all browsers that the robot opened during this execution.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Get attribute

This action lets you find the attribute value of one or more elements on the web page.

You can configure CONFIGURATION, OUTPUTS, and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Selector: Lets you identify an element on the web page based on a Selenium By class and matching value. The options include:
  • ID
  • Link Text
  • Partial Link Text
  • Name
  • Tag Name
  • XPath
  • Class Name
  • CSS Selector
• Wait time: Lets you specify the maximum amount of time the robotic process should wait for the element before moving on. If the element is found before the defined time, it will continue as soon as the element is found. Choose from these options:
  • Use default max wait time: When selected, the robotic process waits for the time you set in the Set timeout in seconds action. If this time elapses without finding the element, the action completes.
  • Enter explicit wait time: When selected, you can enter the maximum time (in seconds) the robotic process should wait. This number must be greater than zero. If this time elapses without finding the element, the action completes.
  • Don't wait: If the element isn't found, the action completes without waiting.

• Attribute to return: Contains multiple options:

  Display Name	Returns	Description
  Value	Text	The value of the "value" attribute. Many types of components may contain a "value" attribute, though selection components may find other options more in line with what they're looking for (dropdowns use either Selected dropdown options or First selected dropdown option, while checkboxes and radio buttons may use Is selected?).
  Hypertext Reference (href)	Text	The value of the "href" attribute.
  Text	Text	The text contained within an HTML tag.
  Image Source (src)	Text	The value of the "src" attribute of an image.
  Class Name	Text	The value of the "className" attribute of an element. Many types of components have this attribute, but it will typically only be extracted from visual components such as icons.
  Is Enabled?	Boolean	Returns true if the element is enabled or false if it is disabled.
  Is Displayed?	Boolean	Returns true if the element is displayed or false if it exists but is not displayed.
  Is Multiple?	Boolean	Returns true if the dropdown supports selecting multiple options or false if it does not. If this option is used on a component that is not a dropdown, it will return false.
  Is Selected?	Boolean	Returns true if the checkbox or radio button option is selected or false if it is not.
  All dropdown options	List of Maps	Each Map represents WebElement and contains three entries: index, value, and text. If the dropdown does not contain any options, returns an empty list.
  Selected dropdown options	List of Maps	Each Map represents WebElement and contains three entries: index, value, and text. If no options are selected, returns an empty list.
  First selected dropdown option	Map	Returns a Map representing WebElement containing three entries: index, value, and text. If no option is selected, returns null.
  Other	Text	Any attribute you specify. If you select this option, enter the name of the attribute you want to return in the Other attribute field.

• Fail if…: Determines the condition under which the action should fail. Available options are:
  • Element not found: After the configured wait time, the element still does not exist on the web page. Use this if the element must be found to continue with the process.
  • More than one element is found: Multiple elements on the page matched the selection criteria as defined in Selector. Use this if you only expected to find one element.
  • Attribute does not exist: None of the attributes match the selected criteria set in Attribute to return. Use this if the specified attribute must be present in all identified elements to continue with the process. If not checked and the attribute doesn't exist, it will return null.

Output

This action returns a list. Each index in the list corresponds to the attribute value of one element. If the attribute for any element isn't found, the value at that index is null.

In the OUTPUTS area of the action pane, configure the following parameters to store this result:

• Operator: Select an option to store the result as a single-value variable (is stored as) or add the result as a multiple-value variable (is appended to).
• Target: Enter the name of the robotic process variable where you want to store or append the result. If your process variable is type CDT, you can specify which field of a CDT to store the result into using dot notation.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Interact with element

This browser action lets you interact with elements on the screen, based on the selection and configurations you specify.

You can configure CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Selector: Lets you identify an element on the web page based on a Selenium By class and matching value. The options include:
  • ID
  • Link Text
  • Partial Link Text
  • Name
  • Tag Name
  • XPath
  • Class Name
  • CSS Selector
• Wait for element: Lets you specify the maximum amount of time the robotic process should wait for the element before moving on. If the element is found before the defined time, it will continue as soon as the element is found. Choose from these options:
  • Use default max wait time: When selected, the robotic process waits for the time you set in the Set timeout in seconds action. If this time elapses without finding the element, the action completes.
  • Enter explicit wait time: When selected, you can enter the maximum time (in seconds) the robotic process should wait. This number must be greater than zero. If this time elapses without finding the element, the action completes.
  • Don't wait: If the element isn't found, the action completes without waiting.
• Interaction: Contains multiple options:
  • Click on element
  • Double-click on element
  • Right click on element
  • Select dropdown choice by index: Value input must be greater than zero.
  • Select dropdown choice by visible text: When you select this option, specify the visible text to find.
  • Select dropdown choice by value: When you select this option, specify the value to find.
  • Select checkbox (if not already selected)
  • Deselect dropdown choice by index: Value input must be greater than zero.
  • Deselect dropdown choice by visible text: When you select this option, specify the visible text to find.
  • Deselect dropdown choice by value: When you select this option, specify the value to find.
  • Deselect checkbox (if already selected)
  • Toggle checkbox
  • Update value: When you select this option, specify the new value.
  • Update value with a document: Select the document you wish to upload using a parameter or constant through the expression editor.
  • Update value with username: Select a username associated with a credential entry. To start, choose the selection method for the credential:
    • Selection method: Choose whether to use any available credential for an application, or a specific credential entry. Additional options appear based on your selection.
      • Any available credential: When selected, a Select application dropdown menu appears for you to select the application to use. The robotic process uses any available credential's username for the selected application.
      • Specific credential: When selected, a Select credential dropdown menu appears for you to select a credential entry to use. Each entry shows the credential's application name and username. The robotic process will use the username associated with the credential.
      • Reserved credential: Choose a reserved credential. This option applies only when you're using the current process as a robotic subprocess. You can select a credential that was reserved and saved to a variable in the parent robotic process.
  • Update value with password: Select a password associated with a credential entry. To start, choose the selection method for the credential:
    • Selection method: Choose whether to use a password associated with a previously referenced credential, or a specific credential entry. Additional options appear based on your selection.
      • Previously referenced credential: When selected, a Select application dropdown menu appears for you to select the application associated with a credential referenced previously in the robot's workflow. The robotic process uses the password associated the selected application and previously referenced credential. Note that the robotic process execution will fail if it attempts to use a password based on a previously referenced credential and no credential was added earlier in the process. First input the username, and then use this option to input the related password.
      • Specific credential: When selected, a Select credential dropdown menu appears for you to select a credential entry to use. Each entry shows the credential's application name and username. The robotic process will use the password associated with the credential.
  • Clear value
• Scroll to element before interaction: Choose whether to scroll on the browser so the element is in view before the robotic process interacts with it. This can be helpful if you're using screen recordings or screenshots and want the element to be visible.
• Fail if…: Determines the condition under which the action should fail. Available options are:
  • Element not found: After the configured wait time, the element still does not exist on the web page. Use this if the element must be found to continue with the process.
  • More than one element is found: Multiple elements on the page matched the selection criteria as defined in Selector. Use this if you only expected to find one element.
  • Interaction is invalid: The selected interaction can't be executed. Examples of this include attempting to click on a disabled element, attempting to select a dropdown choice from an element that isn't a dropdown, etc. Use this when this interaction is required to continue the process.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Navigate to URL

This action opens the browser and navigates to the specified URL. If there is a browser already open, this action will open a window/tab inside it.

You can configure CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameter:

• URL: Enter the URL to which you want the robotic process to navigate. This URL must be complete, that is, it must contain the protocol, domain name, and path.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Open browser

This browser action lets you initialize the browser of your choice and navigate to a URL. If a browser window is already open, this action will open a new tab in the existing window.

You can use this action multiple times in a robotic process. The most recently opened browser is considered the active browser in the context of actions like Switch tab or browser.

You can configure CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Type of Browser: Set the browser type using a dropdown menu. The default is Google Chrome. Additional browsers include Firefox, Edge, Edge (IE Mode), and Opera.
  • If a Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Opera browser window is already open on the resource, this action opens a new tab in that window.
  • If using Edge (IE Mode), this should be the first browser open in the robotic process. You'll also need to use the Internet Explorer driver as the support file.
• URL: Enter the URL to navigate to once the browser opens.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Return window title

This action returns the title of the current window.

You can configure OUTPUTS and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Output

This action returns a text value.

In the OUTPUTS area of the action pane, configure the following parameters to store this result:

• Operator: Select an option to store the result as a single-value variable (is stored as) or add the result as a multiple-value variable (is appended to).
• Target: Enter the name of the robotic process variable where you want to store or append the result. If your process variable is type CDT, you can specify which field of a CDT to store the result into using dot notation.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Select frame

This action lets you switch the context for the web page if frames or iframes are present. Use this action to switch to the frame or iframe or navigate out of it. Note that all following actions within the browser will use the frame selected by this action.

You can configure the CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Switch to: Choose the frame to use as the context: Frame, Parent Frame, or Top-most Frame. If you select Frame, use the Selector configuration to choose how to identify it. A parent frame is the frame immediately above the currently selected frame. The top-most frame is the frame that contains all other frames on the page. There can be more than one parent frame on a page, but there is only one top-most frame in a page. This action makes no changes if the top-most frame on the page is already selected and you choose either Parent Frame or Top-most Frame.
• Selector: Lets you identify the frame on the web page based on a Selenium By class and matching value. This option only appears when Frame is selected in the Switch to option. The options include:
  • ID
  • Link Text
  • Partial Link Text
  • Name
  • Tag Name
  • XPath
  • Class Name
  • CSS Selector
  • Index
• Wait for element: Lets you specify the maximum amount of time the robotic process should wait for the element before moving on. If the element is found before the defined time, it will continue as soon as the element is found. This option only appears when Frame is selected in the Switch to option. The action won't wait when other options are selected. Choose from these options:
  • Use default max wait time: When selected, the robotic process waits for the time you set in the Set timeout in seconds action. If this time elapses without finding the element, the action completes.
  • Enter explicit wait time: When selected, you can enter the maximum time (in seconds) the robotic process should wait. This number must be greater than zero. If this time elapses without finding the element, the action completes.
  • Don't wait: If the element isn't found, the action completes without waiting.
• Fail if…: Determines the condition under which the action should fail. This option only appears when Frame is selected in the Switch to option. Available options are:
  • Element not found: After the configured wait time, the element still does not exist on the web page. Use this if the element must be found to continue with the process.
  • Interaction is invalid: The selected interaction can't be executed. Examples of this include finding an element that isn't a frame or iframe. Use this when this interaction is required to continue the process.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Set timeout in seconds

This action sets the browser timeout in seconds.

You can configure CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameter:

• Timeout seconds: Enter the number of seconds you want the robotic process to wait on the web page before it times out.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

Switch tab or browser

This action lets you switch to a new tab in the current browser or a new browser before proceeding. If you use a browser without tabs, this action will always open a new window. In this action, the active browser is the most recently used or opened browser. Similarly, the active tab is the most recently used tab in an open browser window.

You can configure CONFIGURATION and AFTER COMPLETION parameters for this action.

Configuration

In the CONFIGURATION area of the action pane, configure the following parameter:

• Window/tab title: Specify a tab title using text or the expression editor. This field also accepts regular expression (regex) wildcards such as * and ? to search for the query in the window/tab title. For example, to search for a title starting with Appian, enter Appian* in this field.

After completion

In the AFTER COMPLETION area of the action pane, configure the following parameters:

• Wait before executing next action: Enter the number of seconds the robotic process waits before it continues to the next action in the workflow.
• Take a screenshot: If you select this option, the robotic process takes a screenshot of the resource immediately after the action completes successfully.

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