TestBot Recorder

Record browser interactions and capture web elements with smart, validated locators for test automation.

# TestBot Recorder - Browser Interaction Recording & Element Capture > TestBot Recorder is a browser extension for test automation that combines browser interaction recording with intelligent element capture. Record user actions, capture web elements with smart validated locators, and publish directly to the AutomationHQ platform. ## Key Features ### Element Spy - **Auto-Spy Mode** - Scan up to 100 interactive elements on a page with one click, prioritizing visible and popup content - **Manual Spy Mode** - Click individual elements to capture their properties — works inside iframes and shadow DOM - **Smart Locator Algorithm** - Priority-based strategy generation that picks the most stable selector first: - ID (generated/random IDs rejected) - Name - Class Name (framework-generated and ephemeral state classes rejected) - Link Text / Partial Link Text - CSS Selector (stable attributes + parent context) - XPath (relative, with parent/sibling anchoring) - **Stability Scoring** - Every locator gets a 0–100 stability score and a quality grade (A+ to F) based on how likely it is to survive UI changes - **Locator Validation** - Real-time validation against the live DOM: - Unique (matches exactly 1 element) - Ambiguous (matches multiple elements) - Invalid (no elements found) - Error (selector failed to evaluate) - **Test Highlighting** - Highlight matching elements on the page to verify a locator before using it - **Default Locator Selection** - Set preferred locator strategy per element ### Browser Interaction Recorder - **Smart Recording** - Automatically captures clicks, double/right clicks, typing, selections, checkboxes, hovers, scrolls, drag & drop, keyboard events, alerts, and navigation - **Template Matching** - Maps 120+ recorded action types to predefined AutomationHQ test templates for consistent test generation - **Action Consolidation** - Intelligently merges consecutive TYPE, SELECT, and CHECK/UNCHECK actions on the same field - **Multi-Tab Support** - Handles tab switches and cross-domain navigation with a "Continue recording here" confirmation flow - **Step Management** - Reorder steps via drag & drop, enable/disable, edit, or delete steps before exporting - **Password Safety** - Passwords are redacted at capture time and flagged for manual update before running - **Screenshot Capture** - Captures stitched full-page screenshots during recording sessions ### Export & Publish - **Download** - Export captured elements or recorded scripts as JSON files, or copy to clipboard - **Publish** - Send recorded scripts and page elements directly to the AutomationHQ Admin Dashboard with API token authentication - **Project Integration** - Select target project and application for organized test management - **Collision-Safe Payloads** - Locator values that collide across different elements are stripped before publishing to keep element identity intact ### User Interface - **Native Side Panel** - Runs in Chrome's side panel (Firefox sidebar), docked alongside the page so it never covers your content - **Tabbed Workflow** - Switch between Recorder and Element Spy in one panel ## How It Works 1. **Install & Activate** - Add the extension to your browser - Press `Alt+T` or click the extension icon to open TestBot in the side panel 2. **Configure (Optional)** - Set your AutomationHQ API token for publishing - Select target project and application 3. **Record Interactions** - Enter a script name and click "Start Recording" - Interact with the web page - all actions are captured automatically - Press `Escape` or click "Stop Recording" when done - Review, reorder, or disable steps as needed 4. **Capture Elements** - Switch to the Element Spy tab - Use "Auto-spy" to scan the page or toggle spy mode for manual capture - Review stability grades and validated locators; set a default per element 5. **Export or Publish** - Download as JSON for local use - Publish directly to the AutomationHQ Admin Dashboard ## Keyboard Shortcuts | Action | Windows/Linux | Mac | | ---------------------- | -------------- | ------------- | | Toggle TestBot | `Alt+T` | `Alt+T` | | Toggle Spy Mode | `Ctrl+Shift+S` | `Cmd+Shift+S` | | Auto-Spy Elements | `Ctrl+Shift+A` | `Cmd+Shift+A` | | Export Elements | `Ctrl+Shift+E` | `Cmd+Shift+E` | | Start/Resume Recording | `Ctrl+Shift+R` | `Cmd+Shift+R` | | Stop Recording | `Escape` | `Escape` | ## Requirements - Google Chrome (primary) or Firefox - Active internet connection (for publishing features) - API token from the AutomationHQ platform (for publishing) --- > TestBot Recorder empowers QA engineers and developers to build automated tests faster and more accurately. Capture elements with stability-scored locators, record interactions, and publish seamlessly to your AutomationHQ workflow.