Concepts

Core Concepts

Core Concepts

Automation Engines

GPAL supports 7 stable automation engine variants across 3 technology stacks and works with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. The same workflow code runs on any of the 19 resulting combinations. Firefox is not supported by the Puppeteer-based engines.

Three Stacks, Seven Variants

PuppeteerPort is GPAL's default engine and works out of the box. It talks to Chrome directly over the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) using SDi's own custom CDP implementation, with no separate driver to install. Selenium is the industry-standard WebDriver protocol, compatible with Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, but takes an extra setup step: a WebDriver binary matching your browser version. OttoMagic is GPAL's exclusive browser extension stack that communicates via the GPAL REST API and requires installing that extension. Each stack has a Hardware (HW) variant that adds real OS-level mouse and keyboard events. Selenium additionally has a JavaScript (JS) variant. Its seventh and most unique. Which injects JavaScript into the page to interact with elements instead of using Selenium's own DOM interaction.

Mixing Interaction Types

Hardware and JavaScript interaction types can be overridden at three levels: globally on GPAL, at the UOW level inline after WithSelector(), or per selector definition. This lets you mix interaction methods within a single workflow. Hardware for one element, Selenium for another, JavaScript for a third. JavaScript injection is Selenium-only. Hardware emulation works across all three stacks.

// Global engine setting

GPAL.WithAutomationEngine(AutomationEngine.Selenium);

// Inline UOW-level override

browser

.LeftClick("#normal-btn") // uses global Selenium

.WithSelector("#stubborn-btn").WithHardware

.LeftClick() // hardware for this one

.WithSelector("#js-only-field").WithJavaScript

.TypeIn("value"); // JS injection for this one

// Pre-defined selector-level override - built once, settings live on the object

var trickyBtn = GPAL.Selector

.WithCSS("#tricky")

.WithHardware

.ToGPALObject();

TIP

The WithJavaScript interaction type only applies when using a Selenium-based engine. It is not available for OttoMagic or Puppeteer engines.

Choosing Your Engine

PuppeteerPort is the default and needs no extra setup, so it's the natural starting point. Use Selenium when you need maximum browser compatibility (Edge, Firefox) and have a matching WebDriver in place. Use SeleniumJS when elements resist standard DOM interaction. Use hardware variants when you need to simulate real user input at the OS level. Alternately, use OttoMagic's browser extension and REST API native app to run pure JavaScript against the browser via accessible REST endpoints.

WARNING

PuppeteerPipe and PuppeteerPipeHW are defined in the engine enum but are currently under development. Use PuppeteerPort for all CDP-based automation.

On this page

Core Concepts
Automation Engines
  • Three Stacks, Seven Variants
  • Mixing Interaction Types
  • Choosing Your Engine