UI Automation Browser Connection

Description

The UI Automation Browser Connection capability helps the robot authenticate instead of the user, when the automation runs unattended, in the cloud, serverless.

This feature specifically addresses n-factor authentication automation scenarios. The most popular web enterprise business applications use n-factor authentication. Such an authentication mechanism requires the user to insert a security code, solve a captcha, or use a security token to complete the authentication, before accessing the application’s functional modules.

During a cloud automation execution, the user’s intervention to authenticate isn't possible and, even more, not recommended. Using the UI Automation Browser Connection capability, the robot resolves by itself the authentication process, based on the information provided when the automation was created, and it runs according to its schedule without requiring any user input.

Adding a connection

To add a connection, follow the steps below:

1. Click the Add activity button and add a Use Browser activity within your workflow.
2. Select the drop-down menu from the Work in scope field and choose the tab you want to automate.
3. Switch on the Requires Authentication toggle.
4. Under the Connection field, select the plus button and then choose Add connection.
5. Under Connection name, enter a unique name for your connection.
6. (Optional) Under Connection description, write a description for your connection.
7. The URL for sign in is automatically filled in based on your selection. Click Submit.
8. You are now taken to the UI Automation Browser Connection screen where you need to sign in using your credentials.
9. After successfully signing in, click the I'm done button. You are now taken back to your project where the new connection has been added.

This is how the entire process should look like:

Editing a connection

To edit a connection, follow the steps below:

1. Under the Connection field, select the plus button and then choose Edit connection.
2. You are now taken to the UI Automation Browser Connection screen where you can reauthenticate if needed.

Configuring the browser

Besides using the UI Automation Browser Connection feature to authenticate, you can also use it to configure your browser.

Since the execution machine is always a new one, the browser is always in a fresh state and you might see certain popups at execution time causing your automation to fail.

So,you can use the feature to put the browser in the right state when building the workflow. Then, the robot makes sure the same state is set when starting the automation.

Limitations

Azure Active Directory authentication

While using Azure Active Directory accounts for authentication, paired with the UI Automation Browser Connection feature, the automation runs repeatedly in a cloud environment. This might lead to the Active Directory server triggering identity protection mechanisms like asking the user to solve a captcha, or to change the account password.

To avoid this, we strongly suggest using dedicated service accounts specially configured for the robots.

Orchestrator shared folders

UI Automation Browser Connection cannot be used with Orchestrator shared folders, only with Orchestrator personal workspaces.

Application restrictions

The feature doesn’t work for web applications that delete the authentication cookies when the user closes the browser, thus mimicking a log out. For example, www.salesforce.com.

Studio Desktop

You cannot create or edit connections in Studio Desktop.

Server-based robots

At runtime, this feature is only supported for serverless robots, otherwise it throws an exception. If you have a Windows robot, for instance, you get a platform not supported runtime exception.