Input methods

Input actions require you or the robot to directly interact with an opened application or web page. There are three types of input methods for click and type actions, that differ in terms of compatibility and capability.

We generally recommend the Simulate method (SimulateType, SimulateClick, SimulateHover for classic activities) as it is the fastest and works in the background, but only if you do not need to send special keyboard shortcuts. If this does not work for you, try the Window Messages method (SendWindowMessages for classic activities) and then the default one, as it is the slowest.

Capability method	Compatibility	Background execution	Speed	Hotkey support	Auto empty field	Design experience
Hardware Events	100%	no	medium	yes	no	Classic/Modern
Window Messages	80%	yes	medium	yes	no	Classic/Modern
Simulate	99% - web apps 60% - desktop apps	yes	high	no	yes	Classic/Modern
Chromium API	100% - Chrome, Edge browsers	yes	medium	yes	yes	Modern

Note: When the browser is started with Chromium API, a ribbon shows up stating that the browser started in debug mode. This message does not show up if the extension is installed via policy.

Note: For non-Chromium browsers, the input method defaults to Hardware Events.

For the Use Application/Browser activity, the Background input method runs actions in the background and tries to use either Simulate or Chromium API where possible, while complex activities (image, native text) run as usual, in the foreground.

For classic activities, the input method can be changed at any point from the Properties panel of the selected activity. If the Simulate or SendWindowMessages check boxes are not selected, then the default method is applied.

The default method simulates a click, a type, or a hover action with the help of the hardware driver, while the Simulate method uses the technology of the target application. The Window Messages works by sending a specific message directly to the target application.

Decision flowchart

To understand the differences between these input methods and when to use each of them, you can follow this decision flowchart.