How can I configure a headless browser to behave like a standard browser for Selenium-based web applications?

Other Questions Headless Browser
1

I am facing a situation where I need to execute a web application using a headless browser, such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. However, when launching the application via Selenium with a browser driver, the web application identifies the headless browser as unsupported and redirects to a page suggesting a browser update.

While I understand that this behavior is anticipated due to the design of our application, I would like to find a solution that allows the application to function correctly in headless mode by adjusting the settings related to the way I initiate the headless browser, specifically through available capabilities.

2

To make a headless browser mimic a standard browser with Selenium, adjust the User-Agent string and other browser capabilities. Here's how you can do it for Chrome:

from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument(‘–headless’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-gpu’)
options.add_argument(‘user-agent=Your_Standard_Browser_User_Agent_Here’)

Add more options, e.g., window size, language, etc.

options.add_argument(‘–window-size=1920x1080’)
options.add_argument(‘–lang=en-US’)

Initialize driver

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)

For Firefox, use webdriver.FirefoxOptions similarly. Adjust the user-agent to match a typical request from the desired browser.

3

To ensure that your headless browser operates seamlessly in Selenium-based environments, you should focus on imitating the behavior of a typical browser more closely. Here are practical steps you can take:

1. Use Browser Options

Start by configuring your headless browser to reflect a standard browsing experience by setting the user agent and other environment settings.

from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument(‘–headless’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-gpu’)
options.add_argument(‘user-agent=Your_Standard_Browser_User_Agent_Here’)
options.add_argument(‘–window-size=1920x1080’)
options.add_argument(‘–lang=en-US’)

Initialize driver

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options)

2. Manage Capabilities and Avoid Detection

Enhance your setup by addressing common detection strategies. This involves managing both capabilities and configuring scripts to bypass simple detection methods:

from selenium.webdriver.common.desired_capabilities import DesiredCapabilities

capabilities = DesiredCapabilities.CHROME
capabilities[‘acceptInsecureCerts’] = True

options.add_argument(‘–disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled’)

Suppress WebDriver flag

script = “Object.defineProperty(navigator, ‘webdriver’, {get: () => undefined})”
driver.execute_cdp_cmd(‘Page.addScriptToEvaluateOnNewDocument’, {‘source’: script})

Implementing these steps will align your headless browser session more closely with standard browsers, mitigating detection issues and facilitating smoother integration within your application workflows.

4

In scenarios where a headless browser is identified as non-standard by a web application, it's crucial to employ techniques beyond merely adjusting the User-Agent string. Here are a few steps you can take to increase the transparency of your headless browser setup using Selenium:

1. Browser Capabilities

In addition to modifying the User-Agent, you should consider setting capabilities that are typically found in standard browsers.

from selenium import webdriver from selenium.webdriver.common.desired_capabilities import DesiredCapabilities

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument(‘–headless’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-gpu’)
options.add_argument(‘–window-size=1920x1080’)
options.add_argument(‘user-agent=Your_Standard_Browser_User_Agent_Here’)

capabilities = DesiredCapabilities.CHROME
capabilities[‘acceptInsecureCerts’] = True

Initialize driver with options and capabilities

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options, desired_capabilities=capabilities)

2. WebDriver Detection Avoidance

Some web applications detect Selenium usage by looking for specific WebDriver attributes. To mitigate this, you can manipulate webdriver properties:

options.add_argument('--disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled') # Manipulate attributes script = "Object.defineProperty(navigator, 'webdriver', {get: () => undefined})" driver.execute_cdp_cmd('Page.addScriptToEvaluateOnNewDocument', {'source': script})

3. Other Factors

You should also consider:

  • Emulating screen resolutions common in real devices.
  • Matching network conditions to typical user traffic.
  • Ensuring language and locale settings align with your expected user base.

This holistic approach can help head off detection scripts attempting to flag your browser setup as non-standard.

5

To configure a headless browser to mimic a standard one in Selenium, modify user-agent and adjust options. Here's how for Chrome:

from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument(‘–headless’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-gpu’)
options.add_argument(‘user-agent=Your_Standard_Browser_User_Agent_Here’)

Other options

options.add_argument(‘–window-size=1920x1080’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled’)

Init driver

capabilities = webdriver.DesiredCapabilities.CHROME
capabilities[‘acceptInsecureCerts’] = True

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options, desired_capabilities=capabilities)

Additionally, suppress WebDriver detection:

driver.execute_cdp_cmd(‘Page.addScriptToEvaluateOnNewDocument’, {‘source’: “Object.defineProperty(navigator, ‘webdriver’, {get: () => undefined})”})

6

When configuring a headless browser to behave like a standard browser for Selenium, it's crucial to ensure comprehensive emulation of normal browser features beyond just modifying the user-agent string. While previous answers already cover fundamental techniques, let's explore additional methods to enhance transparency of your setup:

1. Monitor Browser Fingerprints

Web applications often use browser fingerprinting to identify non-standard browsers. By using browser extensions or libraries, you can simulate common fingerprinting behavior associated with standard browsers:

from selenium import webdriver

options = webdriver.ChromeOptions()
options.add_argument(‘–headless’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-gpu’)
options.add_argument(‘user-agent=Your_Standard_Browser_User_Agent_Here’)
options.add_argument(‘–window-size=1920x1080’)
options.add_argument(‘–lang=en-US’)
options.add_argument(‘–disable-features=UserAgentClientHint’)

Spoon feed window.navigator properties if needed

For Firefox:

options.set_preference(“browser.startup.homepage”, “about:blank”)
options.set_preference(“devtools.jsonview.enabled”, False)

capabilities = webdriver.DesiredCapabilities.CHROME
capabilities[‘acceptInsecureCerts’] = True

Initialize driver

driver = webdriver.Chrome(options=options, desired_capabilities=capabilities)

2. Utilize Third-Party Libraries

Libraries like selenium-stealth or undetected-chromedriver can further disguise Selenium's presence from hostile detection methods by automating intricate configurations:

# Example with undetected-chromedriver import undetected_chromedriver.v2 as uc

driver = uc.Chrome()
driver.get(‘https://yourwebsite.com’)

3. Adjust Timing and Interaction

Real user interactions take time. Emulate realistic interactions, with pauses and randomization, to mirror human behavior:

from selenium.webdriver.common.action_chains import ActionChains from time import sleep

Example of human-like scrolling

for i in range(0, document_height, small_step):
driver.execute_script(“window.scrollBy(0, small_step)”)
sleep(random.uniform(0.1, 0.3))

Implementing a blend of these techniques can significantly increase the likelihood that your Selenium-driven headless browser behaves like a standard counterpart without detection.