I want to build a Python script that can automatically log into a website, navigate to a search form, fill out the search parameters, and then grab the HTML results for parsing. The workflow I need is: authenticate with login credentials, go to the search section, input search criteria, submit the form using POST method, capture the HTML response, and then process the data to find download links. Which Python libraries work best for this kind of automation? Are there any code examples or tutorials you could point me toward?
Selenium WebDriver is perfect for this. While requests just handles HTTP, Selenium controls an actual browser - way more reliable for JavaScript-heavy sites or tricky authentication. I’ve automated tons of similar tasks where sites used client-side validation or dynamic loading that’d break pure HTTP requests. Selenium handles cookies, redirects, and forms exactly like a real user would. You can run Chrome or Firefox headless for production. Sure, it’s slower than requests, but for complex logins and form stuff, the reliability is totally worth it.
honestly, playwright’s the way to go now. way better than selenium - faster, more stable, and handles modern sites perfectly. the api’s cleaner and it deals with authentication headaches automatically. their docs have solid login examples that’ll get you started quick.
For your Python automation needs, I’ve found that combining requests and BeautifulSoup works well. The requests library lets you manage your sessions efficiently, especially for logging in and maintaining cookies. BeautifulSoup is excellent for parsing the HTML you retrieve. Make sure to inspect the site’s login form for any CSRF tokens or hidden inputs, as these are often necessary to include in your POST request to authenticate successfully. Testing your requests using a simple script can help you troubleshoot and refine your submission process. Just remember to implement appropriate delays between requests to avoid being flagged for excessive access.