I’m having trouble with CAPTCHA challenges when using browser automation in cloud environments. The website works perfectly when I test it manually on my local machine, and it also functions normally when accessing it through the cloud without automation tools. However, when I use automated browser scripts in the cloud, the site constantly prompts for CAPTCHA verification. I initially tried running the browser in headless mode, but switched to visible mode thinking I could manually solve the CAPTCHA and that cookies might help prevent future challenges. Unfortunately, even after completing multiple CAPTCHA verifications, the site continues to request them on subsequent runs. The strange part is that locally everything works smoothly regardless of browser mode, and manual browsing in the cloud environment doesn’t trigger any CAPTCHA prompts. Only when automation is involved does this issue occur. Has anyone encountered similar behavior? What could be causing this difference between local and cloud automated browsing?
yea, it could be the cloud ip cause they often get flagged by sites for scraping. try using residential proxies instead or change your user agent, makes a diff!
Cloud environments typically have shared infrastructure that gets heavily monitored by anti-bot systems. What you’re experiencing is actually quite common - the automation detection isn’t just about headless vs visible mode, but rather the underlying browser automation flags that remain regardless. I’ve noticed that cloud instances often lack the typical user behavior patterns and browser entropy that normal users have. Your local machine has accumulated browsing history, cached data, and established trust signals over time, while fresh cloud instances appear suspicious to detection systems. Another factor is that cloud datacenter IPs are constantly being assessed and scored by threat intelligence services. Even if manual browsing works fine from the same IP, the moment automation libraries initialize, they modify browser properties in ways that are easily detectable. Consider using browser profiles with established history or implementing more human-like interaction patterns with random delays and mouse movements.
This happens because cloud providers have reputation issues with anti-bot systems. Even though you switched to visible mode, the automation framework still leaves detectable fingerprints that trigger CAPTCHA systems. WebDriver exposes certain properties that websites can check for, and cloud environments often share IP ranges that are already flagged. I faced similar issues when running Selenium on AWS instances. The solution that worked for me was using stealth plugins that mask automation signatures and rotating between different cloud regions to avoid IP-based detection. Also consider that cloud instances might have different browser configurations or missing plugins that make them appear more bot-like compared to your local setup.