How to Login Automatically Online Using Free Browser Add-Ons and Scripts

If you are a regular user of the internet, then you probably repeat the following every time you connect to the internet:
1. You type in the web address (URL) of your email provider (Yahoo!, Gmail, etc), log in and read your mail.
2. You type in the URL of a search engine (Google, Yahoo!, etc) and look up information on varied topics.
3. You log in to your favorite social networking site (Facebook, Twitter, etc) and so on and so forth.
For some people (which may include you), doing all the above manually every single time is a frustrating routine. Browsers provide some ways to alleviate this such as setting up a URL as a homepage, bookmarking, remembering your passwords, etc. The above though, still require a user to provide manual input such as clicks; opening new tabs; and that can still be tiring. There are free programs available as add-ons for browsers that can automate the entire process of visiting websites and logging in, and even clicking on specific buttons, links or tabs.
What Can You Do With Automated Browsing Add-ons?
1. Log into sites and perform specific actions such as clicking on new messages to read them.
2. Fill in forms even when they stretch across multiple pages.
3. Upload and download files.
4. Web developers can use them to test scripts across a range of sites and determine the function and performance of web applications.
5. Check and update bids on auction sites like eBay and even leave feedback for other users.
6. They can be used with AdWords to check Affiliate statistics and adjust bids.
Some of the popular add-ons include the following:
This works as an add-on for Mozilla Firefox.
Web Replay works with Windows Internet Explorer. It adds a toolbar (with icons) to the browser.
It works with Firefox.
iMacros
iMacros works with Internet Explorer and Firefox. It installs an icon on the browser's toolbar.
How to Use Automated Browsing Add-on Software
1. Start your browser and run the add-on you have installed.
- In Firefox, you do this by navigating to View >> Sidebar >> "Add-On"; pressing F8; or clicking on an icon if there is one.
- In Internet Explorer, you do this by clicking on the icon.
2. Look for and press the record button or tab to start recording your actions. By default, the record button is usually turned on when you start your browser (but this is not always the case).
3. Carry out all the browsing activities that you normally do. Visit your regular sites, type in login information, click on links and buttons, open new tabs, etc.
4. When you are through, click on the button that ends the recording.
5. Look for and click on the play button or tab to play back the script which your activities have generated.
6. Save the script before you close the browser.
7. When next you start your browser, run the add-on, open the saved script and it performs all the actions that were recorded.
8. For a different set of automated actions, record a new set of actions.
Tips on Using Automated Browsing
1. Record each set of automated actions with a unique name that is easily identifiable to you but not to others to protect your privacy and information especially on a shared computer.
2. If you install iMacros, saved actions (called macros) can be bookmarked (super-bookmarking). Run iMacros, right-click on the macro you want to bookmark and click "Add to bookmarks". Select the Local option from the dialog box that appears. Thus, you can access your macros from your browser's bookmarks.

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