Actions8
Overview
The node "Remote Playwright" allows interaction with a remote Playwright instance to automate browser actions. Specifically, the ExtractText operation under the Instance resource extracts text content from a webpage element identified by a CSS selector. This is useful for web scraping, automated testing, or data extraction tasks where you need to programmatically retrieve visible text from a page.
Practical examples include:
- Extracting product descriptions or prices from an e-commerce site.
- Retrieving status messages or notifications from a web application.
- Capturing dynamic content after page interactions for further processing.
Properties
| Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Instance ID | The identifier of the remote Playwright instance to use for this action. |
| Close Browser on error | Whether to close the browser if an error occurs during the action (true/false). |
| Selector | The CSS selector specifying the element from which to extract text. |
Output
The node outputs JSON data containing the extracted text from the specified selector. The structure typically includes a field holding the textual content retrieved from the targeted element on the webpage.
If the node supports binary data output, it would represent any non-textual content fetched, but in this case, the focus is on textual extraction only.
Dependencies
- Requires access to a remote Playwright service endpoint configured via credentials that provide the base URL and authentication.
- Needs a valid Playwright instance running remotely, identified by the provided Instance ID.
- Proper network connectivity between n8n and the remote Playwright service.
Troubleshooting
Common issues:
- Incorrect or missing Instance ID can cause failure to connect to the Playwright instance.
- Invalid or empty CSS selector will result in no text being extracted or errors.
- Network or authentication problems with the remote Playwright API may prevent execution.
Error messages and resolutions:
- "Instance not found" — Verify the Instance ID is correct and the Playwright instance is active.
- "Selector not found" — Check the CSS selector syntax and ensure the element exists on the page.
- "Connection refused or timeout" — Confirm the remote Playwright service URL and credentials are properly set and accessible.