Frequently Asked Questions

Installation and Configuration

Which browsers does the plugin support?

AutoWDS currently supports the following browsers:

Chrome 90+
Microsoft Edge 90+
Brave
Other Chromium-based browsers

Note: Firefox and Safari are not currently supported.

Can't find the plugin icon after installation?

Open browser extension management page (chrome://extensions/)
Confirm AutoWDS is enabled
Click the "Pin" button next to the extension icon to pin it to the toolbar
If still not visible, try restarting the browser

What permissions does the plugin need?

The plugin requires the following permissions to function properly:

tabs: Access tab information
activeTab: Interact with current active tab
scripting: Inject scripts into web pages
storage: Save collection rules and data
alarms: Schedule tasks
notifications: Send task notifications
host_permissions: Access website content

All permissions are used for data collection functionality and will not collect or upload your personal information.

Account and Registration

Is account registration required?

Basic features can be used without registration, but registering an account provides:

Cloud rule synchronization
Larger data storage space
Scheduled task functionality
Technical support services
Access to advanced features

What if I forget my password?

Click the "Forgot Password" link on the login page
Enter the email used during registration
Check for password reset email
Click the link in the email to set a new password

How to modify account information?

Click the plugin icon to open the main interface
Go to "User" menu
Click "Account Information"
Modify the information you want to update
Click "Save" button

Data Collection

Why can't I collect data?

Possible reasons and solutions:

1. Selector Failed

Website updated page structure
Solution: Re-select elements and update selectors

2. Dynamic Content

Content loaded dynamically via JavaScript
Solution: Add wait time or use scroll trigger

3. Login Required

Website requires login to view content
Solution: Login in browser first, then collect

4. Anti-scraping Restrictions

Website detected automated access
Solution: Reduce collection frequency, add random delays

How to collect from websites requiring login?

Method 1: Manual Login

Login to the website normally in browser
Keep logged in
Use plugin to collect

Method 2: Configure Login Steps

Add login steps in rules
Configure username and password input
Set login button click
Wait for login completion before collecting

Collection speed is too slow?

Optimization suggestions:

Reduce unnecessary fields: Only collect truly needed data
Optimize selectors: Use more precise CSS selectors
Adjust concurrency: Increase concurrent collection count in settings
Disable image loading: If images not needed, disable image loading
Use incremental collection: Only collect new or changed data

How to handle CAPTCHAs?

The plugin currently does not support automatic CAPTCHA recognition. Suggestions:

Complete CAPTCHA verification manually first
Collect while logged in
Use API interfaces instead of web scraping (if website provides)

Rule Configuration

What's the difference between CSS selectors and XPath?

CSS Selectors:

Concise syntax, easy to understand
Native browser support, good performance
Suitable for most scenarios
Example: div.product > h2.title

XPath:

More powerful, supports complex queries
Can search upward for parent elements
Supports text content matching
Example: //div[@class='product']/h2[@class='title']

Recommend using CSS selectors first, consider XPath for complex scenarios.

How to choose stable selectors?

Good selectors should:

Be unique: Accurately locate target element
Be structurally stable: Don't rely on easily changing attributes (like dynamically generated classes)
Have moderate hierarchy: Not too deep or too shallow
Be semantically clear: Use meaningful class or id

Recommended priority:

id attribute (if stable)
Semantic class names
data-* custom attributes
Structural selectors (like :nth-child())

How to handle dynamic content?

For content dynamically loaded via JavaScript:

Method 1: Add Wait Time

Add "Wait" action in steps
Set wait time (e.g., 2 seconds)

Method 2: Wait for Element

Configure "Wait for Element" condition
Specify element selector to wait for
Set maximum wait time

Method 3: Scroll to Trigger Loading

Configure scroll action
Set scroll distance or scroll to bottom
Wait for content to load

Pagination and Navigation

What pagination methods are supported?

The plugin supports the following pagination methods:

Click Next Page: Click "Next" button or page number links
Infinite Scroll: Scroll to bottom to auto-load more
Load More Button: Click "Load More" button
URL Parameter Pagination: Modify page number parameter in URL

How to set pagination limit?

In pagination configuration:

Find "Maximum Pages" setting
Enter maximum number of pages to collect
Or set "Maximum Data Count" limit
Automatically stops when limit reached

Duplicate data after pagination?

Enable deduplication:

Enable "Deduplication" in data save settings
Select deduplication fields (like product ID, URL, etc.)
Set deduplication strategy (keep first or latest)

Data Export

What export formats are supported?

Excel (.xlsx): Suitable for data analysis and reports
CSV (.csv): Universal format, can be imported to databases
JSON (.json): Suitable for program processing and API integration
Google Sheets: Cloud collaboration and real-time sync

Exported Excel file has garbled characters?

This is usually an encoding issue:

When opening CSV file with Excel, select UTF-8 encoding
Or export directly as Excel format (.xlsx)
If still problematic, try opening CSV with Notepad, save as UTF-8 encoding

How to export to Google Sheets?

Select "Google Sheets" in data export settings
Click "Authorize" button to login to Google account
Select or create target worksheet
Configure field mapping
Choose save mode (append/overwrite)
Start export

How to export large amounts of data?

For large data volumes:

Batch export: Export in batches by time or category
Use CSV format: More suitable for large data than Excel
Save directly to database: Configure database connection for direct save
Use data pipeline: Configure data flow processing pipeline

Scheduled Tasks

How to set up scheduled tasks?

Create or edit collection task
Click "Schedule Settings"
Select execution frequency or enter Cron expression
Enable scheduled task
Save settings

How to write Cron expressions?

Cron expression format: minute hour day month weekday

Common examples:

0 9 * * * - Every day at 9 AM
0 */2 * * * - Every 2 hours
0 9 * * 1-5 - Weekdays at 9 AM
0 0 1 * * - 1st of every month at midnight
*/30 * * * * - Every 30 minutes

You can use online Cron expression generators for assistance.

Scheduled task not executing?

Check the following:

Confirm task is enabled
Check if Cron expression is correct
Ensure browser is open at execution time
Check error logs in task execution history
Check for permission restrictions

Will scheduled tasks execute after computer shutdown?

No. Scheduled tasks require:

Browser to be open
Plugin to be enabled
Computer to be powered on

For 24/7 operation, consider:

Deploy on cloud server
Or use our cloud collection service

Performance and Limitations

How much data can be collected at once?

Theoretically no hard limit, but recommended:

Single task should not exceed 10,000 records
Collect in batches if exceeding
Monitor browser memory usage

Will collection get blocked by websites?

Possibly. To avoid blocking:

Control collection frequency: Set reasonable request intervals
Simulate human behavior: Add random delays
Use proxy IPs: Rotate IP addresses (advanced feature)
Respect robots.txt: Honor website's crawler protocol
Avoid peak hours: Choose low-traffic periods

Plugin using too much memory?

Optimization suggestions:

Reduce concurrent collection count
Clean up historical data promptly
Close unnecessary tasks
Restart browser to free memory
Upgrade browser to latest version

Error Handling

Common Error Codes

ERR_SELECTOR_NOT_FOUND

Cause: Cannot find specified element
Solution: Check if selector is correct, if page has loaded

ERR_TIMEOUT

Cause: Operation timeout
Solution: Increase timeout duration, check network connection

ERR_NAVIGATION_FAILED

Cause: Page navigation failed
Solution: Check if URL is correct, if website is accessible

ERR_PERMISSION_DENIED

Cause: Insufficient permissions
Solution: Check plugin permission settings, reinstall plugin

How to view error logs?

Open plugin main interface
Go to "Task Management"
Select the failed task
Click "Execution History"
View detailed error information

How to report issues?

Check documentation: Review relevant docs and FAQ first
Search community: Search for similar issues in user community
Submit ticket: Submit technical support ticket via official website
Send email: Send detailed problem description to support@dtiku.cn
Join community: Join user exchange group for help

When reporting, please provide:

Plugin version number
Browser version
Target website URL (if publicly shareable)
Error screenshots or logs
Steps to reproduce

Advanced Features

How to use data pipelines?

Data pipelines process collected data:

Enable "Data Pipeline" in task settings
Add processing nodes (filter, transform, validate, etc.)
Configure processing rules for each node
Set output target
Test and save

How to integrate third-party services?

Supported integration methods:

Webhook: Configure HTTP callback URL
API Push: Configure API interface information
Database Connection: Configure database connection info
Cloud Storage: Configure OSS/S3 cloud storage

For specific configuration methods, refer to Third-party Integration documentation.

How to use rule templates?

Using existing templates:

Go to "Task Management"
Click "Create from Template"
Select appropriate template
Modify template parameters
Save as new task

Creating your own templates:

Create a collection rule
Test to confirm rule is correct
Click "Save as Template"
Fill in template information
Optionally share with other users