FlowTape - Browser Automation & Recorder

About

FlowTape turns your browser actions into reusable automations - without writing code.

=== Core features ===

* ACTION RECORDER
Press "Record", use any website normally. FlowTape captures clicks, typing, key presses, navigation and scroll - including scroll inside inner containers (chat panes, modals, infinite lists). Stop recording, your workflow is ready.

* ELEMENT PICKER
Can't remember a CSS selector? Click the picker button next to any step, then click the target element on the page. FlowTape generates a reliable selector automatically.

* 23 STEP TYPES
- Actions: click, type, clear, hover, keypress, scroll, screenshot
- Flow: wait, wait-for (poll for element), navigate, open-tab
- Data: extract, extract-all (collect into array), set-var, prompt (ask user at runtime), copy (to clipboard), fetch (HTTP request)
- Code: js (custom JavaScript)
- Logic: if / endif, repeat / endrepeat (block-based control flow)
- UI: alert (toast on the page)
Chain them into any flow.

* VARIABLES
Extract text, html, value or attributes from the page (extract / extract-all step). Store values manually (set-var). Ask the user at runtime (prompt). Reuse them anywhere via {name} substitution. Pass values into fetch URLs, copy them to the clipboard, write them with the type step.

* IF / REPEAT BLOCKS
Real control flow without code: run steps only when a selector exists or a variable matches; repeat a block N times with an automatic loop counter variable. Block boundaries are validated before run.

* SCREENSHOT GALLERY
screenshot steps save into an in-panel gallery. Thumbnails, full-size viewer, one-click download, one-click "download all".

* DRAG-AND-DROP EDITOR
Reorder steps by dragging. Insert buttons between steps let you add new actions anywhere. Click the test button next to a step to run it in isolation. Per-step status + a "Cancel" button while a workflow runs.

* AI HELPER - NO API KEY NEEDED
FlowTape builds a ready-made prompt for any AI (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Mistral, Perplexity). Paste into your AI of choice, paste the response back. Four modes: Improve, Extend, Create new, Explain. No API, no subscription, no provider lock-in.

* SHARE WORKFLOWS VIA CODE
Every workflow exports as a FLOWTAPE_V1:... code string. Paste into chat, email, forum. Recipients import in one step. No backend, no accounts, no marketplace.

* EXPORT / IMPORT
JSON file export/import for backup, version control or collaboration. Template library bundled.

* BULK TOOLS
"Screenshot after every click", "Wait after every click", "Remove all screenshots", "Dedupe clicks" - one click, applied to the whole workflow.

* SIDE PANEL + POPUP
Full dashboard lives in Chrome's side panel - stays open while you interact with the page. Popup offers quick play / record access. Keyboard shortcuts: Alt+Shift+R to record, Alt+Shift+P to play.

* PRIVACY FIRST
Everything runs locally in your browser. No accounts, no analytics, no tracking, no telemetry. No data ever leaves your device. Open architecture, inspectable code.

=== Use cases ===

- Repetitive form filling
- Daily data collection from dashboards
- Testing your own web apps end-to-end
- Scraping small datasets into variables
- Onboarding guides / tutorials
- Regression checks without a CI framework
- Anyone who wastes 10 minutes a day on browser clicks

=== Why FlowTape vs. other RPA tools ===

Most browser automation tools require a paid subscription, a cloud account, or hours of manual node-building. FlowTape:
- Records - you don't build from scratch
- Helps you with AI without locking you into one provider
- Ships with share-by-code instead of a walled-garden marketplace
- Runs 100% locally, free, forever

=== Permissions ===

FlowTape requests permissions only for features it needs:
- activeTab + scripting + tabs: to run your workflows in the active tab and detect navigation completion
- host_permissions (<all_urls>): your workflows can target any site. Used only when you press Play, Record, or activate the picker
- storage + unlimitedStorage: to keep your workflows and screenshots
- downloads: to save exported JSON files and screenshots
- notifications: to alert you when long workflows finish
- sidePanel: to render the dashboard in Chrome's side panel
- clipboardWrite: for the "copy" step type and copy-to-clipboard buttons (AI prompts, share codes)

=== About ===

Made by lern-digital.de. Source code is inspectable (Manifest V3, unpacked install supported). Free and will stay free. Donations welcome via Ko-fi.

Open the dashboard, hit the "?" button inside FlowTape for the full user guide (EN/DE).