Type text

Type text into an input field or textarea

Endpoint

POST /tabs/:tabId/type

Types text into an input element using either an element reference from the snapshot or a CSS selector.

Authentication

No authentication required. All endpoints use userId for session isolation.

Path parameters

tabId · string · required

The unique identifier of the tab

Body parameters

userId · string · required

User identifier for session isolation

ref · string

Element reference from snapshot (e.g., e1, e2). Either ref or selector is required.

selector · string

CSS selector for the target element. Either ref or selector is required.

text · string · required

The text to type into the element

pressEnter · boolean · default: "false"

Whether to press Enter after typing the text (useful for search boxes)

timeout · integer · default: "10000"

Maximum time in milliseconds to wait for the element

Response

ok · boolean

Always true on success

Behavior

The /type endpoint uses Playwright’s .fill() method, which:

1. Clears the existing value in the input field
2. Types the new text
3. Triggers appropriate input events (input, change, etc.)
4. Works with <input>, <textarea>, and contenteditable elements

If pressEnter is true, the endpoint will additionally call /press with key=Enter after typing.

Special characters

The text parameter supports all Unicode characters. For special keys (Tab, Escape, Arrow keys, etc.), use the /press endpoint instead.

Error codes

• 400 - Missing required parameter (userId, text, or both ref and selector)
• 404 - Tab not found
• 500 - Type failed (element not found, timeout, unknown ref)

Error messages

• Unknown ref: Unknown ref: e99
• Element not found: Timeout 10000ms exceeded
• Element not editable: Element is not an input, textarea, or contenteditable

Examples

Type into search box by reference

curl -X POST http://localhost:9377/tabs/abc123/type \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "userId": "agent1",
    "ref": "e3",
    "text": "headless browser automation"
  }'

{
  "ok": true
}

Type and submit search

curl -X POST http://localhost:9377/tabs/abc123/type \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "userId": "agent1",
    "ref": "e3",
    "text": "weather forecast",
    "pressEnter": true
  }'

{
  "ok": true
}

Type by CSS selector

curl -X POST http://localhost:9377/tabs/abc123/type \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "userId": "agent1",
    "selector": "input[name=email]",
    "text": "[e-mail]"
  }'

Type with custom timeout

curl -X POST http://localhost:9377/tabs/abc123/type \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "userId": "agent1",
    "ref": "e5",
    "text": "delayed input",
    "timeout": 15000
  }'

Related endpoints

• POST /tabs/:tabId/press - Press special keys (Enter, Tab, Escape, etc.)
• POST /tabs/:tabId/click - Click an element before typing
• GET /tabs/:tabId/snapshot - Get element references for interactive elements

Tab locking

Type operations are serialized per tab to prevent race conditions. If another operation is in progress, the request will wait up to 30 seconds before proceeding.

Best practices

1. Always call /snapshot after navigation to get fresh element refs
2. Use ref (not selector) when possible - refs target semantic roles (textbox, searchbox)
3. For search forms, use pressEnter: true instead of separate click on submit button
4. Clear existing values are automatically cleared before typing
5. For multi-step forms, wait for page ready after each submit