Home › Guide
API or browser automation: how to tell which you need
An API lets software send data straight into a website's system. Browser automation logs in and works the screens the way a person does. Use the API when the website has one that covers your task. Use browser automation when it does not.
The two methods, side by side
| Compared on | API | Browser automation |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A door into the website's system, built for software. | Software that opens the website and uses its screens. |
| Needs | The website must offer an API and give you access to it. | A login that a person could use. |
| Speed | Fast. No pages to load. | About as fast as a quick person, without breaks. |
| Breaks when | The company changes or retires the API. | The company changes the layout of a screen. |
| Covers | Only what the API was built to do. | Anything a person can do on the screen. |
Three places to look for an API
The footer and help pages
Search the website for the words API, developers, integrations or connectors.
Your account settings
Look for a section named API keys, tokens or connected apps.
The company itself
Ask support: "Do you have an API or a bulk import for this form?" You will get a yes, a no, or a price.
A connector is an API somebody already wrapped
Tools such as Power Automate, Zapier and Make have connectors for many products. A connector uses the product's API for you, so you do not write code. If your website appears in one of those tools, start there.
If the website has an API and no connector, a developer can still use the API directly.
When the answer is "some of each"
An API may cover part of a task and not the rest. It may let you read records and not create them. In that case the automation uses the API where it can and the screens where it must.
We build with connectors, APIs and browser automation, and we use the simplest one that does the job.
Common questions
What is an API?
An API is a way for one piece of software to send data to another without a person using the screens. A website that has one publishes instructions for it and gives each customer a key.
What is browser automation?
Browser automation is software that opens a website, logs in, and fills in the screens the way a person does. It works on websites that have no API.
Which is better, an API or browser automation?
An API is better when the website offers one that covers your task, because it is faster and does not depend on the layout of a screen. Browser automation is the choice when there is no API, or when the API does not cover the task.
How do I find out if a website has an API?
Search its help pages for API, developers or integrations. Look in your account settings for API keys or connected apps. If you find nothing, ask the company's support team.
Is the first consultation free?
Yes. The first AI consultation is free when you book it through this site.
Show us the task that takes too long
Book a free consultation: an in-person visit in Utah or a Google Meet call. Your booking goes to both partners.
Book a meeting