[UDF] AutoIt CDP UDF — A Modern, Playwright‑Style Chrome Automation Library

[seangriffin]

Hi everyone,

After months of development, testing, and refinement, I’m excited to share something new with the AutoIt community:

AutoIt CDP UDF

A modern, high‑performance automation library for controlling Chromium‑based browsers directly through the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) — with a clean, Playwright‑inspired API.

This UDF communicates with the browser directly over WebSockets, with no WebDriver, no Selenium, no ChromeDriver, no Node.js, and no external dependencies.

If you’ve ever used Playwright or Puppeteer, the API will feel instantly familiar — but now it’s native AutoIt.

⭐ Why CDP? Why this UDF?

CDP gives you direct, low‑level control over Chromium. That means:

• No WebDriver overhead

• No Selenium flakiness

• No external processes

• No drivers to match versions

• No Python/Node/npm stack

• No installation required

Just AutoIt + Chrome (CDP).

This UDF aims to bring a modern, fluent, reliable automation experience to AutoIt — something closer to Playwright than to traditional WebDriver UDFs.

🔥 Key Features

• Direct CDP communication (no WebDriver, no Selenium)

• Playwright‑inspired API (locators, assertions, steps, test object)

• Extremely fast (no driver layer, no IPC overhead)

• Extremely lightweight (no external runtimes required)

• Auto‑waiting for elements and conditions (planned)

• Built‑in assertion system (expect())

• Object‑driven, test‑aware scripting

• Event‑driven architecture

• Network request/response interception (planned)

• JavaScript evaluation (planned)

• Automatic browser download via Selenium Manager

• Portable, dependency‑free executables that run on any Windows machine

Works with Chrome, Edge, Brave, Chromium — (currently only Chrome is fully supported)

🧪 Playwright‑Style Test Output

Here’s a real output from the included “Basic Web Page” test:

expandcollapse popup

▶ Test: Basic web page test
  ▶ Step: Verify Basic Web Page navigation
    ▶ Step: Navigate to evil tester test pages
    ▶ Step: Verify the main page
        ✓ Expect: expected [Software Testing Practice Pages, Apps, and Challenges] and got [Software Testing Practice Pages, Apps, and Challenges] (line 29)
        ✓ Expect: expected [Software Testing Practice Pages, Apps, and Challenges] and got [Software Testing Practice Pages, Apps, and Challenges] (line 31)
        ✓ Expect: object [-5136690175131552945.1.1] is hidden (line 32)
        ✓ Expect: expected [False] and got [False] (line 33)
        ✓ Expect: expected [True] and got [True] (line 34)
    ▶ Step: Verify navigation to Pages
        ✓ Expect: expected [Pages] and got [Pages] (line 39)
        ✓ Expect: object [-5136690175131552945.1.2] is visible (line 40)
        ✓ Expect: expected truthy and got [True] (line 41)
        ✓ Expect: expected falsy and got [False] (line 42)
    ▶ Step: Navigate to Pages
    ▶ Step: Verify navigation to Basics
        ✓ Expect: expected [Basics] and got [Basics] (line 50)
    ▶ Step: Navigate to Basic Web Page
  ▶ Step: Verify Basic Web Page
    ▶ Step: Page elements
        ✓ Expect: actual text contains [Elements] (line 63)
        ✓ Expect: expected [Tags:

 Elements Locators

Categories:

 Basics] to contain [Elements] (line 64)
        ✓ Expect: expected [Tags:

 Elements Locators

Categories:

 Basics] to match regex [.*Categor.*] (line 65)
        ✓ Expect: expected [A paragraph of text] and got [A paragraph of text] (line 66)
        ✓ Expect: expected [Another paragraph of text] and got [Another paragraph of text] (line 67)
    ▶ Step: Click Me functionality
        ✓ Expect: expected [You clicked the button!] and got [You clicked the button!] (line 72)
        ✓ Expect: expected defined value and got [defined] (line 73)
        ✓ Expect: expected length [23] and got [23] (line 74)
  ▶ Step: Verify invalid locator
      ✓ Expect: expected Null and got [Null] (line 80)

> BasicWebPageWithStandardBrowser() took n ms.

📦 Included Examples

The repo includes a full suite of example scripts:

• Basic Web Page test

• Headless mode

• Auto‑installed Chrome v119

• Playwright Chromium

• Element attributes

• Multiple elements

• Basic inputs

• Number inputs

• API tests (HTTP GET, DELETE, POST)

These examples demonstrate the API, locators, assertions, and CDP interactions.

📥 Download & GitHub Repository

You can find the full source, examples, documentation, and comparison tables here:

👉 https://github.com/seanhaydongriffin/autoit-cdp-udf

🛠️ Requirements

• AutoIt v3.3.16.0+

• AutoItObject UDF (already included)

• JsonC UDF (already included)

• Chrome with remote debugging enabled

🎉 Final Thoughts

This UDF is still evolving — but it already provides a fast, modern, CDP‑native automation experience that AutoIt has never had before.

If you’re interested in:

• modern browser automation

• Playwright‑style scripting

• CDP exploration

• building a new generation of AutoIt test tools

…then I’d love your feedback and ideas.

Edited June 6 by seangriffin
simplify the title

[argumentum]

...
Func _CDP_Browser_FullPath($sFullPath = Default)
    Local Static $sBrowser = "init", $iErr = 10, $iExt = 10
    If $sBrowser = "init" Or $sFullPath = "init" Then
        $iErr = 10
        $iExt = 1
        $sBrowser = @ProgramFilesDir & "\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
        If Not FileGetSize($sBrowser) Then $sBrowser = @LocalAppDataDir & "\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe"
        If Not FileGetSize($sBrowser) Then $sBrowser = ""
    EndIf
    If Not IsKeyword($sFullPath) And $sFullPath <> "" And $sFullPath <> "init" Then
        $iErr = 10
        $iExt = 2
        $sBrowser = $sFullPath
    EndIf
    If $iErr = 10 Then $iErr = Int(Not FileGetSize($sBrowser))
    Return SetError($iErr, $iExt, $sBrowser)
EndFunc   ;==>_CDP_Browser_FullPath


#Region --- Browser Class ---

Func _CDP_Browser_Launch($oSelf, $browser = Default, $port = Default, $startupSwitches = Default, $profile = Default, $windowSize = Default)

    If $cdp.config.infoPopups = True Then SplashTextOn("AutoIt CDP", "Preparing browser ...", 420, 120)

    If $browser = Default Then
        $browser = _CDP_Browser_FullPath($browser)
    EndIf
...

Thanks for sharing.

Edited May 9 by argumentum
better

[mLipok]

Thanks.

But this means next one to add to my Browser.au3 UDF

Oh boy.

 

[subtlelonging]

Thank you for sharing!

Edited June 2 by subtlelonging
Withdraw the post due to a serious bug. Wait for it to be fixed and improved before republishing it.

[argumentum]

4 minutes ago, subtlelonging said:

I also wrote one, give it a tryaucdpx64

...14 posts and counting  
Firstly: thanks for sharing.
Secondly: where is the source for the DLL ?

[subtlelonging]

thanks for sharing.

Edited June 2 by subtlelonging
Withdraw the post due to a serious bug. Wait for it to be fixed and improved before republishing it.

[seangriffin]

📢UDF Update — New HTTP API Support (GET, POST, DELETE)

Hi everyone,

I’m excited to share a new feature update for the CDP UDF: built‑in HTTP API support for GET, POST, and DELETE requests.

This makes it much easier to integrate REST API testing directly into your CDP automation workflows. The API layer is lightweight, uses the JsonC UDF for request/response handling, and keeps your scripts clean and expressive.

Three new example scripts are included (Github link in the top post):

• Example API GET.au3

• Example API POST.au3

• Example API DELETE.au3

Below are the same examples inlined for quick reference.

HTTP GET Example

$jHeaderData = _JsonC_Object().add("Accept", "application/json")
$jResp = $api.get('https://apichallenges.eviltester.com/simpleapi/items', $jHeaderData)

HTTP DELETE Example

$jResp = $api.delete("https://apichallenges.eviltester.com/simpleapi/items/" & $firstId)

HTTP POST Example

$jPostData = _JsonC_Object().add("type", "blu-ray").add("isbn13", $isbn).add("price", 97.99).add("numberinstock", 0)
$jHeaderData = _JsonC_Object().add("Content-Type", "application/json")
$jResp = $api.post('https://apichallenges.eviltester.com/simpleapi/items', $jPostData, $jHeaderData)

 

Edited June 6 by seangriffin

[gmmg]

Hello,

I tested the following simple script for automatic login. It works perfectly, but when I try to compile it, I get an error message.

#Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=y
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****

#include "CDP.au3"

$chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, Default)

$page = $chrome.newPage()

$page.goto("https://autoit.de/wcf/login/")

$page.locator("//*[@id='username']").sendKeys("Username")
Sleep(1000)
$page.locator("//*[@id='password']").sendKeys("Password")
Sleep(1000)
$page.locator("//*[@id='submitButton']").click()

Error:

Aut2exe.exe encountered an error ended with error:   Error adding file:  .\json-c.dll .rc:2

Aut2exe.exe encountered an error ended with error: Error adding file: .\selenium-manager.exe .rc:2

 

Have anyone an idea?

KR,

gmmg

 

[seangriffin]

47 minutes ago, gmmg said:

Hello,

I tested the following simple script for automatic login. It works perfectly, but when I try to compile it, I get an error message.

#Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=y
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****

#include "CDP.au3"

$chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, Default)

$page = $chrome.newPage()

$page.goto("https://autoit.de/wcf/login/")

$page.locator("//*[@id='username']").sendKeys("Username")
Sleep(1000)
$page.locator("//*[@id='password']").sendKeys("Password")
Sleep(1000)
$page.locator("//*[@id='submitButton']").click()

Error:

Aut2exe.exe encountered an error ended with error:   Error adding file:  .\json-c.dll .rc:2

Aut2exe.exe encountered an error ended with error: Error adding file: .\selenium-manager.exe .rc:2

 

Have anyone an idea?

KR,

gmmg

 

Ohhh great pickup thanks!

I recently embedded the json-c.dll directly inside the JsonC.au3 so json-c.dll isn't required anymore.  But I forgot to remove it from the FileInstall command at the top of the UDF ...

#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=y
FileInstall(".\json-c.dll", ".\")
FileInstall(".\libcurl-x64.dll", ".\")
FileInstall(".\selenium-manager.exe", ".\")

Nice pickup.  I have made this fix to CDP.au3 and uploaded to Github.

>Running:(3.3.18.0):C:\Program Files (x86)\AutoIt3\aut2exe\aut2exe.exe  /in "C:\dwn\autoit-cdp-udf\temp_example.au3" /out "C:\Users\SGriffin\AppData\Local\AutoIt v3\Aut2exe\~AU6DF5.tmp.exe" /nopack /comp 2 /Console /x64
+>21:37:17 Aut2exe.exe ended.C:\Users\SGriffin\AppData\Local\AutoIt v3\Aut2exe\~AU6DF5.tmp.exe. rc:0
+>21:37:17 Created program:C:\dwn\autoit-cdp-udf\temp_example.exe
+>21:37:18 AutoIt3Wrapper Finished.

Doh!  I forgot to upload selenium-manager.exe to Github 😔  Sorry.  Have uploaded it now.  Your next download should work.

Thanks for the update!

[gmmg]

Thank You. It works

Where can I specify, that the chromedriver download path, is the same as the script path?

I found the settings for the selenium-manager.exe

selenium-manager.exe --browser chrome --cache-path c:\my_path 

How could I specify scriptdir?

KR, gmmg

Edited Monday at 12:21 PM by gmmg

[gmmg]

 

for my Website automation test: i think, i only need the curl-ca-bundle.crt + libcurl-x64.dll.

FileInstall(".\curl-ca-bundle.crt", ".\")
FileInstall(".\libcurl-x64.dll", ".\")
;FileInstall(".\selenium-manager.exe", ".\")
;FileInstall(".\sqlite3_x64.dll", ".\")
;FileInstall(".\sqlite3.exe", ".\")

Could it be that I don't need the WebDriver?

[seangriffin]

39 minutes ago, gmmg said:

 

for my Website automation test: i think, i only need the curl-ca-bundle.crt + libcurl-x64.dll.

FileInstall(".\curl-ca-bundle.crt", ".\")
FileInstall(".\libcurl-x64.dll", ".\")
;FileInstall(".\selenium-manager.exe", ".\")
;FileInstall(".\sqlite3_x64.dll", ".\")
;FileInstall(".\sqlite3.exe", ".\")

Could it be that I don't need the WebDriver?

If the only features you use in this UDF are chrome automation features then the only FileInstall that should be required is libcurl-x64.dll.

If you use any of the API features and security related functions in those features like SSL then you may additionally need FileInstall for curl-ca-bundle.crt.

FileInstall for selenium-manager.exe is only required if you use that feature in the launch method for a browser.

FileInstall for sqlite3.exe and sqlite3_x64.dll is for an upcoming feature named "Enterprise Mode" which takes the UDF into features beyond that of Playwright, such as test data management.

This UDF does not use or require WebDriver at all.

Edited Monday at 01:39 PM by seangriffin

[seangriffin]

1 hour ago, gmmg said:

Thank You. It works

Where can I specify, that the chromedriver download path, is the same as the script path?

I found the settings for the selenium-manager.exe

selenium-manager.exe --browser chrome --cache-path c:\my_path 

How could I specify scriptdir?

KR, gmmg

This UDF does not use or require a WebDriver (meaning chromedriver for Chrome)

Edited Monday at 01:41 PM by seangriffin

[gmmg]

Hello @seangriffin, thanks for your fast reply, 

I'm currently use the WebDriver for my automation scripts. I might adjust that.

Greetings,

gmmg

[gmmg]

In my Script, i must set the lauch parameter for the chromeprofile path, because otherwise it won't start from a network path

$chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, @TempDir & "\chromeprofile")

 

[seangriffin]

50 minutes ago, gmmg said:

In my Script, i must set the lauch parameter for the chromeprofile path, because otherwise it won't start from a network path

$chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, @TempDir & "\chromeprofile")

 

Not sure what your question is.  Do you want to start chrome from a network path?  I've never attempted that. 

You can try changing the first parameter of the $browser.launch method (in your example Default) to an alternate path for chrome itself (chrome.exe).  By default modern chrome instances reside in @ProgramFilesDir & "\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" and that's what Default currently refers to.

I have been meaning to publish a very simple example on the usage of the UDF.  I took your example and reduced it to a bare-minimal form that works (with no parameters for launch) ...

#Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=y
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#include "CDP.au3"

$chrome = $browser.launch()
$page = $chrome.newPage()
$page.goto("https://autoit.de/wcf/login/")
$page.locator("//*[@id='username']").sendKeys("Username")
$page.locator("//*[@id='password']").sendKeys("Password")
$page.locator("//*[@id='submitButton']").click()

 

Edited Tuesday at 12:32 PM by seangriffin

[argumentum]

2 minutes ago, seangriffin said:

By default modern chrome instances reside in @ProgramFilesDir & "\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" and that's what Default currently refers to.

...but if installed by "User mode" that needs the function I gave you in a prior post.

..and I ever seen network mode anything. It would be interesting test.

[gmmg]

i must change the line $chrome = $browser.launch() to $chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, @TempDir & "\chromeprofile") , since I cannot ensure that a website logout has taken place

And the $FileDelete area for delete cookie settings. I haven't found any other solution for it yet.

#Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=y
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#include "CDP.au3"

;--delete Cookies--
Local $sProfile = @TempDir & "\chromeprofile"
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Cookies")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Cookies-journal")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Network\Cookies")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Network\Cookies-journal")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Cookies")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Cookies-journal")

;$chrome = $browser.launch()
$chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, @TempDir & "\chromeprofile") 
$page = $chrome.newPage()
$page.goto("https://autoit.de/wcf/login/")
$page.locator("//*[@id='username']").sendKeys("Username")
$page.locator("//*[@id='password']").sendKeys("Password")
$page.locator("//*[@id='submitButton']").click()

Edited Tuesday at 01:20 PM by gmmg

[seangriffin]

On 6/16/2026 at 10:47 PM, gmmg said:

i must change the line $chrome = $browser.launch() to $chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, @TempDir & "\chromeprofile") , since I cannot ensure that a website logout has taken place

And the $FileDelete area for delete cookie settings. I haven't found any other solution for it yet.

#Region ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#AutoIt3Wrapper_UseX64=y
#AutoIt3Wrapper_Change2CUI=y
#EndRegion ;**** Directives created by AutoIt3Wrapper_GUI ****
#include "CDP.au3"

;--delete Cookies--
Local $sProfile = @TempDir & "\chromeprofile"
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Cookies")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Cookies-journal")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Network\Cookies")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Default\Network\Cookies-journal")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Cookies")
FileDelete($sProfile & "\Cookies-journal")

;$chrome = $browser.launch()
$chrome = $browser.launch(Default, 9299, Default, @TempDir & "\chromeprofile") 
$page = $chrome.newPage()
$page.goto("https://autoit.de/wcf/login/")
$page.locator("//*[@id='username']").sendKeys("Username")
$page.locator("//*[@id='password']").sendKeys("Password")
$page.locator("//*[@id='submitButton']").click()

Management of cookies is an interesting concern.  I didn't want to mandate the UDF work one way or the other. 

In my own use cases of the UDF I need to support both options.  Either needing the browser to retain no knowledge of the web application in each run, or in situations where I need cookies and credentials to be retained between test runs but have no want or need to capture those in the script (perhaps for security or privacy reasons).

Thus I included the final parameter on the browser launch method - $clearCookies - so you can control this yourself.

Which provides the similar functions you are including in your script ...

if $clearCookies = True Then
    FileDelete($profile & "\Default\Cookies")
    FileDelete($profile & "\Default\Cookies-journal")
    FileDelete($profile & "\Default\Network\Cookies")
    FileDelete($profile & "\Default\Network\Cookies-journal")
EndIf

 

[seangriffin]

On 6/16/2026 at 10:36 PM, argumentum said:

...but if installed by "User mode" that needs the function I gave you in a prior post.

..and I ever seen network mode anything. It would be interesting test.

Good point and sorry I didn't understand the context of your previous post.  Makes sense now.

Yes the UDF should expand on the many wonderous ways that browsers can be called via different installation paths.  😉

I didn't want to initially get bogged down in those details.  But work revisiting now its maturing.  Thanks

Edited Wednesday at 02:37 PM by seangriffin