facebook-automation

name	facebook-automation
description	Facebook automation including posting with privacy settings, interactions, messaging, and navigation workflows
allowed-tools	browser_navigate browser_click browser_type browser_fill_form browser_get_snapshot browser_screenshot browser_wait browser_navigate_back browser_get_page_info browser_hover browser_press_key browser_evaluate browser_scroll write_todos browser_extract_posts

Facebook Automation Skill

Automation guide for Facebook web interface - posts, privacy settings, interactions, and navigation.

When to Use This Skill

• Create posts with specific privacy settings (Public, Friends, Only me)
• Navigate Facebook pages and features
• Interact with posts (like, comment, share)
• Send messages via Messenger

If you received a Success Plan with working_selectors, try those patterns first.

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Critical Rules

🚫 NEVER USE browser_evaluate FOR CLICKING (CAUSES INFINITE LOOPS)

STOP! If you're about to use browser_evaluate to click, DON'T.

This is the #1 cause of agent failures. browser_evaluate for clicking:

• Returns null (element not found in DOM)
• Agent retries with different JS variations
• Loops 25+ times, never works

If browser_evaluate returns null ONCE:

1. STOP immediately
2. Call browser_get_snapshot()
3. Use browser_click(ref="eXX", force=True) with ref from snapshot
4. If element not in snapshot, the dialog may not have opened - see "Dialog Not Opening" below

⚠️ REFS BECOME STALE AFTER EVERY ACTION

After ANY click, type, or navigation:

• ALL refs from previous snapshot are INVALID
• You MUST call browser_get_snapshot() to get fresh refs
• The same ref number (e.g., e78) now points to a DIFFERENT element

Example of what goes wrong:

browser_get_snapshot()
# e78 = button "What's on your mind?"
browser_click(ref="e78", force=True)  # Opens dialog

browser_click(ref="e78", force=True)  # WRONG! e78 is now "Live video"!

Correct pattern:

browser_get_snapshot()
# e78 = button "What's on your mind?"
browser_click(ref="e78", force=True)

browser_get_snapshot()  # GET FRESH REFS!
# Now e78 might be something completely different
# e42 = button "Friends" (privacy button)
browser_click(ref="e42", force=True)

� DIALOG NOT OPENING?

If you clicked to open a dialog but snapshot doesn't show dialog elements:

1. browser_wait(time=2) - give React time to render
2. browser_get_snapshot() - check again
3. If still no dialog, try clicking again with force=True
4. If still fails after 2 attempts, report the issue

🔄 LOOP PREVENTION

If same action fails 2 times:

1. STOP trying that approach
2. Try DIFFERENT strategy (different tool, different selector)
3. Get fresh snapshot
4. Example: If browser_evaluate returns null 2x → Use browser_click with ref

DO NOT repeat the same failed pattern more than 2 times.

1. ARIA Snapshot & Ref System

The browser_get_snapshot() tool returns a YAML accessibility tree using Playwright's locator.aria_snapshot() API:

- navigation "Facebook":
  - link "Home" [ref=e0]
  - button "Search" [ref=e1]
- main:
  - button "What's on your mind?" [ref=e15]
  - dialog "Create post":
    - textbox "What's on your mind?" [ref=e20]
    - button "Public" [ref=e21]
    - button "Post" [ref=e25]

Format explanation:

• role "accessible name" [ref=eN] - Each element with unique ref
• Roles: button, link, textbox, checkbox, radio, heading, dialog, etc.
• Attributes: [checked], [disabled], [expanded], [pressed=true]

2. Mandatory Workflow (Observe → Think → Act → Verify)

BEFORE ANY ACTION:

# OBSERVE - Get FRESH snapshot
browser_get_snapshot()

# THINK - MUST explicitly list elements you see:
# I see in this snapshot:
# - button "Close composer dialog" [ref=e31] ← NOT what I want!
# - button "Friends" [ref=e42] ← This is the privacy button (shows current setting)
# - button "Photo/video" [ref=e43] ← NOT privacy
# - button "Post" [ref=e50] ← Submit button
#
# I need to change privacy. The button showing "Friends" is ref=e42.

# ACT - Use the ref from THIS snapshot
browser_click(ref="e42", force=True)

# VERIFY - Get NEW snapshot (previous refs are now stale!)
browser_wait(time=1)
browser_get_snapshot()  # REQUIRED after every action
# Now analyze the NEW refs before next action

3. Must-Follow Principles

Rule	Why
Get fresh snapshot after EVERY action	Refs become stale immediately
Always force=True on clicks	Facebook has invisible overlays
browser_wait(time=1-2) after actions	React needs time to re-render
List elements before clicking	Prevents clicking wrong button
Complete ALL dialog steps	Selecting ≠ confirming
Verify with snapshot before "done"	Task isn't complete until verified
Read button names carefully	"Close composer" ≠ privacy button!
Max 2 retries per approach	If it fails twice, try different strategy

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Tool Reference

browser_get_snapshot

Get ARIA accessibility snapshot with element refs.

browser_get_snapshot()

Output: YAML accessibility tree with [ref=eN] markers on each element.

browser_click

Click element using ref (preferred) or selector.

# Using ref (RECOMMENDED)
browser_click(ref="e42", force=True)

# Using selector (fallback)
browser_click(selector="button=Post", force=True)

Always use force=True on Facebook.

browser_type

Type text into an input field.

# Using ref
browser_type(ref="e23", text="Hello world")

# Using selector
browser_type(selector="div[contenteditable='true'][role='textbox']", text="Hello")

browser_wait

Wait for UI updates after actions.

browser_wait(time=1)   # 1 second for simple actions
browser_wait(time=2)   # 2 seconds for navigation/dialogs

browser_press_key

Press keyboard keys.

browser_press_key(key="Enter")
browser_press_key(key="Escape")

browser_hover

Hover to reveal hidden UI (like reactions).

browser_hover(ref="e28")

---

Selector Patterns

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Facebook Post Selectors (CRITICAL - 2025)

⚠️ WRONG SELECTORS (Don't Use):

• article - Facebook doesn't use semantic HTML articles
• div[role="article"] - Posts don't have this ARIA role
• div[data-ad-preview="message"] - Only works for ads, not organic posts

✅ CORRECT SELECTORS FOR FACEBOOK POSTS (2025):

Method 1: data-testid Selectors (Most Reliable)

# Feed container
"div[role='feed']"

# Individual posts
"div[data-testid='feed_story']"

# Post content elements
"div[data-testid='post_message']"          # Post text
"a[data-testid='story_author_link']"        # Author link
"span[data-testid='story_timestamp']"       # Timestamp
"img[data-testid='story_photo']"            # Post images
"div[data-testid='feed_loading_indicator']" # Loading spinner (lazy load)

Method 2: ARIA Role-Based Selectors (Resilient)

# Use getByRole pattern (most stable against DOM changes)
page.get_by_role("feed")                     # Feed container
page.get_by_role("article")                  # Individual posts (if present)
page.get_by_role("link", name="author")      # Author links
page.get_by_role("img")                      # Images

Method 3: ARIA Snapshot Refs (Preferred for Interaction)

# 1. Get snapshot
browser_get_snapshot()

# 2. Parse snapshot YAML to find post refs
# Posts appear as "generic" or custom roles with accessible names

# 3. Use refs for precise interaction
browser_click(ref="e42", force=True)

Post Extraction Workflow (Full Example)

# Step 1: Navigate to feed
browser_navigate(url="https://www.facebook.com")
browser_wait(time=2)

# Step 2: Get initial snapshot
browser_get_snapshot()

# Step 3: Scroll to load more posts (lazy loading)
browser_scroll(direction="down", amount=500)
browser_wait(time=2)  # Wait for lazy load to complete

# Step 4: Get fresh snapshot with new posts
browser_get_snapshot()

# Step 5: Extract posts using correct selectors
posts = await page.locator("div[data-testid='feed_story']").all()

# Step 6: Parse each post for content
for post in posts:
    author = post.locator("a[data-testid='story_author_link']")
    text = post.locator("div[data-testid='post_message']")
    timestamp = post.locator("span[data-testid='story_timestamp']")

Lazy Loading Detection

# Check if more posts are loading
loading = await page.locator("div[data-testid='feed_loading_indicator']").count() > 0

# Scroll until no new content appears
prev_count = 0
while True:
    await page.locator("div[data-testid='feed_story']").count() == prev_count:
        browser_scroll(direction="down", amount=500)
        browser_wait(time=2)
        current_count = await page.locator("div[data-testid='feed_story']").count()
        if current_count == prev_count:
            break  # No new posts loaded
        prev_count = current_count

Selector Priority (Use This Order)

1. data-testid attributes (most stable) - div[data-testid='feed_story']
2. ARIA roles - div[role='feed']
3. ARIA snapshot refs - Use after browser_get_snapshot()
4. User-facing names - button="Post", text="Like"
5. CSS selectors (last resort) - Brittle, breaks often

---

Selector Patterns

Priority order (most reliable first):

1. ref="e42" - From snapshot (BEST)
2. button=Name - Buttons by accessible name
3. radio=Option - Radio buttons in dialogs
4. [aria-label="Label"] - By aria-label
5. role=textbox - For input fields
6. CSS selectors - Last resort

Common Facebook Selectors

Element	Selector
Open composer	button=What's on your mind?
Text input	div[contenteditable='true'][role='textbox'] or role=textbox
Post button	button=Post
Next button	button=Next
Done button	button=Done

Privacy Selectors

⚠️ CRITICAL: Privacy button has DYNAMIC name

The privacy button's accessible name includes the current setting PLUS dynamic friend names:

• Full name: "Edit privacy. Sharing with [setting]"
• Setting can be: "Public", "Friends", "Only me", "Friends except: [names]"

ALWAYS use the STABLE PREFIX (never match dynamic suffix):

Current Privacy	Full Accessible Name	ALWAYS Use This Selector
Public	"Edit privacy. Sharing with Public"	button="Edit privacy. Sharing with"
Friends	"Edit privacy. Sharing with Friends"	button="Edit privacy. Sharing with"
Only me	"Edit privacy. Sharing with Only me"	button="Edit privacy. Sharing with"
Friends except	"Edit privacy. Sharing with Friends except: John, Jane..."	button="Edit privacy. Sharing with"

WRONG: ❌ button="Friends except..." (dynamic suffix, will fail) WRONG: ❌ button="Public" (doesn't match full name) CORRECT: ✅ button="Edit privacy. Sharing with" (stable prefix)

In privacy dialog (after clicking privacy button):

Option	Selector
Public	radio=Public
Friends	radio=Friends
Only me	radio=Only me
Custom	radio=Custom

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Core Workflows

Create Post with Privacy Setting

# 1. Navigate to Facebook
browser_navigate(url="https://www.facebook.com")
browser_wait(time=2)

# 2. Get snapshot to find composer
browser_get_snapshot()
# Find button containing "What's on your mind"

# 3. Open composer
browser_click(selector='button=What\'s on your mind', force=True)
browser_wait(time=1)

# 4. Get snapshot - find privacy button (shows current setting)
browser_get_snapshot()
# Look for button starting with "Edit privacy. Sharing with" [ref=eXX]

# 5. Click privacy button using STABLE PREFIX selector
browser_click(selector='button="Edit privacy. Sharing with"', force=True)
browser_wait(time=0.5)

# 6. Select privacy option
browser_click(selector='radio=Only me', force=True)
browser_wait(time=0.5)

# 7. CRITICAL - Confirm with Done
browser_click(selector='button=Done', force=True)
browser_wait(time=0.5)

# 8. Type post content
browser_type(selector="role=textbox", text="Your post content")
browser_wait(time=1)

# 8b. CRITICAL - Refresh snapshot after typing (refs become stale)
browser_get_snapshot()

# 9. Click Next (if shown)
browser_click(selector='button=Next', force=True)
browser_wait(time=2)

# 10. Get snapshot, find Post button
browser_get_snapshot()

# 11. Click Post
browser_click(selector='button=Post', force=True)
browser_wait(time=3)

# 12. VERIFY - Must see post in feed
browser_get_snapshot()

Like a Post

browser_get_snapshot()
# Find Like button ref
browser_click(ref="e28", force=True)  # Like button ref
browser_wait(time=0.5)
browser_get_snapshot()  # Verify liked

React with Emoji (Love, Haha, etc.)

browser_get_snapshot()
# Hover to reveal reactions
browser_hover(ref="e28")  # Like button ref
browser_wait(time=1)
browser_get_snapshot()
# Click specific reaction
browser_click(ref="e35", force=True)  # Love reaction ref

Comment on Post

browser_get_snapshot()
browser_click(ref="e32", force=True)  # Comment button
browser_wait(time=0.5)
browser_type(ref="e45", text="Great post!")  # Comment input
browser_press_key(key="Enter")
browser_wait(time=1)
browser_get_snapshot()  # Verify comment appears

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Troubleshooting

Common Failure Patterns

Problem	What Happened	Fix
Clicked wrong button	Used stale ref (e78 was "What's on your mind" but became "Live video")	ALWAYS browser_get_snapshot() after any action
Closed dialog accidentally	Clicked "Close composer dialog" instead of privacy button	Read button names in snapshot before clicking
Got stuck in loop	Clicking same ref repeatedly after page changed	Refs are per-snapshot; get fresh snapshot first
Privacy not changed	Selected option but didn't click "Done"	Complete full dialog: select → Done → verify

Quick Fixes

Problem	Solution
Ref not found	browser_get_snapshot() to refresh refs
Click not working	Add force=True, try browser_hover first
Element not visible	browser_wait(time=2), check for overlays
Dialog not responding	Close with browser_press_key(key="Escape")
Page stale	browser_navigate to refresh

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Best Practices

1. Always snapshot first - Get refs before any action
2. Use refs for disambiguation - Multiple "Post" buttons? Use exact ref
3. Wait after actions - 1-2 seconds for React re-renders
4. Verify before "done" - Take final snapshot to confirm result
5. Follow dialog sequences - select → confirm → submit → verify
6. Scroll down/up to load more posts - if you want more posts beyond what's in the snapshot, you should scroll down/up the webpage

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Facebook UI Notes

• React/SPA - Elements re-render; always refresh snapshot after changes
• Portals - Dialogs render outside parent containers
• Overlays - Multiple modals can stack; use force=True
• Lazy loading - Scroll to load more content
• Privacy button - Shows CURRENT setting, not a fixed label