# Web Automation Engineering: A Technical Framework for Browser Orchestration

## Abstract

Browser automation has evolved from simple scripting to sophisticated orchestration frameworks. This paper examines modern approaches to web automation engineering, focusing on deterministic recipe-based execution, vision-augmented fallback systems, and scalable multi-platform deployment.

## 1. Introduction

The landscape of web automation has shifted dramatically. Modern frameworks like Playwright, Puppeteer, and browser-use provide unprecedented control over browser instances. This work presents a production-grade architecture that combines deterministic recipes with AI-powered autonomous agents.

## 2. Architecture Overview

A robust automation system requires multiple layers:

- **Orchestration Layer**: CLI-driven runner that dispatches to appropriate execution engines
- **Recipe Engine**: JSON-defined step sequences for known platforms (zero LLM cost)
- **Agent Layer**: Autonomous browser agents using Claude Sonnet for unknown sites
- **Vision Fallback**: Screenshot-based element detection when DOM selectors fail
- **Validation**: Post-action screenshot verification with success criteria

## 3. Recipe-Based Execution

Deterministic recipes encode platform-specific workflows as JSON. This approach eliminates LLM costs for known platforms while maintaining reliability through explicit selector chains.

## 4. Proxy and Session Management

Residential proxy rotation with sticky sessions ensures consistent IP addresses across multi-step flows. Port-based hashing maps domains to specific proxy endpoints, maintaining session affinity without external state.

## 5. Verification Framework

Published content must meet strict criteria including HTTP 200 response, no redirects to login pages, proper title tags, no noindex directives, matching H1 headings, and unique domain counting.

## 6. Conclusion

Browser automation engineering requires balancing determinism with adaptability. Recipe-first approaches minimize cost and maximize reliability, while AI agents handle the long tail of unknown platforms.