The Possibilities of Web Automation

Because the internet, the World Wide Web (actually two different things), and connected networks are so much a part of everyday life, it’s easy to forget just how complicated this technology really is. When we say that UiPath can help your organization with web enablement, it includes a great deal more than the ability to get data from the web (scraping) or integrating with a cloud service.

Get ready for the alphabet soup – we’re talking API, SOAP, REST, with a little bit of XML and JSON. All that’s important to know in this instance is that all of these pertain to the ways in which programs communicate over the web. API (Application Programming Interface) allows software to interact with the user or other software without the other party knowing how it ticks. Lots of web services and sites have open APIs, which is great news for automation. Open APIs are integral for social sharing on the web; think of the ‘share’ links that appear on most news sites and blogs (like this one). Embedding presentations and videos is possible with open APIs. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and lots of other web services have open APIs to allow for better interaction among programs.

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) and REST (Representational State Transfer) are both frameworks for how information is exchanged online. More technically, SOAP is a communications protocol and REST is a style for hypertext systems. A web designer can choose to work with either according to preference. SOAP usually uses XML (Extensible Markup Language) to communicate, while REST usually uses JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). SOAP is versatile because it “speaks” in XML, and it’s a well-known standard that is maintained by the World Wide Web Consortium (or W3C). On the other hand, REST is considered to be lighter than SOAP with less information attached to messages.

UiPath is built to work with APIs, SOAP, and REST. The videos below offer just a peek into the capabilities of web automation with our robotic process automation software. Don’t underestimate the power of automating information retrieval if that’s one less thing to worry about in a day. Of course, it’s not just about getting information. Use UiPath as translator from XML or JSON to information you can understand at a glance. With built-in wizards that lead you through SOAP and HTTP prompts, UiPath can cover all of your web automation needs. Request a live demo today to learn more about what UiPath can do for your organization.