tomevault-io Reddit/Postmill Browser Automation Skill
This skill is based on Playwright MCP tools, providing automation capabilities for Reddit-like forum platforms (Postmill).
Core Concepts
In forum automation, we distinguish two types of operations:
- Skill: Meaningful combinations of multiple tool calls, encapsulated as independent Python scripts
- Basic Tools: Single function calls used for atomic operations.
I. Skills
1. Sign Up
Use Cases:
- Create a new account on the forum after cilcing "Sign up" button
- Register with specific username and password
Usage:
# Usage:
# python sign_up.py <username> <password> <username_ref> <password_ref> <password_repeat_ref> <submit_ref>
# Example:
python sign_up.py "AIDataAnalyst2025" "SecurePass123!" e35 e43 e44 e54
2. Create Post
Use Cases:
- Submit a new post/submission to a forum aftering clicking "Submit" button
- Create text posts with title and body
Usage:
# Usage:
# python create_post.py <title> <body> <title_ref> <body_ref> <create_btn_ref>
# Example:
python create_post.py "My Post Title" "Post body content here" e58 e63 e82
Note: The body text can contain multiple lines. Each line should start with a dash (-) for proper formatting.
3. Create Forum
Use Cases:
- Create a new forum/community after clicking "Create forum" button
- Set up forum name, title, description, and sidebar
Usage:
# Usage:
# python create_forum.py <name> <title> <description> <sidebar> <name_ref> <title_ref> <desc_ref> <sidebar_ref> <create_btn_ref>
# Example:
python create_forum.py "BudgetEuropeTravel" "Budget Travel Europe" "Community for sharing money-saving tips" "Share your best deals!" e51 e56 e61 e69 e83
4. Create Wiki
Use Cases:
- Create a wiki page for a forum after clicking "Create new page" button
- Set up wiki URL path, title, and content
Usage:
# Usage:
# python create_wiki.py <url_path> <title> <body> <url_ref> <title_ref> <body_ref> <save_btn_ref>
# Example:
python create_wiki.py "europe-travel-guide" "Complete Budget Travel Guide" "Wiki content here" e51 e56 e62 e69
II. Basic Tools (When to Use Single Functions)
Below are the basic tool functions and their use cases. These are atomic operations for flexible combination.
Note: Code should be written without line breaks.
How to Run
# Standard format (browser persists across calls)
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.navigate('http://localhost:9999')"
Navigation Tools
navigate(url: str)
Use Cases:
- Open forum homepage
- Navigate to specific forum or post
Example:
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.navigate('http://localhost:9999')"
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.navigate('http://localhost:9999/f/MachineLearning')"
navigate_back()
Use Cases:
- Go back to previous page
- Return to forum listing after viewing post
Example:
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.navigate_back()"
Interaction Tools
click(ref: str, element: Optional[str] = None)
Use Cases:
- Click navigation links (Forums, Submit, Wiki, etc.)
- Click forum links and post titles
- Click buttons (Sign up, Create, Save, Upvote, etc.)
- Click pagination links (More, Page 2, etc.)
Example:
# Click Forums link
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.click(ref='e22', element='Forums link')"
# Click a post title
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.click(ref='e77', element='Post title link')"
# Click Upvote button
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.click(ref='e94', element='Upvote button')"
type_text(ref: str, text: str, element: Optional[str] = None)
Use Cases:
- Fill form fields (username, password, title, body)
- Enter search queries
- Fill wiki content
Example:
# Enter username
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.type_text(ref='e35', text='MyUsername', element='Username field')"
# Enter post body
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.type_text(ref='e63', text='Post content here', element='Body textbox')"
select_option(ref: str, element_desc: str, value: str)
Use Cases:
- Select timezone in user settings
- Select sorting options
- Select dropdown values
Example:
# Select timezone
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.select_option(ref='e56', element_desc='Time zone combobox', value='Europe / Amsterdam')"
press_key(key: str)
Use Cases:
- Submit search queries (press Enter)
- Submit forms
Example:
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.press_key('Enter')"
Page State Tools
snapshot()
Use Cases:
- When unsure about current page state
- Need to find ref references for elements
- Verify if operation was successful
- Count posts or comments on a page
Example:
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.snapshot()"
Best Practices:
- Use snapshot after navigation to find element refs
- Use snapshot to count items on a page
- Use snapshot to verify data before submitting
III. Common Navigation Patterns
Forum Navigation
# Navigate to homepage
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.navigate('http://localhost:9999')"
Sorting and Pagination
# Click Sort by dropdown
python run_browser_ops.py -c "await browser.click(ref='e54', element='Sort by: Hot dropdown')"
IV. Best Practices
Use snapshot() Liberally
Use snapshot() in the following situations:
- After navigating to a new page
- Before performing actions that require element refs
- When counting posts or analyzing content
- To verify successful completion of actions
Usage Principles
- Navigate first: Start by navigating to
http://localhost:9999 - Use snapshot() liberally: Forum pages have dynamic refs, verify state often
- Find refs: Always find current refs before using skills
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