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Overview

This guide demonstrates how to scrape data from websites that require user authentication by using persistent browser sessions. You’ll learn to launch a browser session, authenticate manually, and then run automated tasks using that authenticated session.
1

Launch Browser Session

First, create a new browser session that will persist your authentication cookies. This session will return a session_id and live_url for manual authentication.
Python
from smooth import SmoothClient

smooth_client = SmoothClient(api_key="cmzr-YOUR_API_KEY")
session = smooth_client.open_session(session_id="gmail-session")

print(f"Live URL: {session.live_url()}")
print(f"Session ID: {session.session_id}")
The live_url opens an interactive browser window where you can manually authenticate.
2

Authenticate Manually

Open the live_url in your browser and manually log in to Gmail:
  1. Navigate to the live URL provided by the session
  2. Go to gmail.com in the browser
  3. Enter your email address and password
  4. Complete any two-factor authentication if required
  5. Verify you’re successfully logged in to your Gmail inbox
Your authentication cookies are now securely stored in the session and will persist for future tasks.
3

Run Automated Task

Now use the authenticated session to run an automated task. The agent will access Gmail as a logged-in user and retrieve your last email.
Python
task = smooth_client.run(
    task="Go to Gmail and get the subject and sender of the most recent email in my inbox",
    session_id="gmail-session"
)

print(f"Live URL: {task.live_url()}")
result = task.result()
print(f"Last email details: {result}")
The agent will automatically use the stored authentication from your session to access Gmail and extract the requested information.

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Key Benefits

  • Persistent Authentication: Sessions maintain login state across multiple tasks
  • Manual Control: You handle the authentication process manually for security
  • Automated Execution: Once authenticated, agents can run complex tasks automatically
  • Session Reuse: The same session can be used for multiple related tasks

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Best Practices

  • Use descriptive session IDs for better organization
  • Keep sessions secure and don’t share session IDs
  • Test authentication manually before running automated tasks
  • Handle rate limits and be respectful to the target website
Sessions persist cookies and authentication state, making them perfect for accessing protected content while maintaining security through manual authentication.

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