Challenge to select dropdown list on a web page

[Kenneth_TL]

Good Day,  Experts.

I am testing to extract vessel schedule information based port to port from website with Power automate.

now the challenge is that the dropdown list looks quite different from standard one from regular webpage (see as below). I tried to use "Set drop-list value on web page" with value required does not work at all, the error message goes "List doesn't contain option xxxx", i have no idea if there will be an better way to achieve this ?  below are some details,

appreciate it very much in advance, please kindly let me know if any information needed further. thanks.

step 1: open Web page link

step 2: input Testing Origin City: Yantian,Shenzhen,Guangdong,China (input port key words Shanghai and wait for drop down list loading)

step 3: input Testing Destination City:Vancouver, ,BC,Canada ((input port key words Vancouver and wait for drop down list loading))

step 4: 4 Click "Search" button

 Power Automate Steps:

<div class="ivu-select-dropdown" style="width: 414px; transform-origin: center top; position: absolute; left: 0px; top: 36px;" x-placement="bottom"><ul class="ivu-select-not-found" style="display: none;"><li></li></ul> <ul class="ivu-select-dropdown-list"><div data-v-7d2181d0=""><li class="ivu-select-item ivu-select-item-selected">
        Yantian,Shenzhen,Guangdong,China
    </li><li class="ivu-select-item">
        YanTianHe,Huangzhou,Huanggang,Hubei,China

[OkanAT · Accepted solution]

Hi,

I opened the site myself and you can use keyboard and mouse activities within power automate desktop to achieve what you want. I can use the arrow down button to get the value i want and then press enter. 

Will look like this:

- Open web page

- Write to text box

- Use keyboard activity: Arrow down + Enter (shanghai)

- Write to text box

- Use keyboard activity: Arrow + enter

- Click search button

Good luck.

[Ahammad_Riyaz · Accepted solution]

Hi @Kenneth_TL 

Here drop-down will not work, you can try with send keys directly pass value else use populate text field or once written shangai after use click action .

Better use send keys with value and arrow down.

If works mark as solution so others will helps

Regards,

Riyaz

[Kenneth_TL]

it really helps, much appreciation! 

[Kenneth_TL]

yes, I make it now. thanks a lot!

[Kenneth_TL]

Hi @Ahammad_Riyaz @OkanAT  thanks for your reply. but now I found another issue,  sending keys + arrow down can help when the target option can pop out as first item in the drop down list,  but when I input the Destination City, i.e Norfolk, however there 5 cities popping out, but my target city is the 4th one, "Norfolk,Norfolk City,VA,United States". if I input "HOUSTON" my target one is the 5th one, etc,  seems the web only support fuzzy search instead of accurate search by input full city name, the my target can't show up at first......
  may I consult is there better to address the "dynamic" drop down list on web page? tks!

Web page link

[OkanAT]

Hi,

In my opinion, this is a hard and bad process to automate because it is hard to make dynamic. Like you said, when you have Houston, you have to press down 5 times. 

I don't know how many cities you have, buy for each city you can make a switch activity for the amount of drop downs you want to click. But as you can tell if you have a lot of cities this is not going to be fun to make. 

If you have any questions let me know 🙂