An XPath Primer for Web Automation (with Macro Scheduler Examples)

If you automate websites with Macro Scheduler, you’ll quickly discover that:

Element IDs are often missing, dynamic, or useless
Class names change regularly
Page structures are deeply nested

This is where XPath becomes invaluable.

XPath lets you describe where an element lives in the page structure, rather than relying purely on IDs or classes.

Think of XPath as:

“Walk the HTML tree from here… to here… and give me that element.”

This article is a practical, non-theoretical introduction to XPath aimed at Macro Scheduler power users.

XPath in Macro Scheduler

You’ll usually encounter XPath via:

ChromeFindElements>session_id,xpath,value,elements_array

Example:

ChromeFindElements>session_id,xpath,//input[@name='q'],elements

strategy = xpath
value = XPath expression
elements_array = returned element IDs

You then use elements_1 , elements_2 , etc.

A Simple Starting Point

HTML:

<input name="q" type="text">

XPath:

//input[@name='q']

Macro Scheduler:

ChromeFindElements>session_id,xpath,//input[@name='q'],elements ChromeSetElementValue>session_id,elements_1,macro scheduler

Key XPath Building Blocks

Select by Tag

//button //input //div

Select by Attribute

//button[@id='saveBtn'] //input[@name='email'] //div[@class='container']

Select by Text

//button[text()='Submit']

Partial text:

//button[contains(text(),'Submit')]

Absolute vs Relative XPath

Absolute (brittle):

/html/body/div[2]/div/div/button

Relative (preferred):

//button[@id='saveBtn']

Rule: Always prefer relative XPath.

Using Contains() for Dynamic Values

When IDs or classes change slightly:

//button[contains(@id,'save')] //div[contains(@class,'menu')]

Very common in modern frameworks.

Indexing (When Multiple Matches Exist)

XPath is 1-based:

(//button[@class='action'])[1] (//button[@class='action'])[2]

Macro Scheduler:

ChromeFindElements>session_id,xpath,(//button[@class='action'])[1],elements

Navigating Relationships (The Real Power)

XPath can move up, down, and sideways through the DOM.

Child

//div/span

Parent

//span/..

Ancestor (any level up)

//span/ancestor::button

Following sibling

//h3[text()='Address']/following-sibling::input

Real-World Problem Example

Scenario

You have:

<button>  <label for="checkbox-123">Pacific Islander</label>  <input id="checkbox-123"> </button>

You know the input ID, but need to click the button.

Step 1: Find input

//input[@id='checkbox-123']

Step 2: Move up to button

//input[@id='checkbox-123']/ancestor::button

Macro Scheduler:

ChromeFindElements>session_id,xpath,//input[@id='checkbox-123']/ancestor::button,btn ChromeClickElement>session_id,btn_1

Finding a Button Based on Nearby Text

HTML:

<div class="option">  <h3>Premium Plan</h3>  <button>Select</button> </div>

Goal: click the Select button for Premium Plan.

XPath:

//h3[text()='Premium Plan']/following-sibling::button

Macro Scheduler:

ChromeFindElements>session_id,xpath,//h3[text()='Premium Plan']/following-sibling::button,btn ChromeClickElement>session_id,btn_1

Combining Conditions

//button[@type='submit' and contains(@class,'primary')]

Wildcards

//*[@id='saveBtn']

Any tag with that ID.

Debugging Tips

Build XPath in small steps
First verify something simple:

//h3

Then refine.

Use browser dev tools:
- Inspect element
- Right-click → Copy XPath
- Simplify it

Common Mistakes

❌ Using absolute paths

❌ Over-specific XPaths

❌ Forgetting XPath is case-sensitive

❌ Assuming only one match exists

Always check:

elements_count

before clicking.

XPath vs CSS Selectors

Macro Scheduler supports both, but XPath is better when:

You need to match by text
You need parent/ancestor relationships
You need complex logic

CSS selectors cannot easily do these.

Mental Model

Think in sentences:

Find the h3 with text “Premium Plan”, then give me the button next to it.

Translate that sentence into XPath.

Download a Cheatsheet

Here's a one pager Xpath cheatsheet:

https://www.mjtnet.com/software/xpath_cheat_sheet_macro_scheduler.pdf

Summary

XPath is essential for reliable web automation
Prefer relative paths
Use relationships (ancestor, sibling)
Combine with contains() for resilience

Mastering a small set of XPath patterns will solve 90% of real-world automation problems.