Automating Google Sites: What Worked, What Failed, and What Cost a Rebuild

Описание и применение

Автоматизация публикации в Google Sites без официального API: единственный надёжный способ – имитировать ввод клавиш через расширение браузера, учитывая проблемы с не‑ASCII символами, списками, ссылками, заголовками и изображениями.

Задача

Automating content publishing into Google Sites without an official API, ensuring persistence across reloads and handling editor quirks.

Результат

The only reliable method was synthetic keystrokes via a browser automation extension, with careful handling of non‑ASCII, list formatting, links, headings, and image placement. This approach survived reloads and produced a stable Google Sites page.

Рабочий процесс

• 1. Verify editor uses internal document model by mutating DOM and reloading to confirm loss.
• 2. Test synthetic keystrokes via browser automation extension; ensure non‑ASCII characters are normalized to ASCII.
• 3. Avoid leading '- ' to prevent retroactive list formatting; if triggered, select all and toggle list button twice.
• 4. For hyperlinks, select anchor text, press cmd+k, click URL input, then click Apply via synthetic click events; avoid pressing Enter inside URL input.
• 5. Insert headings using cmd+alt+2 or cmd+alt+3 with ~3s pause between commands.
• 6. Upload images via file input; if crash occurs, handle manually or use separate layout block.
• 7. Duplicate root page to subpage to preserve title tag; set custom path in duplicate dialog.
• 8. After each change, reload to confirm autosave persisted.
• 9. Compile final page and publish.

Доказательства

The only approach that updates the document model and survives a reload is sending synthetic keystrokes through a browser automation extension.

Источник

Typing, character by character, through the extension works, and persists.

Источник