A Shift in Strategy: From Building to Integrating for Jobbot Form Filling

To advance a project and avoid getting stuck on a difficult task, sometimes it helps to step back. This was certainly the case for Jobbot, the job search automation platform I am building. A significant hurdle for Jobbot involved implementing reliable form filling across various employer websites.

My initial efforts focused on Skyvern, an open-source platform designed for browser automation and task scripting. Despite spending considerable time on it, I could not achieve a stable solution. Websites like Finn.no and Arbeidsplassen.nav.no proved particularly challenging. While Skyvern allowed for task scripting, the sheer number of forms and their frequent changes meant constant breakdowns. As a developer, I often find that the most elegant solutions can crumble when faced with the messy reality of external websites.

Eventually, I discovered the assistant tool within the Comet browser, presented by Perplexity. For those unfamiliar, Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine known for its conversational answers and source citations. This assistant proved highly effective. By simply opening the necessary tabs in one window, it can handle registrations, send links to email, save data, and complete profiles.

This experience was a reminder that sometimes the best solution is not one you build yourself, but one you integrate. I believe that various agents focused on form filling will face significant competition from Perplexity. I often share these kinds of findings and my development journey on my site, vitalii.no.