Popups and modal windows are overlay elements that appear on top of the main page content. Browse AI can interact with these elements during data extraction, including dismissing them or extracting data from within them, or capturing them as a screenshot.
Types of popups and modals
Cookie consent banners: privacy notices that appear on page load.
Login/signup modals: authentication prompts that overlay content.
Product quick views: preview windows that show details without leaving the page.
Chat widgets: customer service popups in the corner of pages.
Newsletter/promotional popups: marketing overlays requesting email signups.
Age verification modals: confirmation dialogs for restricted content.
Alert/notification boxes: information or warning messages.
Training your robot to handle popups
Dismissing unwanted popups
When a popup appears during training:
Click the close button (X, "Close", "Accept", "No thanks").
Wait for the popup to disappear.
Continue with your data extraction.
The robot learns to dismiss this popup automatically.
Common dismiss actions:
Click "Accept All" on cookie banners
Click "X" or "Close" on promotional popups
Click outside the modal (if that closes it)
Press "No thanks" on newsletter signups
Extracting data from popups
When the popup contains data you need:
Trigger the popup (page load, click "Quick View", "More Info", etc.)
Wait for the modal to fully load
Use Capture Text or Capture List on content within the popup
Close the popup when done
Continue with your data extraction.
Capturing popups as screenshots
When you need to preserve the popup's visual content:
Trigger the popup (page load, click "Quick View", "More Info", etc.)
Once the modal is fully loaded, click Capture Screenshot
Choose screenshot type:
Selection: Draw around just the popup/modal
Visible part: Capture what's currently on screen (including the popup)
Entire page: Capture everything (popup will overlay the background)
Name your screenshot (e.g., "Product_Quick_View", "Error_Message")
Continue with your data extraction.
When to screenshot popups:
Error messages or alerts for troubleshooting
Product quick views with complex layouts
Promotional offers or limited-time deals
Age verification or consent confirmations
Example: Product quick view extraction
Scenario: E-commerce site with quick view buttons. Note that you can train a robot to capture both text and screenshots if needed.
Option 1 - Extract text data
Click "Quick View" on a product
Wait for modal to load
Use Capture Text for specific details (price, description)
Close modal
Option 2 - Screenshot the modal:
Click "Quick View" on a product
Wait for modal to load
Click Capture Screenshot → Selection
Draw selection around the modal window
Name it "Product_Quick_View"
Close modal
Cookie consent popups
Cookie banners need special attention as they can block robot interactions:
Best practices for cookie popups
Always handle them first during training
Click "Accept All" or "Accept Cookies" to proceed quickly
Avoid clicking "Manage Preferences" unless necessary
The robot will handle the banner the same way each time
If cookie popups cause failures
Login and authentication modals
Training with login modals
Click the trigger that opens the login modal
Enter credentials in the popup fields
Submit the login form
Wait for authentication to complete
Continue extracting once logged in
For more details, see How to scrape and monitor data behind a login