What is RPA, in plain words?
RPA stands for robotic process automation, which simply means software that repeats the clicks and typing a person would do. It does not think. It follows the steps it was shown, the same way every time. A browser RPA does this inside a web browser.
People who search for a free RPA tool usually do not want a company-wide programme. They want to stop doing the same five minutes of clicking every morning, or typing the same sheet into a web page. That smaller need is where a browser recorder fits.
| Approach | Who sets it up | Where it works | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writing a script | A developer | Anywhere you can code | Large, steady volumes |
| A desktop RPA suite | A specialist or an IT team | Many systems, often on servers | Large processes across departments |
| Desktop macro programs | The person who needs it | Any program on the computer | Keyboard and mouse sequences on one machine |
| Izly | The person who does the task | Web pages in Chrome | Web tasks you repeat, alone or once per table row |
Which browser tasks are worth automating?
The best tasks are the ones you do the same way, many times, on a web page. If you could write the steps on a sticky note and only the typed values change, a recorder can probably repeat them.
- Type the same sheet into a web form. Customers, orders or stock lines, one row at a time, with a result table at the end.
- Open a list of addresses and read a value from each page. Names, prices or statuses of product or order pages, into a CSV.
- Sign in to the same portal and download a report. Open the site, go to the reports page, choose the date, press Download.
- Go through several result pages. A Repeat block repeats the steps until the “next page” link is gone.
Public reporting systems, e-invoice portals and marketplace seller panels are typical chores of this kind. We have not tested Izly against specific portals of that sort, so try a few rows first and read the site’s terms.
Which tasks should you not automate this way?
Tasks that need a judgement on every row do not fit. A recorder repeats steps and applies the simple rules you set; it cannot decide whether an invoice looks right or which reply is best. Keep those with a person.
- Desktop programs. Only web pages in Chrome are supported, on a desktop.
- Jobs that must start by themselves. A person starts every run; there is no schedule and no unattended server run.
- Several tasks in parallel. One automation runs at a time per browser.
- Monitoring over time. It follows what was recorded; it is not a crawler and not a price tracker, with no alerts.
- A different menu choice on every row. Dropdowns, radio buttons and checkboxes are replayed as recorded.
Can it make simple decisions without code?
Yes, with settings on the Izly site after you record. A rule skips a row or stops the run, with a note, when the page shows a text you name or a saved value is above a number. An If block runs some steps only when an element is there, and a Repeat block repeats steps until an element is gone, with an upper limit. “Skip if not found” and “Wait first” handle optional and slow steps.
Repeat does not read every item of a list on one page by itself. It repeats the steps you recorded, so it fits walking through result pages, one round per page. We walked through 10 result pages of a list in a test. When a row fails, you choose beforehand: go on with the next row, or stop and ask.
Do you need code or a special setup?
No code, no server and no separate program. You add the Izly extension to Chrome (version 120 or newer), sign in and record the task by doing it. The steps appear as a plain numbered list that you can read and edit like any other document.
The same recording works as a written guide and, if you want one, a narrated video for colleagues, so the person who automates the task also leaves a record of how it is done. See how to explain a task step by step.
Is there a free way to automate browser tasks?
Yes. The Izly Chrome extension is free, and the Free plan includes 10 guides and 10 automation runs a month. A table run takes at most 5 rows on Free, and the run window offers to run only the first 5. That is enough to test whether a task suits automation before you pay for anything.
Pro costs 10 USD per creator per month (100 USD a year) and removes the limits on guides, runs and rows. A 14 day Pro trial needs no card. See pricing for the full comparison.
How do you automate a repeated task with Izly?
- Pick a task you repeat the same way. Choose one with a clear start and end. The practice form is a safe first one.
- Record it. Press Start in the extension, do the task and press Finish.
- Open the guide on the site and make it an automation. Set up the table columns, values to read, rules and the steps that skip or wait.
- Try the first 3 rows, then run the table. Start from the side panel or the guide’s page, confirm, and watch Chrome click and type with your own login.
- Read the result table. Status and Note for every row; download it as CSV or copy it.
Izly (izly.io) is a Chrome extension that turns a task you do once in your browser into a step-by-step guide, a narrated video and a no-code automation that repeats the task. Passwords are never recorded or stored, and the table and results never leave your browser. Start free or read about security.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to know how to code?
No. You record the task by doing it, and Izly turns each click into a step. Tables, saved values, rules and blocks are set from menus on the Izly site. There are no scripts to write.
Is it really free?
The extension and the Free plan cost nothing. The Free plan includes 10 guides and 10 automation runs a month, and a table run takes at most 5 rows. Pro is 10 USD per creator per month for unlimited runs and no row limit, with a 14 day trial that needs no card.
Is this the same as a desktop RPA suite?
No. Those suites are built for large processes across many systems and are usually set up by specialists. Izly is a Chrome extension for one person repeating a web task. It does not run on a schedule or on a server.
Can it run while my computer is off?
No. A person starts every run, and it plays in a Chrome tab on your computer, one automation at a time per browser. There is no schedule and no cloud run, so the computer must be on.
What if I use a work account with extra verification?
Runs use your own signed-in Chrome session, so you stay logged in as usual. One-time-code and password fields are never recorded, and the run asks for them when needed. You type them yourself each time.
Related pages
Record it once and let the guide write itself
With Izly you do the task once in the browser. Clicks and screenshots become a step-by-step guide that you edit, share, turn into a narrated video or run again for every row of a table.