rote

You have rows of data in a spreadsheet and a web form that needs each one entered by hand.

Often it seems like the easiest thing to do is just... do it. Copy a value, switch to the browser, paste, tab to the next field, switch back, copy, switch, paste. For hundreds of rows, that's hours of tedious, error-prone work.

You could write a script, but now you're inspecting the page, writing selectors, debugging, and rewriting it when the site changes. You could buy an enterprise automation platform, but that's a lot of machinery for what should be a simple task.

rote takes a different approach: show it how to fill out the form once and let it handle the rest.

No scripting. No configuration. No browser extensions. Just rote memorization.

How it works

1. Run rote with your data (see Usage for options).
2. Navigate to the form in the browser rote opens.
3. Fill it out once for the first row. rote watches, captures your actions, and maps columns to fields.
4. When that row is done, rote replays the pattern for the rest.

You control the pace of playback. Start with one field at a time, move to one row at a time, then let it run on its own. Speed up or slow down as confidence warrants.

Install

From a release

Download the latest binary for your platform from Releases.

From source

cargo install --git https://github.com/isentropic-dev/rote

Requires Rust and Chrome or Edge.

Usage

rote --clipboard                 # reads data from clipboard
rote --data file.tsv             # reads data from a file
rote --data file.tsv --url …    # also navigates to URL to start training

Either --clipboard or --data is required. --url is optional and can be combined with either.

rote launches a TUI and opens a browser. It's designed to guide you through each step — training, then playback.

Playback modes

Switch modes at any time during playback:

Key	Mode	Behavior
1	Step	Fill one field, then wait.
2	Walk	Fill one row, then wait.
3	Run	Fill all remaining rows without stopping.

Enter advances to the next step or row. +/- adjust speed multiplier (0.25×–4.0×).

Error handling

When a step fails, rote pauses and asks what to do: s to skip the row, r to retry it, or q to stop.

Requirements

• Chrome or Edge (rote uses the Chrome DevTools Protocol)
• A terminal that supports alternate screen (most do)

Status

rote is in active development. The core train-to-play loop works end-to-end. See the tracking issue for what's planned.