Browser automation fails when it is treated like backend automation.
The rules are different.

Below are practical rules that emerge only when automation operates inside real web pages, not APIs.

Rule 1: Pages Are Not Stable Targets

A page today is not the same page tomorrow.

Elements move.
Labels change.
Pop-ups appear.

Automation that assumes stability will fail silently.
Automation must assume movement.

Rule 2: Visibility Matters More Than Selectors

What matters is not where an element sits in the DOM, but whether it is visible, clickable, and active.

Humans interact with what they can see.
Browser automation must do the same.

Rule 3: Waiting Is an Action

Loading states are part of the task.

Spinners, delays, partial renders—these are not errors.
They are normal conditions.

Automation that does not wait intentionally will race itself into failure.

Rule 4: Repetition Is Never Identical

Tasks repeat in intention, not in form.

The second execution always contains small differences.
The tenth execution contains many.

Automation must tolerate variation, not eliminate it.

Rule 5: Errors Rarely Announce Themselves

Most failures look like nothing happening.

No confirmation.
No error message.
Just silence.

Automation must detect absence as a signal, not assume success.

Rule 6: Login Is a Workflow, Not a Step

Authentication is not a single action.

Sessions expire.
Security layers change.
Verification flows appear unpredictably.

Automation that treats login as a one-time step will constantly restart.

Rule 7: Interfaces Contain Undocumented Work

Scrolling, hovering, closing overlays—these actions are never written in requirements.

Yet they are necessary.

Automation exposes this hidden labor by having to perform it explicitly.

Rule 8: Speed Is Secondary to Recovery

Fast failure is worse than slow completion.

Automation that can retry, pause, or reset is more valuable than automation that finishes quickly and breaks.

Rule 9: The Page Defines the Rules

APIs obey contracts.
Pages do not.

The interface defines what is possible at any moment.

Automation must read the page before acting on it.

Rule 10: Human Judgment Does Not Disappear

Automation decides how to act, not what should happen.

Humans still define intent, limits, and exceptions.

Browser automation works when judgment and execution are separated.

SaleAI Context (Rule-Based Observation)

Within SaleAI, browser agents follow rule-driven behavior rather than rigid scripts.

They operate under constraints shaped by page visibility, interaction states, and interface feedback, allowing them to function across varied and changing websites.

This reflects operational rules, not marketing claims.

Closing Rule

If automation does not respect the browser as an environment, it will always feel fragile.

Browser automation becomes reliable only when it follows rules shaped by the interface itself.