String Matching

Match strings in page elements and execute field actions based on the result.

Overview

The String Matching field type allows you to compare values or text of elements on a web page against specified strings. You can use various operators and matching types to create conditional logic for your automation workflows.

Configuration Options

Option	Type	Description	Required	Conditional
Which option of the element to match	Dropdown	Select which property of the element to match	Yes	-
Element Attribute Name	Text Input	Name of the attribute to match	Conditional	Shows when "Element Attribute" is selected
Field Name	Text Input	Field name to match against	Conditional	Shows when "Field Name" is selected
Loop Field Name	Text Input	Loop field name for iteration matching	Conditional	Shows when "Loop Index" is selected
Store Key Name	Text Input	Local storage key name	Conditional	Shows when "Local Data" is selected
Operator	Dropdown	Comparison operator for matching	Yes	-
Matching Type	Dropdown	Type of string matching to perform	Conditional	Only for `==` and `!=` operators
String Matching Value	Text Input	The value to match against	Yes	-
Search string in the multiple element text	Toggle Switch	Search across multiple elements	No	-
Returns true if the string matches all element content	Toggle Switch	Require match in all elements	No	-
Convert the text into lowercase letters and then match the text	Toggle Switch	Case-insensitive matching	No	-
Remove extra space from text then match the text	Toggle Switch	Normalize whitespace before matching	No	-
Remove all space from text then match the text	Toggle Switch	Remove all spaces before matching	No	-
Wait until the string matches	Toggle Switch	Wait for string to appear	No	-

String Matching Value

The String Matching Value field accepts the value to match against the element. You can use static text, Excel field columns, or variables.

Using Static Text

Enter a static string value directly:

Success
Error: Invalid input
Active

Using Excel Field Column

Reference data from your Excel sheet by using the field column name:

Syntax: {$columnName$}

Example:

javascript

// Excel Column: "expectedStatus"
// Excel Data: "Active"

String Matching Value: {$expectedStatus$}
// Will match against: "Active"

Use Case: When the matching string varies per row in your Excel data.

Using Variables

Use predefined variables or custom variables in the matching string:

Example:

javascript

// Using predefined variables
String Matching Value: {$ENTRY_INDEX$}
// Matches against current row number

// Using custom variables
String Matching Value: {$customVariable$}
// Matches against custom variable value

Using Default Value Field

You can also set the string matching value in the Default Value field option, which allows you to:

Use complex expressions
Combine multiple variables
Apply functions to generate dynamic matching strings

Example:

javascript

// In Default Value field
{$firstName$} {$lastName$}

// Result
String Matching Value: "John Doe"

Dynamic Matching

Use Excel field columns or variables when you need different matching strings for each row or when the matching string depends on other data.

Which Option of the Element to Match

Select which property of the element to use for string matching.

Available Options:

Option	Description	Use Case
Element Text/Value	Match against both text and value	Default option, checks both properties
Element Text	Match against visible text content	Search for displayed text
Element Value	Match against the value attribute	Search for input values or hidden data
Element HTML	Match against the HTML content	Search within HTML markup
Element Attribute	Match against a specific attribute	Search for attribute values
Entry Index	Match against the current entry index	Compare with row number
Field Name	Match against the field name	Compare with field identifier
Loop Index	Match against the loop iteration index	Compare with loop counter
Local Data	Match against locally stored data	Compare with saved data

Example:

html

<!-- Element Text -->
<div>Welcome User</div>
<!-- Matches: "Welcome User" -->

<!-- Element Value -->
<input type="text" value="John Doe">
<!-- Matches: "John Doe" -->

<!-- Element HTML -->
<div><span>Hello</span> World</div>
<!-- Matches: "<span>Hello</span> World" -->

<!-- Element Attribute -->
<div data-status="active">Content</div>
<!-- Matches attribute: "active" -->

Conditional Fields

Some options require additional configuration fields:

Element Attribute Name

Appears when: "Element Attribute" is selected

Field: Text Input

Description: Enter the name of the attribute to match against.

Example:

html

<div data-status="active" class="item">Content</div>

Which option: Element Attribute
Element Attribute Name: data-status
String Matching Value: active
Result: ✅ Match (attribute value is "active")

Common Attributes:

data-* - Custom data attributes
class - CSS class names
id - Element ID
href - Link URLs
src - Image/script sources
title - Tooltip text
aria-* - Accessibility attributes

Field Name

Appears when: "Field Name" is selected

Field: Text Input

Description: Enter the field name to match against.

Example:

javascript

Which option: Field Name
Field Name: emailField
String Matching Value: email
Result: Matches if current field name contains "email"

Use Case: Conditional logic based on which field is being processed.

Loop Field Name

Appears when: "Loop Index" is selected

Field: Text Input

Description: Enter the loop field name to match against the loop iteration index.

Example:

javascript

Which option: Loop Index
Loop Field Name: itemLoop
String Matching Value: 3
Result: Matches when loop iteration is 3

Use Case: Execute actions only on specific loop iterations.

Store Key Name

Appears when: "Local Data" is selected

Field: Text Input with Prefix

Prefix: CTH_EDF_DB_LOCAL_

Description: Enter the key name for locally stored data to match against.

Example:

javascript

Which option: Local Data
Store Key Name: CTH_EDF_DB_LOCAL_userStatus
String Matching Value: active
Result: Matches if stored data equals "active"

Use Case: Match against data stored in browser's local storage.

Note: The prefix CTH_EDF_DB_LOCAL_ is automatically added to the key name.

Related: Use the Set Local Data field type to store data in local storage.

Operator

Select the comparison operator for string matching.

Available Operators:

Operator	Description	Use Case
==	Equal to	Check if strings are equal
!=	Not equal to	Check if strings are different
>	Greater than	Compare string length or numeric values
<	Less than	Compare string length or numeric values
>=	Greater than or equal to	Compare string length or numeric values
<=	Less than or equal to	Compare string length or numeric values

Note: The Matching Type option is only available when using == or != operators.

Example:

javascript

// Equal to (==)
Element Text: "Success"
Operator: ==
String Value: "Success"
Result: ✅ Match

// Not equal to (!=)
Element Text: "Error"
Operator: !=
String Value: "Success"
Result: ✅ Match

// Greater than (>)
Element Text: "100"
Operator: >
String Value: "50"
Result: ✅ Match (100 > 50)

// Less than (<)
Element Text: "25"
Operator: <
String Value: "50"
Result: ✅ Match (25 < 50)

Matching Type

Select the type of string matching to perform. This option is only available when using == or != operators.

Available Options:

Matching Type	Description	Use Case
Search String in Any Position	Find substring anywhere in the element	Flexible matching, partial matches
Match String from Start-End Position	Match substring at specific positions	Positional matching with start/end indices
Equal to String	Exact match of entire string	Precise matching, no partial matches

Conditional Availability

The Matching Type option only appears when Operator is set to == or !=. For other operators (>, <, >=, <=), matching type is not applicable.

Search String in Any Position

Description: Searches for the string anywhere within the element content.

Example:

javascript

Element Text: "Welcome to Excellent Data Filler"
Matching Type: Search String in Any Position
String Value: "Excellent"
Result: ✅ Match Found (substring exists)

Element Text: "Hello World"
Matching Type: Search String in Any Position
String Value: "World"
Result: ✅ Match Found (substring exists)

Match String from Start-End Position

Description: Matches the string from the beginning to the end of the element content using regex pattern matching.

How it works: Uses a regular expression pattern ^matchingString$ where:

^ - Matches the start of the string
$ - Matches the end of the string
The matching string must appear from start to end (anchored match)

RegEx Pattern:

javascript

// Pattern: /^matchingString$/
var reg = new RegExp("^" + escapeRegExp(matchingString) + "$", 
    ((options.isConvertStringLowercase) ? "gi" : "g"));

// Returns true if element string matches the pattern
if (elementString.match(reg) !== null) {
    return { status: true, elementString: elementString, matchingString: matchingString };
}

Example:

javascript

Element Text: "Option"
Matching Type: Match String from Start-End Position
String Value: "Option"
Pattern: /^Option$/
Result: ✅ Match Found (exact match from start to end)

Element Text: "Option 1"
Matching Type: Match String from Start-End Position
String Value: "Option"
Pattern: /^Option$/
Result: ❌ No Match (doesn't match from start to end)

Element Text: "My Option"
Matching Type: Match String from Start-End Position
String Value: "Option"
Pattern: /^Option$/
Result: ❌ No Match (doesn't start with "Option")

Use Case: When you need to ensure the string matches from the very beginning to the very end of the element content, similar to an exact match but using regex anchors.

Equal to String

Description: Requires exact match of the entire element content.

Example:

javascript

Element Text: "Welcome to Excellent Data Filler"
Matching Type: Equal to String
String Value: "Welcome to Excellent Data Filler"
Result: ✅ Match Found (exact match)

Element Text: "Welcome to Excellent Data Filler"
Matching Type: Equal to String
String Value: "Excellent"
Result: ❌ No Match (not exact match)

Additional Options

Search String in the Multiple Element Text

Toggle Switch

Description: Search for the string across multiple elements on the page.

Use Case: When you need to find a string in any of several elements.

Example:

javascript

Elements: [".status-1", ".status-2", ".status-3"]
String Value: "Active"
Result: Matches if "Active" is found in any element

Returns True if the String Matches All Element Content

Toggle Switch

Description: Require the string to match in all selected elements, not just one.

Use Case: When all elements must contain the matching string.

Example:

javascript

Elements: [".item-1", ".item-2", ".item-3"]
String Value: "Complete"
Result: Matches only if all elements contain "Complete"

Convert the Text into Lowercase Letters and Then Match the Text

Toggle Switch

Description: Perform case-insensitive string matching by converting both strings to lowercase.

Use Case: When case doesn't matter for matching.

Example:

javascript

Element Text: "SUCCESS"
String Value: "success"
Convert to lowercase: ON
Result: ✅ Match (both become "success")

Remove Extra Space from Text Then Match the Text

Toggle Switch

Description: Normalize whitespace by removing extra spaces before matching.

Use Case: Handle inconsistent spacing in text.

Example:

javascript

Element Text: "Hello    World"
String Value: "Hello World"
Remove extra space: ON
Result: ✅ Match (extra spaces removed)

Remove All Space from Text Then Match the Text

Toggle Switch

Description: Remove all spaces from both strings before matching.

Use Case: Match strings regardless of spacing.

Example:

javascript

Element Text: "Hello World"
String Value: "HelloWorld"
Remove all space: ON
Result: ✅ Match (all spaces removed)

Wait Until the String Matches

Toggle Switch

Description: Wait for the string to appear in the element before proceeding.

Use Case: Handle dynamic content that loads after page load.

Example:

javascript

Element Text: (initially empty, then "Loaded")
String Value: "Loaded"
Wait until matches: ON
Result: Waits until "Loaded" appears, then matches

Use Cases

Conditional Form Filling

Scenario: Fill a field only if a status message shows "Ready".

Configuration:

Which option: Element Text
Operator: ==
Matching Type: Equal to String
String Value: Ready

Result: Field action executes only when element text equals "Ready".

Case-Insensitive Search

Scenario: Match "success" regardless of case.

Configuration:

Which option: Element Text
Operator: ==
Matching Type: Search String in Any Position
String Value: success
Convert to lowercase: ON

Result: Matches "SUCCESS", "Success", "success", etc.

Numeric Comparison

Scenario: Execute action if value is greater than 100.

Configuration:

Which option: Element Value
Operator: >
String Value: 100

Result: Matches when element value > 100.

Multiple Element Search

Scenario: Check if any status element contains "Complete".

Configuration:

Which option: Element Text
Operator: ==
Matching Type: Search String in Any Position
String Value: Complete
Search in multiple elements: ON

Result: Matches if any element contains "Complete".

Best Practices

✅ Do's

Use appropriate operators - Choose the right operator for your comparison
Enable case-insensitive matching - When case doesn't matter
Remove extra spaces - For consistent matching with dynamic content
Use "Equal to String" - For exact matching requirements
Use "Search String" - For flexible partial matching
Wait for dynamic content - Enable "Wait until matches" for AJAX content

❌ Don'ts

Don't use wrong operator - > and < are for numeric/length comparisons
Don't forget case sensitivity - String matching is case-sensitive by default
Don't use complex regex - Use simple string matching when possible
Don't match constantly changing content - Avoid matching timestamps or random values
Don't use "Equal to String" with extra spaces - Enable space removal options

Troubleshooting

String Not Matching

Solutions:

Check for case sensitivity - enable lowercase conversion
Remove extra spaces - enable space removal options
Verify element property - ensure correct "Which option" is selected
Check operator - ensure correct operator for your use case
Use browser DevTools to inspect actual element content

Operator Not Working

Solutions:

Verify operator is appropriate for comparison type
For numeric comparisons, ensure values are numbers
Check if "Matching Type" is needed (only for == and !=)
Verify element contains expected data type

Wait Not Working

Solutions:

Ensure "Wait until matches" is enabled
Check if element eventually contains the string
Verify element selector is correct
Check browser console for timeout errors

Examples

Example 1: Exact Match

javascript

// Configuration
Which option: Element Text
Operator: ==
Matching Type: Equal to String
String Value: "Success"

// Element
<div class="message">Success</div>

// Result: ✅ Match

Example 2: Partial Match

javascript

// Configuration
Which option: Element Text
Operator: ==
Matching Type: Search String in Any Position
String Value: "Error"

// Element
<div class="alert">Error: Invalid input</div>

// Result: ✅ Match (contains "Error")

Example 3: Numeric Comparison

javascript

// Configuration
Which option: Element Value
Operator: >
String Value: "50"

// Element
<input type="number" value="75">

// Result: ✅ Match (75 > 50)

Example 4: Case-Insensitive Match

javascript

// Configuration
Which option: Element Text
Operator: ==
Matching Type: Equal to String
String Value: "complete"
Convert to lowercase: ON

// Element
<span class="status">COMPLETE</span>

// Result: ✅ Match (both become "complete")

String Matching ​

Overview ​

Configuration Options ​

String Matching Value ​

Using Static Text ​

Using Excel Field Column ​

Using Variables ​

Using Default Value Field ​

Which Option of the Element to Match ​

Conditional Fields ​

Element Attribute Name ​

Field Name ​

Loop Field Name ​

Store Key Name ​

Operator ​

Matching Type ​

Search String in Any Position ​

Match String from Start-End Position ​

Equal to String ​

Additional Options ​

Search String in the Multiple Element Text ​

Returns True if the String Matches All Element Content ​

Convert the Text into Lowercase Letters and Then Match the Text ​

Remove Extra Space from Text Then Match the Text ​

Remove All Space from Text Then Match the Text ​

Wait Until the String Matches ​

Use Cases ​

Conditional Form Filling ​

Case-Insensitive Search ​

Numeric Comparison ​

Multiple Element Search ​

Best Practices ​

✅ Do's ​

❌ Don'ts ​

Troubleshooting ​

String Not Matching ​

Operator Not Working ​

Wait Not Working ​

Related Documentation ​

Examples ​

Example 1: Exact Match ​

Example 2: Partial Match ​

Example 3: Numeric Comparison ​

Example 4: Case-Insensitive Match ​

String Matching

Overview

Configuration Options

String Matching Value

Using Static Text

Using Excel Field Column

Using Variables

Using Default Value Field

Which Option of the Element to Match

Conditional Fields

Element Attribute Name

Field Name

Loop Field Name

Store Key Name

Operator

Matching Type

Search String in Any Position

Match String from Start-End Position

Equal to String

Additional Options

Search String in the Multiple Element Text

Returns True if the String Matches All Element Content

Convert the Text into Lowercase Letters and Then Match the Text

Remove Extra Space from Text Then Match the Text

Remove All Space from Text Then Match the Text

Wait Until the String Matches

Use Cases

Conditional Form Filling

Case-Insensitive Search

Numeric Comparison

Multiple Element Search

Best Practices

✅ Do's

❌ Don'ts

Troubleshooting

String Not Matching

Operator Not Working

Wait Not Working

Related Documentation

Examples

Example 1: Exact Match

Example 2: Partial Match

Example 3: Numeric Comparison

Example 4: Case-Insensitive Match