Bulk Posting on Facebook Pages using Selenium

As we are aware that there are multiple tasks in the marketing agencies which are happening manually, and one of those tasks is bulk posting on several Facebook pages, which is very time-consuming and sometimes very tedious to do. In this project-based article, we are going to explore a solution that is on the python selenium library and see how we can use it & implement this to use it in our daily life.

Requirement:

• Python selenium library (This library is like API to access the selenium web driver to control Chrome, Firefox, etc.)
• Chromium Web drivers (To use & Control Chrome browser, this driver requires to be present in your system)

Installations:

• To install selenium.

pip install selenium

• For web driver, you need to download the chromedriver.exe file and need to put it in the same folder where you have extracted this project. If you are using another browser other than Chrome (eg: Firefox) download search <your browser name> webdriver and do the same exercise.

Note: Also provided the chromedriver.exe with the project. But it is better to download the latest driver from the official website to avoid the version issues.

Let’s explore the project files:

• PostingContents.txt: In this file, We need to give content that we want to publish on Facebook Pages.
• credentials_load.json: In this JSON file, we need to give these details:
  • In the “Page Names” field, you need to give your Facebook Page names where we want to publish the content. Page names should come between double-string quotes. For example, I have added some of my Facebook page names, and replace them with your pages.
  • In the “Email Address” field, you need to give your Facebook login email address, and this information is only to log in to Facebook.
  • In the “Password” field, you need to give your Facebook password to log in. This information is only to log in to Facebook.

credentials_load.json

How does it work?

For bulk posting, the script does a couple of things:

• Loads credentials_loads.json and posts the content file to use it for login and posting purposes
• Open the Chrome browser and loads the Facebook login Page.
• Once the Login page is loaded, it automatically fills the login email address and password (will take from credentials_loads.json file).
• After that script pauses and tells the user to perform actions like Permit the login if 2FA enable after that, show notification box appears (click on the block option)
• After completing those tasks, type “y” in the cmd (where the script is running) and click ENTER so that script can start running.
• Now, the script loads the Facebook pages list and open the given page (mentioned pages in the credentials_loads.json file) one by one and posts the content. In each posting, the script pauses for some seconds so that elements can load completely. Otherwise, it will raise some errors.
• After completing posting works, the script will automatically log out and close the chrome.

Below is the implementation:

Python3

# Social Bot Version 1 Codes:

from selenium import webdriver
from selenium.webdriver.common.keys import Keys
import time
import json
import os


class Social_bot:
    def __init__(self):

        # instance/class variables
        # Facebook page url
        self.login_page = "https://www.facebook.com/"

        # Facebook Page Menu Url
        self.page_ref = "https://www.facebook.com/pages/?category=your_pages&ref=bookmarks"

        # Chrome Driver path, Important
        self.chromium_path = os.path.abspath("chromedriver.exe")

        # By default session is None,
        # will set after Starting the chrome
        self.browser_session = None

        # By default is set to 0,
        # if any website visits then
        # will be increment by one, only set to integer
        self.browser_visit = 0

        # By default is set to 0,
        # which represents no login
        self.login = 0

        # By default is set to 5,
        # will be used by time patterns
        self.time_pattern = 5  # seconds

        # Xpath For Facebook login id - email
        self.user_xpath = "//input[@id='email']"

        # Xpath for Facebook login password
        self.pass_xpath = "//input[@id='pass']"

        # For facebook login id credentials
        self.user = None

        # For Facebook login password credentials
        self.password = None

        # Xpath for facebook logout
        self.logout_fb = ["/html[1]/body[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[4]/div[1]/span[1]/div[1]/div[1]/i[1]",
                          "/html[1]/body[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[4]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[3]/div[1]/div[5]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]",
                          "//div[@class='oajrlxb2 s1i5eluu gcieejh5 bn081pho humdl8nn izx4hr6d rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 j83agx80 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys d1544ag0 qt6c0cv9 tw6a2znq i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl l9j0dhe7 abiwlrkh p8dawk7l beltcj47 p86d2i9g aot14ch1 kzx2olss cbu4d94t taijpn5t ni8dbmo4 stjgntxs k4urcfbm tv7at329']//div[@class='rq0escxv l9j0dhe7 du4w35lb j83agx80 pfnyh3mw taijpn5t bp9cbjyn owycx6da btwxx1t3 c4xchbtz by2jbhx6']"]

        # Page Name list
        self.fb_page_partial = None

        # Xpath for Facebook posting
        self.fb_posting = ["/html[1]/body[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[3]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[4]/div[2]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]",
                           "/html[1]/body[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[4]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/form[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]",
                           "/html[1]/body[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[4]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/form[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[1]/div[2]/div[3]/div[4]/div[1]"]

        # Text posting content variable
        # Will be set via text_posting_content_load function
        # By default set to None
        self.textContents = None

    def initiate_chrome(self):
        # This function is to start chrome
        # Successful login will return 1

        if self.browser_session == None:
            self.browser_session = webdriver.Chrome(self.chromium_path)
            return 1
        else:
            return -1

    def close_session(self):
        # This function is to close the session
        # Successful operation will return 1

        if self.browser_session == None:
            return
        else:
            self.browser_session.close()
            self.browser_session.quit()
            self.browser_session = None
            return 1

    def page_load(self, path=None):
        # This function is to load page,
        # successful operation will return None

        if path == None:

            # if no url given, then it will return -1
            if self.browser_session == None:
                return -1
            else:
                self.browser_session.get(self.login_page)
                self.browser_visit += 1
        else:

            # if session is not created, then will return -1
            if self.browser_session == None:
                return -1
            else:

                # Successful operation will also
                # add one in instance variable to
                # track number of visited pages
                self.browser_session.get(path)
                self.browser_visit += 1

    def reverse_visit(self, back_v=None):

        # This function is to go back to previous page
        # This function takes argument back_v for
        # telling function to back number of pages
        # If no value pass for back_v then it will go back to main page(starting page).

        if self.browser_visit == None:

            # if self.browser_visit instance
            # variable is None, then it will return -1
            return -1
        else:

            # if back_v is not given,
            # then with help of loop will go back
            # also set the browser_visit to 0
            if back_v == None:
                for vp in range(self.browser_visit):
                    self.browser_session.back()
                self.browser_visit = 0
                return 1
            else:

                # if back_v is given, then go back with the help of loop
                for vp in range(back_v):
                    self.browser_session.back()
                    self.browser_visit - = vp
                return 1

    def do_login(self, user_name=None, user_pass=None):

        # This function is to do login on social media,
        # takes two arguments user name and password
        # By default these argument set to None, and in no use

        if self.browser_session == None or self.login == 1:

            # if self.browser not started,
            # or already login happened then it will return -1
            return -1

        elif user_name != None or user_pass != None:
            return -1

        else:

            # Successful operations will use xpath,
            # and login to use the site
            # self.browser_visit will increment by 1
            # self.login will be set to 1 for successful login

            self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                self.user_xpath).send_keys(self.user)
            self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                self.pass_xpath).send_keys(self.password, Keys.ENTER)
            self.browser_visit += 1
            self.login = 1
            return 1

    def do_logout(self):

        # This function is to use
        # log out the social media
        if self.browser_session == None or self.login == 0:

            # if no session available or
            # login then it will return -1
            return -1

        else:

            # To logout the site via xpath,
            # and also follow time_patterns()
            # function to pause the
            # script for sometime.
            # Important bcz sometimes some xpath are not loaded,
            # and take time to load, so this function is important
            # Failed operation will return -1, and successful will return 1
            try:

                self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                    self.logout_fb[0]).click()

                self.time_patterns()

                self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                    self.logout_fb[1]).click()

                self.time_patterns()

                self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                    self.logout_fb[2]).click()
                return 1
            except:
                return -1

    def time_patterns(self, tp=None):

        # This function is to pause the script for sometime
        # Also takes argument as second,
        # if not given then it will
        # take by default seconds to wait
        # Successful operation will return 1

        if tp == None:
            time.sleep(self.time_pattern)
            return 1
        else:
            self.time_pattern = tp
            time.sleep(self.time_pattern)
            return 1

    def page_navigation_partial(self, pg_name):

        # This function is use to load only specified page,
        # need to given page name
        # for navigating the page

        if self.browser_session == None:

            # if no browser session
            # available then it will return -1
            return -1
        else:

            # it will return find specified text partially
            # successful operation will also
            # increment the browser_visit by one

            self.browser_session.
            find_element_by_partial_link_text(pg_name).click()

            self.browser_visit += 1

    def page_posting(self):

        # This function is to do posting on website
        # Takes argument for posting text
        # Successful operation will return 1

        if self.browser_session == None:

            # if no browser_session
            # started then it will return -1
            return -1

        else:

            # These operations will be followed
            # by time patterns function,
            # and in the end also
            # use reverse_visit to reverse the page by one

            self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                self.fb_posting[0]).click()

            self.time_patterns()
            self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                self.fb_posting[1]).send_keys(
                Keys.ENTER, self.textContents)

            self.time_patterns()

            self.browser_session.find_element_by_xpath(
                self.fb_posting[2]).click()

            self.time_patterns()
            self.reverse_visit(1)
            self.time_patterns()
            return 1

    def credential_loads_using_json(self):

        # This function is to load
        # credentials from json file
        # Will help to set credentials
        # instead of manual
        try:
            with open("credentials_load.json") as filePointer:
                contents = filePointer.read()

            contents = json.loads(contents)

            self.fb_page_partial = contents["Page Names"]
            self.user = contents["Email Address"]
            self.password = contents["Password"]

            # for freeing the json memory part
            del(contents)
            return 1
        except:
            return -1

    def text_posting_content_load(self):
        try:
            with open("PostingContents.txt", "r") as filePointer:
                textContents = filePointer.read()

            self.textContents = textContents
            return 1
        except:
            return -1


def soc_bot():

    # Creating an Instance of Social bot object
    bot = Social_bot()

    # Calling the initiate
    # chrome method to start the chrome
    bot.initiate_chrome()

    # For loading credentials and other things
    bot.credential_loads_using_json()

    # For loading text based posting content
    bot.text_posting_content_load()

    # for loading the facebook
    bot.page_load()

    # for login the website
    bot.do_login()

    ask_to_block_notif = input(
        "[+] Perform these tasks:\n1.Accept the 2FA if required to do \n2. Once FB Page Load, Please Block the Show Notification Dialog box. Once done, Please press to start the posting Script(Y/N) > ")

    # Below statement will pause the script
    # until you clear the above given instructions
    if ask_to_block_notif.upper() == "Y":

        # will load the specified page
        bot.page_load(bot.page_ref)

        # for pausing the script for sometime
        bot.time_patterns()

        # Iterate through Page Names
        for link in bot.fb_page_partial:

            # load given facebook page by their name
            bot.page_navigation_partial(link)

            # pause the script for sometime
            bot.time_patterns()

            # for posting the text based content
            bot.page_posting()

            # Print Page Name on Screen
            print("[+] Posting Done on {}".format(link))

        # for logging out the facebook
        bot.do_logout()

        # for closing chrome & session
        bot.close_session()
        print("[+] Posting Work Done!")

        # return 1 for successful operation
        return 1
    else:
        bot.close_session()
        return -1


if __name__ == "__main__":
    print("SOCIAL BOT SCRIPT INITIATED")
    soc_bot()

Output: