Browser Extension Click Simulation Guide: click() vs simulateRealClick

September 20, 2025 by esx_ai

When you’re building browser extensions, simulating user clicks becomes pretty much unavoidable. Especially when your content scripts need to interact with third-party pages, choosing the right click simulation method can make or break your extension’s reliability. Let me walk you through when to use element.click() versus rolling your own simulateRealClick function.

1. The Basics of Click Simulation

element.click() - The Simple Approach

click() is built right into DOM elements and couldn’t be easier to use:


// Basic usage
document.querySelector("button")?.click()
 
// With some safety checks
const button = document.querySelector(".submit-btn")
if (button) {
  button.click()
}

simulateRealClick - The Full User Experience

A custom simulateRealClick function mimics the complete mouse event sequence, making it feel more like a real human interaction:


// src/utils/dom-utils.ts
export function simulateRealClick(
  element: HTMLElement,
  options: {
    bubbles?: boolean
    cancelable?: boolean
    view?: Window
  } = {}
): void {
  const { bubbles = true, cancelable = true, view = window } = options
 
  const mouseDownEvent = new MouseEvent("mousedown", {
    bubbles,
    cancelable,
    view
  })
  const mouseUpEvent = new MouseEvent("mouseup", { bubbles, cancelable, view })
  const clickEvent = new MouseEvent("click", { bubbles, cancelable, view })
 
  element.dispatchEvent(mouseDownEvent)
  element.dispatchEvent(mouseUpEvent)
  element.dispatchEvent(clickEvent)
}
 
// Usage example
const button = document.querySelector("button")!
simulateRealClick(button)

2. Key Differences Between the Two

How They Stack Up

Feature	element.click()	simulateRealClick
Events Triggered	Just click	Full mousedown → mouseup → click sequence
CSS States	Might not trigger style changes	Proper hover/active effects
Framework Support	Works for basic DOM elements	Better with React/Vue/complex frameworks
Anti-automation	Easier to detect	Feels more human-like
Implementation	Built-in, super simple	Need to write your own utility

When to Use Which

Stick with element.click() when:

Dealing with regular buttons or links
Writing quick test scripts
Working with static pages without complex interactions

Reach for simulateRealClick when:

Facing modern frameworks like React or Vue
Working with rich text editors (Lexical, Tiptap, etc.)
Need to trigger CSS interactive states
Sites have strong anti-automation measures

3. Practical Usage in Browser Extensions

Content Script Implementation


// content.ts
function clickElement(selector: string) {
  const element = document.querySelector(selector)
  if (!element) return false
 
  // Try the simple approach first
  try {
    element.click()
    return true
  } catch (error) {
    // Fall back to the more robust method
    simulateRealClick(element as HTMLElement)
    return true
  }
}
 
// Listen for messages from background script
chrome.runtime.onMessage.addListener((message, sender, sendResponse) => {
  if (message.type === "CLICK_ELEMENT") {
    const success = clickElement(message.selector)
    sendResponse({ success })
  }
})


// popup.tsx
import React from 'react'
import { simulateRealClick } from '../utils/dom-utils'
 
function Popup() {
  const handleRemoteClick = async () => {
    // Get the current active tab
    const [tab] = await chrome.tabs.query({ active: true, currentWindow: true })
 
    // Ask content script to click the button
    chrome.tabs.sendMessage(tab.id!, {
      type: "CLICK_ELEMENT",
      selector: ".target-button"
    }, response => {
      console.log("Click result:", response)
    })
  }
 
  return (
    <div className="p-4">
      <button onClick={handleRemoteClick} className="bg-blue-500 text-white px-4 py-2 rounded">
        Click Page Button
      </button>
    </div>
  )
}

4. Handling Special Scenarios

Clicking React Components


// React components need their actual DOM elements targeted
function clickReactComponent(componentSelector: string) {
  // React components might be wrapped in multiple layers
  const component = document.querySelector(componentSelector)
  if (!component) return false
 
  // Find the actual clickable element inside
  const clickableElement = component.querySelector('button, [role="button"], a') || component
  simulateRealClick(clickableElement as HTMLElement)
  return true
}

Dealing with Rich Text Editors


// Handling editors like Lexical
function clickEditorToolbar(buttonName: string) {
  // Editor buttons usually have specific selectors
  const buttonSelector = `[aria-label="${buttonName}"], [data-lexical-text="${buttonName}"]`
  const button = document.querySelector(buttonSelector)
 
  if (button) {
    simulateRealClick(button as HTMLElement)
    return true
  }
  return false
}

5. Best Practices and Recommendations

Choosing the Right Approach

Start simple: Try element.click() first, then escalate to simulateRealClick if needed
Consider the tech stack: Match your approach to the framework being used
Always have fallbacks: Implement proper error handling with backup strategies

Performance Considerations


// Add delays for batch operations
async function clickMultiple(elements: HTMLElement[]) {
  for (const element of elements) {
    simulateRealClick(element)
    // Small delay to avoid overwhelming the page
    await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 100))
  }
}

Security and Ethics

Avoid automated clicks on sensitive sites like banking portals
Respect robots.txt and site usage policies
Get user confirmation for important actions

Wrapping Up

Choosing the right click simulation approach really matters for extension stability. The quick version:

Simple pages: element.click() gets the job done with less effort
Complex frameworks: simulateRealClick handles the tricky cases better
Critical actions: Always get user confirmation for safety

In my own work, I like to wrap both methods together and let the code decide which one to use. This way you get both reliability and don’t have to constantly think about which method to pick.

A good extension isn’t just about features - it’s about working reliably everywhere. Picking the right click simulation method helps ensure your extension behaves consistently across different environments.