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n8n + Doppelganger: Automate Anything (When APIs Don’t Exist)

n8n + Doppelganger: Automate Anything (When APIs Don’t Exist)

n8n is an incredible automation platform. It lets you connect apps, automate workflows, and orchestrate complex processes — all without writing much code.

The only limitation? It mostly works when there’s an API.

The moment you hit:

  • a site with no API
  • a legacy dashboard
  • a weird internal portal
  • a SaaS where the data is partial, expensive, and not customizable
  • a login wall
  • a human-only workflow

…n8n alone can’t handle it.

That’s the wall every automation builder eventually hits.

This post is about how to break that wall cleanly.

Not with brittle scripts.
Not with Playwright boilerplate.
Not with paid scraping platforms.

But with n8n + Doppelganger.

The missing half of automation#

n8n automates systems.
Doppelganger automates interfaces.

Together, they automate anything.

If a human can do it in a browser, this combo can do it in a workflow.

What Doppelganger actually is#

Doppelganger is a browser automation engine designed for:

  • API-less websites
  • dynamic UIs
  • logged-in flows
  • human-like steps
  • visual selectors instead of code

And it plugs directly into n8n via an official node.

So instead of writing:

  • Playwright
  • Selenium
  • custom actors
  • fragile scripts

You just add a few blocks.

Real things this unlocks#

1. Automate portals with no API#

Log in, click, download, upload, repeat.

2. Replace Apify actors#

Run browser flows locally or self-hosted, triggered by n8n.

3. Fill forms automatically#

From CRMs, sheets, or AI outputs → real websites.

4. Scrape dynamic sites#

Even when content loads after clicks, scrolls, or JS.

5. Automate “human-only” tools#

Old dashboards, internal tools, partner portals.

6. Build AI agents that can click#

LLMs decide → Doppelganger executes → n8n coordinates.

Example: Before and After#

Before:

  • Open Google Classroom
  • Skim each class for new assignments and grades
  • Remember or jot down updates
  • Repeat daily

After (n8n + Doppelganger):

  • Cron trigger in n8n
  • Doppelganger navigates Google Classroom and collects assignments, grades, and due dates
  • n8n AI agent compiles the information into a daily report
  • n8n sends the report via Telegram Bot API
  • Done

Zero code.
Zero scripts.
Zero babysitting.

Why this matters#

APIs are disappearing.
Tools are getting closed.
Dashboards are replacing endpoints.

Browser automation is no longer “hacky” — it’s required.

n8n gives you orchestration.
Doppelganger gives you reach.

Together, you don’t wait for integrations anymore.

How to start (5 minutes)#

  1. Install the n8n Doppelganger node
  2. Pick a site n8n can’t automate
  3. Build the flow in Doppelganger
  4. Trigger it from n8n

Built with Doppelganger (community)#

If you build a workflow using this combo, it can be really helpful to:

  • share it in the Showcase category of the forum
  • explain what it automates and why
  • share the workflow so others can copy it

If you’re a content creator, posting about your use case also helps me more than you think.

This project grows when real automations are shared,
so every showcase post makes a difference.

Because this is how we prove:
automation should not stop at APIs.