Reserve with Google

Automate restaurant reservations and business bookings through Google Maps using browser automation.

Quick Reference

Common Issues:

• Title dropdown: Use find text "Mr." click
• Policy checkbox: Use find text "I agree..." click

Prerequisites

• agent-browser installed: npm install -g agent-browser
• Internet access
• Optional: Pre-authenticated Google profile (see Profile Setup below)
• Optional: Proxy server for authenticated routing (see Proxy Setup below)

Before Starting

Collect from the user:

1. Search query — what/where to book (e.g., "Italian restaurants in downtown Chicago")
2. Date — desired reservation date
3. Time — preferred time
4. Party size — number of guests (restaurants)
5. Name — for the reservation
6. Phone — contact number
7. Email — confirmation email
8. Special requests — optional (e.g., "window seat", "high chair needed")

Profile Setup (One-Time)

For best results, set up a persistent browser profile with a logged-in Google account:

agent-browser --headed --profile ~/.reservegoogle open "https://accounts.google.com"

The user logs in manually once. The profile persists across sessions. If no profile exists, fall back to guest mode.

Alternative: Use state save/load for portable auth:

# After logging in:
agent-browser state save ~/.reservegoogle-auth.json

# In future sessions:
agent-browser state load ~/.reservegoogle-auth.json
agent-browser open "https://www.google.com/maps"

Proxy Setup

Route traffic through an authenticated proxy to avoid rate limits, geo-restrictions, or use residential IPs:

agent-browser --proxy http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080 open "https://www.google.com/maps"
agent-browser --proxy socks5://user:pass@proxy.example.com:1080 open "https://www.google.com/maps"

The proxy flag only needs to be passed on the open command that starts the session. Subsequent commands in the same session reuse the proxy.

Combine with profile for authenticated + proxied sessions:

agent-browser --headed --profile ~/.reservegoogle --proxy http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080 open "https://accounts.google.com"

Set via environment variable to avoid passing on every command:

export AGENT_BROWSER_PROXY="http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080"
agent-browser open "https://www.google.com/maps"

Core Workflow

CRITICAL: Always use snapshot before every interaction. Refs change on every page update. Never hardcode element references.

Step 1: Open Google Maps & Search

agent-browser --profile ~/.reservegoogle open "https://www.google.com/maps"
agent-browser snapshot -i

Find the search box in the snapshot, then:

agent-browser fill @<searchBoxRef> "<user's search query>"
agent-browser press Enter
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser snapshot -i

Parse the results list. Present places to the user with indicators of which ones have booking available (look for "Reserve a table", "Book online", or similar text in results).

Step 2: Select a Place

After user picks a place:

agent-browser click @<resultRef>
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser snapshot -i

Look for booking buttons in the snapshot. Common text patterns:

• "Reserve a table"
• "Book online"
• "Book an appointment"
• "Schedule"
• "Find a table"

If NO booking button found: inform the user this place doesn't support online booking. Suggest nearby alternatives from the search results.

Step 3: Initiate Booking

agent-browser click @<bookButtonRef>
agent-browser wait --load networkidle

Detect what happened:

Check URL with agent-browser get url:

• Still on google.com/maps → Google-native widget or iframe
• opentable.com → OpenTable flow (see THIRD-PARTY-PROVIDERS.md)
• resy.com → Resy flow
• vagaro.com → Vagaro flow
• yelp.com/reservations → Yelp flow
• toasttab.com → Toast flow
• Other domain → Generic 3rd-party flow

Check for iframes: If the booking widget loaded in an iframe:

agent-browser snapshot -i

If you see an iframe element in the snapshot, identify its CSS selector (e.g., id or name attribute), then switch into it:

agent-browser frame "#booking-iframe"
agent-browser snapshot -i

To return to the main frame after interacting with the iframe:

agent-browser frame main

Step 4: Select Date, Time & Party Size

Take a snapshot to identify the booking form elements:

agent-browser snapshot -i

For restaurants, look for:

• Date picker: calendar widget or date dropdown
• Time slots: buttons or dropdown with available times
• Party size: number input, dropdown, or +/- buttons

Fill in the user's preferences:

agent-browser click @<datePickerRef>
# Navigate to correct date in calendar
agent-browser click @<targetDateRef>
agent-browser click @<timeSlotRef>
agent-browser fill @<partySizeRef> "<count>"

If the preferred time is unavailable, snapshot again and present available alternatives to the user.

Step 5: Fill Personal Information

agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @<nameFieldRef> "<user's name>"
agent-browser fill @<phoneFieldRef> "<user's phone>"
agent-browser fill @<emailFieldRef> "<user's email>"

If there's a special requests field:

agent-browser fill @<specialRequestsRef> "<user's requests>"

Snapshot to verify all fields are populated correctly.

Step 6: Confirm Before Submitting

MANDATORY: Before clicking the final booking button, present the user with a summary:

Booking Summary:
- Place: [restaurant name]
- Date: [date]
- Time: [time]
- Party size: [count]
- Name: [name]
- Special requests: [if any]

Confirm this booking?

Only proceed after user confirms.

Step 7: Complete Booking

agent-browser click @<confirmButtonRef>
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser snapshot -i

Look for confirmation indicators:

• "Reservation confirmed"
• "Booking confirmed"
• Confirmation number/code
• "You're all set"

Take a screenshot for the user's records:

agent-browser screenshot confirmation.png

Report to the user:

• Confirmation status
• Confirmation number (if shown)
• Date/time/party size confirmed
• Any special instructions from the restaurant

Error Handling

CAPTCHA Detected

Inform the user: "Google is showing a CAPTCHA. Please complete it manually." Wait for user to resolve, then continue.

Slot No Longer Available

Re-snapshot, show remaining available slots, ask user to pick another.

Payment Required

Inform the user: "This booking requires payment. I cannot enter payment details. Please complete payment manually." Take a screenshot showing the payment page.

No Availability

Suggest: different date/time, nearby similar restaurants, or trying again later.

Multiple Booking Options

If the place offers multiple booking types (dine-in, takeout, waitlist), ask the user which one before proceeding.

Session Management

Use --session for parallel searches:

agent-browser --session search1 --profile ~/.reservegoogle open "https://www.google.com/maps"

Reference Files

• Detailed element patterns & flow docs
• Form templates by business type
• 3rd-party provider specific flows

Lessons Learned (Feb 2026)

SevenRooms-Specific Patterns

The SevenRooms booking system (used by many restaurants) has unique quirks:

Title Dropdown Issue

Problem: Clicking the select button (@e2) doesn't always reveal options in a way agent-browser can interact with.

Solution: Use text-based selection instead:

agent-browser find text "Mr." click

For ambiguous matches (multiple "Mr." elements):

agent-browser find text --exact "Mr." click

Policy Checkbox Detection

Problem: The "I agree to the venue's required policy *" checkbox element isn't exposed in snapshots as a standard checkbox.

Solution: Click the policy text directly:

agent-browser find text "I agree to the venue's required policy" click

Form Session Timeout

Problem: Many booking systems (including SevenRooms) hold a table for ~20 minutes. If you take too long filling forms, the hold expires and you must re-select.

Solution:

• Fill forms quickly without overthinking
• Re-selection flow: Back → re-select time → Continue as Guest → title → fill fields → policy → Submit

Form Field Reset Behavior

Observation: Title may persist across session resets, but First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone fields typically clear.

Solution: Always verify and refill all form fields before final submission.

Faster Booking Script

For repeat bookings at the same venue:

# Open booking page
agent-browser open "https://www.sevenrooms.com/reservations/restaurantname"

# Select date/time/guests → SEARCH
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser click @<dateRef>
agent-browser click @<timeRef>
agent-browser fill @<partySizeRef> "3"
agent-browser click @<searchButtonRef>
agent-browser snapshot -i

# Click desired time slot
agent-browser click @<timeSlotRef>

# Quick guest flow
agent-browser find text "Continue as guest" click
agent-browser click @<selectTitleRef>
agent-browser find text "Mr." click

# Fill and submit
agent-browser fill @<firstNameRef> "John"
agent-browser fill @<lastNameRef> "Doe"
agent-browser fill @<emailRef> "john.doe@example.com"
agent-browser fill @<phoneRef> "+1234567890"
agent-browser find text "I agree to the venue's required policy" click
agent-browser click @<submitRef>

Element Reference Changes

Critical: Element references (@e1, @e2, etc.) change on EVERY page load or interaction. Always run snapshot immediately before clicking.

Error Recovery Patterns

If submit fails or hold expires:

1. Check console logs: agent-browser console
2. Look for "Released hold" messages (indicates timeout)
3. Back out to time selection: agent-browser click @<backRef>
4. Re-select same time slot
5. Continue from guest flow