Send form data using IE without user interaction

Sometimes you have to send some forms to a web site without user interaction. Internet explorer has a navigate method, which lets you send GET and POST request with data to any URL. Next functions are samples of a POST request which sends POST form data.
For example, you have next form:

 <Form Action=http://127.0.0.21/faccept.asp Method=Post>
  <Input Name=FirstName Value=Franta>
  <Input Name=LastName Value=Vomacka>
  <Input Name=Email Value=fanda@mobula.com>
  <Input Type=Submit>
 </Form>

Next VBA code simulates same submit of the form using IE

  PostRequest "http://127.0.0.21/faccept.asp", _
    Array("FirstName", "LastName", "Email"), _
    Array("Franta", "Vomacka", "fanda@mobula.com")

'**************************************** Post form data - begin
'sends form fields specified In Names/Values arrays To the URL
Sub PostRequest(URL, Names, Values)
  Dim I, FormData, Name, Value
  
  'Enumerate form names And it's values
  'and built string representaion of the form data
  For I = 0 To UBound(Names)
    'URL encode source fields
    Name = URLEncode(Names(I))
    Value = URLEncode(Values(I))
    If FormData <> "" Then FormData = FormData & "&"
    FormData = FormData & Name & "=" & Value
  Next
  
  IEPostStringRequest URL, FormData
End Sub

'sends URL encoded form data To the URL using IE
Sub IEPostStringRequest(URL, FormData)
  'Create InternetExplorer
  Dim WebBrowser: Set WebBrowser = CreateObject("InternetExplorer.Application")
  
  'You can uncoment Next line To see form results As HTML
  'WebBrowser.Visible = True
  
  'Send the form data To URL As POST request
  Dim bFormData() As Byte
  ReDim bFormData(Len(FormData) - 1)
  bFormData = StrConv(FormData, vbFromUnicode)
  WebBrowser.Navigate URL, 2 + 4 + 8, , bFormData, _
    "Content-type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" + Chr(10) + Chr(13)

  Do While WebBrowser.busy
'    Sleep 100
    DoEvents
  Loop
  WebBrowser.Quit
End Sub

'URL encode of a string data
Function URLEncode(Data)
  Dim I, C, Out
  
  For I = 1 To Len(Data)
    C = Asc(Mid(Data, I, 1))
    If C = 32 Then
      Out = Out + "+"
    ElseIf C < 48 Then
      Out = Out + "%" + Hex(C)
    Else
      Out = Out + Mid(Data, I, 1)
    End If
  Next
  URLEncode = Out
End Function
'**************************************** Post form data - end

Copyright and use this code

The source code on this page and other samples at https://www.motobit.com/tips/ are a free code, you can use it as you want: copy it, modify it, use it in your products, ...

If you use this code, please:

1. Leave the author note in the source.

2. Link this sample from you page.

<A
 Href="https://www.motobit.com/tips/detpg_sendfrmie/"
 Title="Lets you send form data (field
	names and values) as a
	POST request using internet explorer,
	it is automated post, without
	asistence of user."
>Send form data using IE without user interaction - automated POST</A>

Send form data using IE without user interaction - automated POSTMOTOBIT.COM

See also

Copyright and use this code