In-Depth Guide to Screen Recording Technology in 2024

There are various RPA tools out in the market, each with its own specific characteristic. We have previously discussed that low-code and no-code RPAs are easier to implement than code-based RPAs, albeit with lower customization flexibility. 

Today, we will be exploring how screen recording technology has given birth to a subcategory of low-code/no-code RPA – the RPA recorder. 

Specifically, we will explain: 

• What screen recording is, 
• How screen recording is different than screen scraping 
• What an RPA recorder is, 
• What the benefits of the RPA recorder are, 
• And for whom it’s suitable. 

What is screen recording?

Screen recording is a tool that records the user’s interaction with the screen. This feature has been on smartphones and computers for years. They are particularly useful in tutorials, where the instructor records how he/she goes about completing a certain task.

Screen recording vs. screen scraping 

Screen scraping

Screen scraping is a technology used by web scrapers to collect data off of a screen. 

For instance, a business owner might like to know how much his/her competitors are charging for a product. They can program an e-commerce web scraper to go to different websites and copy-paste the pricing information in real-time.

A screen scraper can do nothing but copy-paste information from a screen onto a cell in various formats for further use. 

Screen recording

A screen recorder is used for recording user activities with the computer. Use cases include a tutorial, playback, troubleshooting, analysis, and more. 

But enhanced with code-generating technology, the screen recorder can record a process and transform the visuals (i.e., opening or closing an application) into machine-readable codes to be replicated. can record a process, analyze it, break it down into smaller pieces, and turn those visual activities (i.e., moving the mouse pointer from one window to the next) into a scripted text that is readable by the RPA bot. 

What is an RPA recorder?

RPA recorder is a type of low-code/no-code RPA that is programmed through screen recording technology.   

Screen recording offers an alternative to code-based RPA development which does not require the user to explicitly generate a script for the bot to follow and execute. 

Let’s say a hedge fund analyst would want to create a currency exchange rate RPA so the bot would capture the day’s fluctuations automatically. Instead of manually typing codes line by line, the analyst could “show” the bot how they’d do it by recording the process.

The result would be an RPA bot, developable in minutes by someone with necessary no programming knowledge, that frees up staff’s time by doing their manual and time-consuming tasks.  

What are the business benefits of an RPA recorder? 

1. Quick time to market 

Businesses might create and implement RPA bots more quickly via screen recording than if they were to come up with a script from scratch.  

A reason why low-code/no-code RPA software has risen in popularity is that it allows citizen developers, with little to no programming knowledge, to create a bot through a drag-&-drop interface, the marketplace, or just using pre-scripted bots. 

Arguably, screen recording elevates the ease of use and the developmental agility by recording the process and instantly turning it into machine-readable code. Such convenience would result in a quicker time to market rolling out of the bot.

2. It’s developable-friendly

One of the main benefits of technology democratization is giving all users more equality in terms of leveraging and benefitting from automation solutions that would have otherwise been reserved only for those with financial and technical resources. 

To program a bot through screen recording, you do not need to have access to costly and elusive IT teams. Nor do you need to have the knowledge to script a bot. As long as you specifically know which manual processes to automate, and you can record how you want it carried out clearly, you can run your tasks and processes more efficiently through bots. 

To whom is RPA screen recording targeted?

Screen recording RPA is arguably targeted to SMEs with a high volume of routine yet time-consuming and automatable tasks.

• Invoice issuing
• Employee onboarding and employee offboarding
• Financial reporting
• Copying and pasting data
• Email personalization campaigns

And other processes that do not involve interdepartmental and ERP collaboration, can be automated through screen recording. 

But if your processes involve multiple departments, require company-specific modifications and customizations, and need human oversight and input at specific junctions, a code-based RPA gives you more flexibility. 

For more on RPA

To learn more about RPA and its use cases across different industries, read:

• RPA vs Intelligent Automation: Which is the Right Tool for You?
• Top 13 Use Cases of RPA in Education
• Top 100+ RPA Use Cases/ Projects/Applications/ Examples

To gain an in-depth insight into the topic, download our RPA wallpaper below:

And if you believe your business would benefit from leveraging RPA, we have a data-driven list of RPA software vendors.

Please reach out to us to help you choose the best software tailored to your needs: