Tesco Shop Autopilot

Weekly meal plan → regulars → book delivery slot → confirm order. No APIs, just browser control for automated grocery shopping on Tesco.

The Tesco Shop Autopilot is one of the most practical browser automation showcases in the OpenClaw ecosystem. It takes a weekly meal plan, generates a shopping list, adds regular items, finds and books an available delivery slot, and confirms the order — all through OpenClaw's browser control capability. No official Tesco API is needed; the agent navigates the Tesco website just like a human would, clicking through product searches, adding to basket, and completing checkout. This project highlights a key strength of OpenClaw's browser automation: it works with any website, even those without public APIs. Grocery sites are notoriously resistant to automation (dynamic elements, anti-bot measures, complex checkout flows), but the semantic snapshot approach lets the agent understand page structure without brittle CSS selectors. The meal-plan-to-order pipeline saves roughly 30-45 minutes per week of tedious browsing and clicking. The concept has been widely discussed in the OpenClaw community and inspired similar automations for other grocery services like Amazon Fresh, Woolworths, and Instacart. It's a gateway example for anyone wanting to automate repetitive web tasks that don't have API alternatives.

Tags: automation, browser, shopping

Category: automation

Tips

  • Keep a 'regulars' list in a file in your workspace — items you buy every week — so the agent adds them first before meal-specific items
  • Use OpenClaw's browser profile feature to stay logged into Tesco between sessions, avoiding repeated logins
  • Schedule the grocery run as a cron job for Sunday evenings to automatically book the cheapest available delivery slot
  • Add a confirmation step before final checkout so you can review the basket via Telegram before the agent places the order
  • Test with a small order first — browser automation can occasionally misclick on product variants or quantities

Community Feedback

The Tesco Shop Autopilot from the showcase: weekly meal plan, add regulars, book delivery slot, confirm order. No APIs required, just browser automation.

— The Nuanced Perspective

The agent takes a weekly meal plan, generates a shopping list, books a delivery slot, and confirms the order through browser automation. No APIs, no scrapers — just the browser.

— Bonrock Blog

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this work with grocery stores other than Tesco?

Yes, the browser automation approach works with any grocery website. Community members have replicated similar flows for Amazon Fresh, Woolworths, and Instacart. You'll need to adjust the navigation steps for each site's layout.

How does it handle items that are out of stock?

The agent can be instructed to either skip unavailable items, substitute with alternatives, or notify you via Telegram for manual decisions. Most users opt for a notification so they can pick substitutes themselves.

Is this reliable enough for weekly use?

Generally yes, but grocery websites update their layouts periodically. When they do, the agent may need guidance on new page structures. Using semantic snapshots rather than hard-coded selectors makes it more resilient to minor UI changes.

Can it handle special offers and coupons?

The agent can be instructed to check for Clubcard offers or apply promo codes during checkout. You'd include that as a step in your automation prompt. It won't proactively hunt for coupons unless told to.