What does the "Auto-Type in web browser" checkbox actually do? / How does Auto-Type work?

reck

I notice that there’s an Auto-Type button on the main 1Password screen that fills in the form in the browser and there’s also Auto-Type buttons next to each field as well. Both of these seem to work if the “Use Auto-Type in web browser” is checked or not so I’m wondering what this checkbox actually does?

Also I don’t think I fully understand what this feature is for. From reading the documentation it sounds like it can help when logins aren’t working on certain sites but how does checking the User Auto-Type change things to help in this situation?

The description says “When you visit the site in your web browser, place the insertion point in the username field; then press Ctrl+\ as usual. 1Password will fill in the username and password fields with the values saved in the corresponding Login item.” If I can press Ctrl+\ to fill in the login how is this different from just logging in normally? What’s the auto-type feature doing in this situation?

Thanks

DBrown

The Auto-Type tool in the 1Password 4 for Windows tool bar is just that: a tool. You use it when you want to use the auto-type mechanism to fill a web form with credentials saved in the Login item that's currently selected in the main 1Password program. You could use this tool to determine whether the auto-type mechanism will work on a site that is refusing to be filled by the standard fill mechanism.

Editing a Login item in the main 1Password program to enable the Use auto-type in web browser option tells 1Password to use the auto-type mechanism, rather than the standard fill mechanism, every time you use this Login item. You might enable this option to determine whether the auto-type mechanism will work on a site that is refusing to be filled by the standard fill mechanism; you'd certain enable this option after having determined that the auto-type mechanism works on such a site.

The Auto-Type icon next to the Username or Password field in the details area of the main 1Password program allows you to use the auto-type mechanism for just that field. In your browser, place the insertion point in the username or password field, and then click the Auto-Type icon next to the corresponding field in the details area of the main 1Password program. You might use this function if the auto-type mechanism seems to work, but the site refuses to accept both the username and password values in a single action.

A search for "auto-type" in the the 1Password 4 for Windows user's guide turns up four useful articles, including a definition in the Glossary and a thorough explanation in the Using auto-type article.

As its name implies, auto-type fills the form through transmission of keystrokes (simulating you typing the characters yourself). In the case of the Auto-Type tool and the Use auto-type in web browser option, a tab character is transmitted between the username and password values (simulating you typing the username, pressing the Tab key, and then typing the password).

reck

Thanks for the detailed response. I'd read the users guide so was aware it was an alternative login mechanism that could be used ,I just wasn't sure where it should be used.

For instance I thought its primary use was for application passwords and problematic websites. I've got a few app logins that work without this setting and a website I use that doesn't work with the normal login mechanism still doesn't work with the use Auto-Type checkbox.

It sounds like the general rule of thumb for this is that if something isn't working turn on this setting and it might fix it.

While i'm looking at this setting i've noticed another one i've never seen before - The Scope setting. Could you tell me what this does please? I searched in the manual, glossary and beta release notes for scope but nothing came up.

DBrown

From the user's guide article:

1Password for Windows includes an alternate method, called auto-type, for filling the occasional form in which the standard fill method is blocked. (Do let us know when you find a site where the standard method doesn’t work; we’re always looking for ways to improve our form-filling algorithms!)

It is, indeed, a useful "first thing to try" on such a web site. Application Logins are a different thing, though.

The Scope option does what its label implies: its setting determines whether the Login item will be displayed in the extension menu in 1Password-enabled web browsers.

reck

Thanks

DBrown

We're always glad to help, @reck.

Thank you for using 1Password!