How can I map an accessibility node ID to a clickable DOM element in Puppeteer?

When using Puppeteer’s accessibility snapshot, the node IDs you see are internal identifiers for the accessibility tree—they don’t correlate to DOM element IDs or any attributes you can directly query in the page. In short, there isn’t a built-in way to map an accessibility node ID back to a DOM element for interaction.

Why the Mapping Doesn’t Work

• Internal IDs: The IDs provided by page.accessibility.snapshot() are generated for accessibility inspection purposes. They aren’t present in the HTML and can’t be used to select elements via document queries.
• Different Trees: The accessibility tree is a representation of how assistive technologies view the DOM. Its internal structure and identifiers are managed separately from the actual DOM.

Recommended Approaches

1. Use Accessible Attributes:
   If the element you want to interact with has unique accessible properties (like an ARIA role, accessible name, or label), you can combine that information to build a query selector. For example:

   JSCopied
   // If you know the element is a button with a unique accessible name
   await page.evaluate(() => {
     const btn = Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('button'))
       .find(el => el.innerText === 'Recherche Google');
     if (btn) btn.click();
   });

   This approach leverages accessible information while interacting with the actual DOM.

2. Add Data Attributes (if possible):
   If you have control over the page’s markup, consider adding unique data attributes to elements you wish to automate. For instance:

   HTMLCopied
   <button data-automation-id="google-search">Recherche Google</button>

   Then click using:

   JSCopied
   await page.click('[data-automation-id="google-search"]');

3. Custom Mapping Logic:
   If you must rely on accessibility snapshot information, you might consider building your own mapping. For example, you could:

   • Retrieve the snapshot.
   • Identify the element’s accessible properties from the snapshot.
   • Use those properties in a page query to locate the element.

   Keep in mind that this approach can become complex and fragile if multiple elements share similar properties.

Conclusion

There isn’t a “magic” one-to-one mapping between accessibility node IDs and DOM elements due to the distinct nature of the accessibility tree. The most reliable solution is to use identifiable, accessible attributes available on the element (or modify the page, if possible) to create a unique selector that you can then interact with using Puppeteer’s standard methods.