Can MSXML2.XMLHTTP be used with Chrome

Question

I have been using the following Excel VBA macro to bring back data from a website. It worked fine until a few days ago when the website stopped supporting IE. Of course the macro just fails now as there is no data on the webpage to bring back to Excel, just a message saying, "Your browser, Internet Explorer, is no longer supported." Is there a way to have the "Get method" (MSXML2.XMLHTTP) use Chrome instead of IE to interact with the website? BTW, my default browser is already set to "Chrome".

Dim html_doc As HTMLDocument        ' note: reference to Microsoft HTML Object Library must be set

Sub KS()    
' Define product url
    KS_url = "https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/r-w-knudsen-just-blueberry-juice/0007468210784"
    
' Collect data
        Set html_doc = New HTMLDocument
        Set xml_obj = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
        
        xml_obj.Open "GET", KS_url, False
        xml_obj.send
        html_doc.body.innerHTML = xml_obj.responseText
        Set xml_obj = Nothing
  
        KS_product = html_doc.getElementsByClassName("ProductDetails-header")(0).innerText
        KS_price = "$" & html_doc.getElementsByClassName("kds-Price kds-Price--alternate mb-8")(1).Value

      do Stuff

End Sub

[This might be your best bet](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/57216623/using-google-chrome-in-selenium-vba-installation-steps/57224810). — BigBen, Apr 01 '21 at 21:02
@BigBen Thanks, it just so time consuming to actually open the webpage. I'd prefer to stick with the faster "GET" method if possible. — ron, Apr 01 '21 at 21:17

QHarr · Accepted Answer · 2021-04-02T02:48:00.963

The check for this is a basic server check on user agent. Tell it what it wants to "hear" by passing a supported browser in the UA header...(or technically, in this case, just saying the equivalent of: "Hi, I am not Internet Explorer".)

It can be as simple as xml.setRequestHeader "User-Agent", "Chrome". I said basic because you could even pass xml.setRequestHeader "User-Agent", "I am a unicorn", so it is likely an exclusion based list on the server for Internet Explorer.

Option Explicit

Public Sub KS()
    Dim url As String

    url = "https://www.kingsoopers.com/p/r-w-knudsen-just-blueberry-juice/0007468210784"
    Dim html As MSHTML.HTMLDocument, xml As Object
    
    Set html = New MSHTML.HTMLDocument
    Set xml = CreateObject("MSXML2.XMLHTTP")
       
    xml.Open "GET", url, False
    xml.setRequestHeader "User-Agent", "Mozilla/5.0"
    xml.send
    html.body.innerHTML = xml.responseText

    Debug.Print html.getElementsByClassName("ProductDetails-header")(0).innerText
    Debug.Print "$" & html.getElementsByClassName("kds-Price kds-Price--alternate mb-8")(1).Value

    Stop

End Sub

Compare that with adding no UA or adding xml.setRequestHeader "User-Agent", "MSIE".

Thanks QHarr, clear and complete, just what I was looking for. — ron, Apr 02 '21 at 16:31

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Apr 01 '21 at 21:23

1

Study the article here by Daniel Pineault and this paragraph:

Feature Browser Emulation

Also note my comment dated 2020-09-13.

answered Apr 01 '21 at 21:23

Gustav

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Can MSXML2.XMLHTTP be used with Chrome

2 Answers2