How to Automate Stripe Data Export (No API Required)

Introduction

While Stripe provides a robust API, there are scenarios where browser automation offers advantages for data export and reporting. Whether you need to access historical data not available via API, export custom reports from the dashboard, or automate compliance documentation, browser automation can serve as a powerful API alternative for Stripe data collection.

Why Use Browser Automation for Stripe Data Export?

• Dashboard-Only Features: Some reports and analytics are only available in the Stripe dashboard
• Historical Data Access: Easier access to older transactions without API pagination limits
• Custom Report Generation: Export formatted reports that match your business needs
• Compliance Documentation: Automated generation of audit trails and compliance reports
• Multi-Account Management: Collect data from multiple Stripe accounts efficiently

Setting Up Stripe Data Export Automation

Here's how to automate Stripe data collection using browser automation:

import { chromium } from 'playwright';

const response = await fetch("https://api.anchorbrowser.io/api/sessions", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "anchor-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    'headless': false,
    'proxy': {
      'type': 'residential',
      'country': 'US'
    }
  }),
});

const { id } = await response.json();
const connectionString = `wss://connect.anchorbrowser.io?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY&sessionId=${id}`;

const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(connectionString);
const context = browser.contexts()[0];
const ai = context.serviceWorkers()[0];
const page = context.pages()[0];

// Navigate to Stripe dashboard
await page.goto("https://dashboard.stripe.com/login");

// Login with AI agent
await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
  prompt: 'Log in to Stripe using the provided credentials. Wait for the dashboard to fully load.'
}));

Exporting Transaction Data

Automate the export of transaction data from Stripe:

const exportStripeTransactions = async (page, ai, dateRange) => {
  // Navigate to payments page
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Navigate to the Payments section in the Stripe dashboard'
  }));
  
  // Set date filter
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: `Set the date filter to ${dateRange.start} to ${dateRange.end}`
  }));
  
  // Export data
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Click the Export button and select CSV format. Wait for the download to complete.'
  }));
  
  // Wait for download
  await page.waitForEvent('download');
  const download = await page.waitForEvent('download');
  const path = await download.path();
  
  return path;
};

Collecting Customer and Subscription Data

Extract customer and subscription information:

const collectCustomerData = async (page, ai) => {
  const customers = [];
  
  // Navigate to customers
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Go to the Customers section in Stripe dashboard'
  }));
  
  // Scroll and collect customer data
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Scroll through the customer list and extract: customer ID, email, name, created date, and total revenue. Continue until all customers are processed.'
  }));
  
  // Export customer list
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Click Export to download the customer list as CSV'
  }));
  
  return customers;
};

Automating Report Generation

Generate custom financial reports:

const generateFinancialReport = async (page, ai, reportType) => {
  // Navigate to reports
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Navigate to the Reports section in Stripe dashboard'
  }));
  
  // Select report type
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: `Select ${reportType} report and configure the date range and filters`
  }));
  
  // Generate and download
  await ai.evaluate(JSON.stringify({
    prompt: 'Click Generate Report, wait for it to process, then download it'
  }));
  
  const download = await page.waitForEvent('download');
  return await download.path();
};

Best Practices

• Rate Limiting: Add delays between requests to avoid triggering rate limits
• Authentication: Use secure credential storage and 2FA handling
• Error Handling: Implement retry logic for transient failures
• Data Validation: Verify exported data completeness before processing
• Compliance: Ensure data handling meets PCI DSS requirements

Resources

• Anchor Browser Documentation - Complete API reference and guides
• Anchor Browser Playground - Try browser automation in your browser

Conclusion

Browser automation provides a flexible alternative to Stripe's API for data export and reporting. By leveraging intelligent browser agents, you can automate complex data collection workflows that aren't easily achievable through API calls alone.