Launch HN: Intuned (YC S22) – Build and run reliable...

Launch HN: Intuned (YC S22) – Build and run reliable browser automations as code

Q: Is there a way to test automations locally before deploying?

The Intuned CLI provides intuned dev which spins up a local headless browser, mirrors the cloud environment, and streams logs, so you can iterate quickly without pushing to production.

Did you know that 70 % of knowledge‑workers spend at least 2 hours a day switching between web apps? Imagine turning every repetitive click into a single line of code that runs on schedule—no more “copy‑paste” fatigue. Intuned, the newest YC‑backed automation platform, lets you write browser‑level automations the way you’d write a script, and then treat them like any other piece of production code.

Why Browser‑Level Automation Is the Missing Piece in Modern Workflows

Ever tried to connect two apps that only talk through a web interface? Zapier and n8n shine when both APIs exist, but they stumble when a legacy portal or a CAPTCHA forces you to click a button. That's where browser‑level automation steps in. Intuned’s headless‑Chrome orchestration keeps state, retries on failure, and remembers cookies, so your workflows keep humming even when the UI hiccups.

Early adopters report a 35 % reduction in support tickets and a 50 % boost in task completion speed. When you can script a login flow that automatically refreshes tokens, you save developers hours they'd spend hunting down expired sessions.

And the best part? It’s all coded, not dragged.

Getting Started with Intuned: From Zero to First Automation

First things first: sign up at intuned.com. The dashboard greets you with a “New Project” button. Click it, name your project, and you’re ready.

Install the CLI: npm i -g intuned-cli
Run intuned init in your repo to scaffold the workflow folder.
Open workflow.yaml and define a trigger—e.g., cron: '0 9 * * *' for daily runs.

Under the hood, Intuned turns your YAML into a Node.js script that runs in a Docker container. You can push the repo to GitHub; a GitHub Action built into the template will deploy every commit automatically.

Practical Walkthrough: Scrape a Daily Sales Report & Push to Slack

Let’s break down the code example from the outline. The script is split into four logical parts: browser login, report download, data processing, and Slack notification.

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
const csv = require('csv-parser');
const fetch = require('node-fetch');

module.exports = async ({ env }) => {
  // 1️⃣ Launch and login
  const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });
  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.goto('https://app.example.com/login');
  await page.type('#email', env.USER_EMAIL);
  await page.type('#password', env.USER_PASS);
  await Promise.all([page.click('#login'), page.waitForNavigation()]);
  // 2️⃣ Download CSV
  await page.goto('https://app.example.com/reports/daily');
  const [download] = await Promise.all([
    page.waitForResponse(r => r.url().endsWith('.csv') && r.status() === 200),
    page.click('#download-csv')
  ]);
  const csvBuffer = await download.buffer();
  // 3️⃣ Process CSV
  let total = 0;
  await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
    require('stream').Readable.from(csvBuffer)
      .pipe(csv())
      .on('data', row => total += parseFloat(row.amount))
      .on('end', resolve)
      .on('error', reject);
  });
  await browser.close();
  // 4️⃣ Slack webhook
  await fetch(env.SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL, {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
    body: JSON.stringify({ text: `📈 Daily sales total: $${total.toFixed(2)}` })
  });
  return { total };
};

To make it work, add the environment variables USER_EMAIL, USER_PASS, and SLACK_WEBHOOK_URL in Intuned’s secrets panel. Then schedule the workflow daily via the dashboard or set a cron in workflow.yaml. The logs appear instantly; if something breaks, the retry logic kicks in automatically.

Comparing Intuned with Zapier, n8n & Traditional RPA Tools

Feature	Zapier	n8n	Traditional RPA (UiPath, Automation Anywhere)	Intuned
UI‑level browser control	❌	✅ (via plugins)	✅	✅ (native)
Code‑first, versionable	❌	✅	❌	✅
Built‑in CI/CD hooks	❌	✅	❌	✅
Pricing for dev‑heavy workloads	Low‑to‑mid	Open‑source (self‑host)	Enterprise	Free tier → $49/mo for prod

When you need to juggle multiple auth layers or scrape data from a site without an API, Intuned feels like the obvious choice. If your team already uses n8n, you can even trigger an Intuned workflow from an n8n node via webhook, creating a hybrid pipeline.

Actionable Takeaways & Next Steps

Automate your daily expense export and email the summary to the finance team.
Sync calendar events from a web portal into your Google Calendar with a single script.
Monitor price changes on an e‑commerce site and alert you when a threshold drops.
Use Intuned’s dashboard alerts + Slack notifications to stay informed about failures.
Start with the free launch‑day credits, then migrate your heavy‑weight Zaps into Intuned scripts for better control.

Remember: version control is king. Keep your automations in Git, run them in CI, and only promote to production once you’re happy with the logs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Intuned differ from using Puppeteer or Playwright directly?

Intuned wraps those libraries in a managed, version‑controlled platform that adds scheduling, retries, secret handling, and a UI for monitoring—so you write the same script but get production‑grade reliability for free.

Can I integrate Intuned automations with n8n or Zapier?

Yes. Intuned exposes HTTP endpoints and webhook triggers, letting you call an Intuned workflow from an n8n node or a Zapier “Webhooks by Zapier” action, creating hybrid pipelines.

What languages does Intuned support for writing automations?

Currently JavaScript/TypeScript (Node.js) is first‑class, but you can also run Python or any language that can be executed in a Docker container via the “Custom Runtime” feature.

Is there a way to test automations locally before deploying?

The Intuned CLI provides intuned dev which spins up a local headless browser, mirrors the cloud environment, and streams logs, so you can iterate quickly without pushing to production.

How does pricing compare to Zapier’s premium plans?

Intuned offers a free tier with 1,000 automation minutes/month. Paid plans start at $49/mo for 50,000 minutes, which is typically cheaper than Zapier’s “Professional” tier when you factor in the cost of UI‑level automation that Zapier can’t handle.

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