trading_bot_v3/SESSION_PERSISTENCE.md

TradingView Session Persistence & Captcha Avoidance

Problem

TradingView implements "Are you human?" captcha checks that block automated login attempts. This prevents our trading bot from automatically logging in and capturing screenshots for analysis.

Solution

We've implemented session persistence that saves login sessions and reuses them across runs, effectively avoiding captcha challenges.

How It Works

1. Session Data Storage

The system saves three types of session data:

• Cookies: Authentication tokens and session identifiers
• localStorage: User preferences and settings
• sessionStorage: Temporary session data

Session data is stored in .tradingview-session/ directory:

.tradingview-session/
├── cookies.json         # Authentication cookies
└── session-storage.json # Browser storage data

2. Stealth Features

To reduce bot detection, the browser is configured with:

• Custom user agent strings
• Disabled automation indicators
• Realistic browser headers
• Plugin and language mocking

3. Smart Login Process

The smartLogin() method follows this priority:

1. Check existing session: If already logged in, continue
2. Test saved session: Load and validate saved session data
3. Manual intervention: If needed, prompt for manual login
4. Save new session: Store successful login for future use

Usage

First Time Setup

import { TradingViewAutomation } from './lib/tradingview-automation.js'

const automation = new TradingViewAutomation()
await automation.init()

// First run - manual login required
const success = await automation.smartLogin()
// This will open TradingView and wait for manual login
// Once you log in manually, the session is saved

Subsequent Runs

// Future runs automatically use saved session
const automation = new TradingViewAutomation()
await automation.init()

const success = await automation.smartLogin()
// This will use saved session - no captcha!

Testing Session Persistence

# Run the test script
node test-session-avoid-captcha.js

API Integration

The analysis API automatically uses session persistence:

curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/analyze \\
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \\
  -d '{
    "symbol": "SOLUSD",
    "timeframe": "5"
  }'

The API will:

1. Check for saved session
2. Use it if valid (no captcha)
3. Return analysis results

Session Management

Check Session Status

const info = await automation.getSessionInfo()
console.log(info)
// {
//   isAuthenticated: true,
//   hasSavedCookies: true,
//   hasSavedStorage: true,
//   cookiesCount: 15,
//   currentUrl: "https://www.tradingview.com"
// }

Refresh Session

// Keep session alive
const refreshed = await automation.refreshSession()

Clear Session

// Clear expired or invalid session
await automation.clearSession()

Test Session Validity

const test = await automation.testSessionPersistence()
// {
//   hasSessionData: true,
//   isValid: true,
//   sessionInfo: {...}
// }

Manual Setup Process

1. Run the bot for the first time
2. Browser opens automatically (in Docker, this happens in headless mode)
3. Manual login required: Log in through the browser interface
4. Session saved: Once logged in, session data is automatically saved
5. Future runs: No more captcha challenges!

Docker Integration

In Docker environment:

# Start the container
docker-compose up -d

# Run session setup (manual login required once)
docker exec -it trading_bot_v3 node test-session-avoid-captcha.js

# After setup, API calls work without captcha
curl -X POST http://localhost:3000/api/analyze \\
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \\
  -d '{"symbol": "SOLUSD", "timeframe": "5"}'

Session Persistence Benefits

✅ No more captcha challenges after initial setup
✅ Faster login process (reuses existing session)
✅ Automatic session refresh to keep sessions alive
✅ Docker compatible session storage
✅ Fallback to manual login when needed

Troubleshooting

Session Expired

If you get login failures:

// Clear expired session and start fresh
await automation.clearSession()
await automation.smartLogin() // Will prompt for manual login

No Manual Browser Available

For servers without display:

1. Run initial setup on local machine
2. Copy .tradingview-session/ to server
3. Server uses saved session data

Session Not Working

Check session status:

const info = await automation.getSessionInfo()
if (!info.isAuthenticated || !info.hasSavedCookies) {
  // Need fresh login
  await automation.clearSession()
  await automation.smartLogin()
}

Files Modified

• lib/tradingview-automation.ts: Core session persistence logic
• lib/enhanced-screenshot.ts: Updated to use smart login
• test-session-avoid-captcha.js: Test script for session setup
• .tradingview-session/: Session data storage directory (auto-created)

Security

• Session data is stored locally only
• No credentials are permanently stored
• Session files can be manually deleted if needed
• Works with environment variables for credentials