autocomplete - How can I get Google Chrome to auto-fill more form entries?

10
2013-08
  • user48930

    Google Chrome's auto-fill does not work for most sites and does not save form entries. This makes it unusable. When I checked the options, I was shocked to see the only option with auto-fill is to save address and credit card.

    Have they not considered the idea that form entries can be of different types?

    • Answers
  • Vervious

    According to Google, autofill saves more than just addresses and credit cards; saving names and emails works perfectly for me too. It just that the options menu doesn't list saving names and emails.

    Your address and credit card information can be stored in Google Chrome. The first time you fill out a form, Google Chrome automatically saves the contact information that you enter, like your name, address, phone number, or email address, as an AutoFill entry. The browser can also save your credit card information, with your explicit permission. When you enter credit card information on a form, Google Chrome asks you at the top of the page whether you'd like to save the information. Click Save info if you'd like the credit card to be saved as an AutoFill entry.

    You can store different credit cards and addresses as separate entries.

    When you looked in the options, what you didn't realize is that name and phone number and everything are included in the save address thing. Click add address and you'll find out.

    So it isn't Google's problem. It should work just fine. What version of Google Chrome are you using? The latest stable one should support it. Make sure that the autofill box in options is checked too. :D Take a look at the video in the "according to Google" link: it shows how it works. Kind of.

  • 8088

    Have you checked out my Autofill extension? It has been working for a lot of people who found Chrome's built-in autofill feature lacking, so it might work for you also:

    enter image description here

    You will definitely have more power and control, and it will require one less click to autofill (or zero clicks).


    • Related Question

    authentication - Chrome auto-fill username/passwords is inconsistant
  • romant

    Some forms (u/p) chrome will autofill completely.

    Others, it will wait until you specify a username, at which point it completes the password.

    Is it possible to make it complete the username and password by default?

    Thank you.


    • Related Answers
  • William Hilsum

    This happens to me as well in Firefox.

    The reason is, it can remember as many credentials as you like, on as many sites as you want - however, it only fills in the username and password field IF you only have one stored credential for that site.

    I have not seen a workaround or any way to set a single credential to be the default, but the way around this is simply to go to Settings... and delete any additional credentials for the same site.

    Go to Google Chrome Options > Show saved passwords, and delete any additional passwords for the site.

    The next time you visit the site, it should automatically fill out the correct fields for you without manually having to select the username.

    -I hope this helps, I have tested it for you inside a virtual machine and I can confirm this behaviour on an older version of Chrome, but the latest version (just installed from Ninite) does not have this.

    In addition, some sites have smart systems that randomise the field names such as Hotmail/Passport/Live, so it possible that Chrome simply doesn't understand where to put the information, but once you type the username, it knows and puts the password in the next.

  • Peter

    I think Brendan is right. Chrome seems to look for a field whose name is "username" along with the password field. If the username field is missing, nothing gets filled in. Also, if the username field has some other name, such as "ID", or if the username field is on a separate page from the password field, it probably won't fill in the name.

    Firefox does a much better job of recognizing when username and or password fields need to be filled in or at least completed. This is certainly an area where Chrome could be improved.

  • 10basetom

    Chrome's basic AutoFill feature will be sufficient for most people, but for some people (like myself) it was sorely lacking. Hence, I created my own Autofill form filler extension. This extension has been working for a lot of people, so maybe it'll work for you also:

    https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/nlmmgnhgdeffjkdckmikfpnddkbbfkkk

    You will definitely have more power and control than Chrome's built-in autofill, and it will require one less click to autofill (zero clicks, actually -- no more having to select from a menu to initiate the autofill!).

  • 8088

    I recommend KeePass, a free open source (and portable) password safe/manager.

    Auto-Type, Global Auto-Type Hot Key and Drag&Drop

    • KeePass can minimize itself and type the information of the currently selected entry into dialogs, webforms, etc. Of course, the typing-sequence is 100% user-customizable, read the documentation file for more.
    • KeePass features a global auto-type hot key. When KeePass is running in the background (with opened database) and you press the hot key, it looks up the correct entry and executes its auto-type sequence.
    • All fields, title, username, password, URL and notes can be drag&dropped into other windows.

    alt text

    Needless to say that it's much safer using KeePass than storing usernames and passwords in the password manager of a web browser.

    Another, more general tip, if you're want to autofill forms: I'm using PhaseExpress, which works everywhere and far more accurate than the autofill feature of any web browser.

    Auto-Complete

    The unique text prediction feature automatically recognizes input of repetitive phrases and auto-complete them on demand.

    Just install and launch PhraseExpress and forget about it. It will start learning your personal writing style and soon begin to offer to auto-complete phrases:

    alt text

    Autotext in any Program

    PhraseExpress takes words, sentences and phrases that you commonly use in documents or computer programs and allows you to create text abbreviations for them.

    When such abbreviation is typed, PhraseExpress finds the matching long word or phrase and enters it in the document for you:

    alt text

    PhraseExpress is a great relief for users who do a lot of typing. once you start using it, you'll wonder how you ever did without. :)

    PhraseExpress is free for personal use, a portable version is available.

  • thegreyspot

    I'm fairly certain it depends on the website author. Chrome doesn't know it's a username and password field unless that is the name in the html code (i.e. <input type="text" name="username" />)

    If two fields match a pattern, that would explain why it fills in the password after you've given a username.

    It could also be that it doesn't auto-fill fields that are generated by Javascript or that aren't initially visible on the page.

  • warren

    I have seen similar issues in Firefox, IE, Opera, and Chrome. Every time I've seen it either a) the field names are randomized, or b) the login form isn't actually HTML - it's been generated via javascript, flash, or may be HTML,but is embedded in an iframe.