1. Exports for reading
Many "integration" requests only read data. A nightly CSV report into a shared folder can feed a reconciliation or a dashboard. Check that columns stay fixed and that the export includes every record. Exports never write back.
The short answer
First figure out which "no API" you have. Then try routes in order of cost: exports, supported file imports, read-only database queries, selector-based RPA, and vision agents that work through the screen. The first route that covers the task is usually the cheapest.
Four kinds of "no API"
MCP does not change this. An MCP server wraps an existing interface, so a system with no API usually has no MCP server either.
The five routes, cheapest first
2. File imports for writing
Built-in import tools run the application's own validation. Confirm they cover the transaction you need, not just master data like vendors and items.
3. Read the database, never write to it
SQL reads are fast and exact. Direct writes skip validation, numbering and audit logs, and can void vendor support.
4. Check the accessibility tree before buying RPA
Classic RPA needs the app to publish its controls for screen readers. Checking takes ten minutes with a free inspector tool: hover over the fields you need and see what comes back.
5. Vision agents where selectors fail
A vision agent reads the screen, finds the control by what it looks like and says, acts with mouse and keyboard, then checks the screen again. No tree, no selectors, no fixed coordinates. It also moves from the ERP to a PDF to a portal in one run, which is where most re-keying happens. What Is a Computer-Use Agent →
What the inspector tells you
| What you see | Typical apps | Options |
|---|---|---|
| Every field and button named | Most modern Windows apps, browsers | Selector RPA or vision agent |
| Window and menus only | Custom-drawn grids, older Delphi/VB6 apps | Vision agent |
| Nothing at all | Citrix, remote desktop, terminal emulators | Vision agent |
Decision tree
Work down the list. The first yes is usually the cheapest route.
Answer yes or no. The first yes is your route.
Question 1 of 6
Read-only task?
Recommended routeUse an export or database read.
Question 2 of 6
A supported import or API covers it at a price you accept?
Recommended routeUse it.
Question 3 of 6
Tens of thousands of transactions a day on one fixed screen?
Recommended routeA proper interface likely wins at that scale.
Question 4 of 6
Every control exposed and a developer to maintain selectors?
Recommended routeRPA can work.
Question 5 of 6
Work crosses the ERP, documents, email and portals, or lives in remote sessions?
Recommended routeUse a vision agent, with exact rules for values and a person at irreversible steps.
Question 6 of 6
Process changes weekly or runs twice a year?
Recommended routeA person may be cheaper for now.
No single yes. Work down the list again with your team, or talk to us about your exact screens.
Read-only task? Use an export or database read.
A supported import or API covers it at a price you accept? Use it.
Tens of thousands of transactions a day on one fixed screen? A proper interface likely wins at that scale.
Every control exposed and a developer to maintain selectors? RPA can work.
Work crosses the ERP, documents, email and portals, or lives in remote sessions? Use a vision agent, with exact rules for values and a person at irreversible steps.
Process changes weekly or runs twice a year? A person may be cheaper for now.
Options side by side
Plan for the vision route's limits: it works at about human pace, exact values need rules and a read-back check, and a redesigned screen still needs a quick update.
| Option | Reads | Writes | Survives a screen change | Setup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Export | Yes | No | Yes | Hours |
| File import | No | Yes | Yes | Days |
| Database query | Yes | Unsafe | Yes | Days |
| Selector RPA | Yes | Yes | Partly | Weeks |
| Vision agent | Yes | Yes | Mostly | Hours to days |
Where LaunchAI fits
In LaunchAI Studio the screen is the default route, and the others still slot in: a step with a clean API can call it, a file import stays a file import. The desktop ERP, the portal and the scanned PDF sit in one workflow. Product →
Questions
Is screen automation allowed under my license?
Check two things before running unattended: your software license and any portal's terms of use.
The vendor charges for an API. Pay or not?
Price both routes over three years. Often the answer is a mix: pay for the API on a few high-volume steps, keep the rest on screen.
Should we wait for the vendor's API?
Only if it has a date and covers your transaction. Roadmap promises do not reduce this month's re-keying.
Keep learning
- What Is a Computer-Use Agent A computer-use agent is AI software that operates a computer through its screen. Read the guide
- What Is an ADK An agent development kit (ADK) is a packaged set of building blocks for creating, testing and running AI agents: a model interface, tools that act on systems, orchestration, guardrails, human checkpoints, evaluation, tracing and a runtime. Read the guide
- Which Workflow First Start with a workflow that is frequent, slow by hand, low in variation, spread across a few systems, cheap to get wrong and rarely off the happy path. Read the guide
No prompts. No babysitting. No Integrations.