Table Reservation Bot
A bot to log in at midnight to book a table and check in to secure it before office hours.
Features
- Automated login at optimal reservation times (midnight)
- Table selection based on user preferences and availability
- Scheduled check-in functionality to confirm reservations
- Notification system for successful bookings and check-ins
- Retry mechanism for handling booking failures
Technical Stack
- Python
- Selenium for web automation
- Task scheduling for timed operations
- Browser automation frameworks
- Notification APIs
Lessons Learned
The Table Reservation Bot project addresses a common frustration—securing reservations at popular venues that release tables at inconvenient hours. By automating the midnight booking process and subsequent check-in requirements, this bot eliminates the need to manually perform these tasks during off-hours.
The initial testing phase has been successful, with the bot reliably navigating the reservation website, completing the booking process, and handling the check-in requirements. This success demonstrates the value of automation for routine but time-sensitive tasks that would otherwise disrupt users' schedules.
From a technical perspective, working with Selenium in Python provided a robust framework for web automation, though website structure changes presented an ongoing challenge. Implementing flexible selectors and regular expression-based element identification helped create a more resilient solution that could adapt to minor website updates.
The project is currently in a refinement phase, focusing on bug fixes and enhancing reliability. Key improvements under development include better error handling for edge cases, such as when preferred tables are unavailable, and implementing more sophisticated retry strategies for high-traffic periods when the reservation system might be sluggish.
This project reinforces the practical value of automation for solving everyday inconveniences. While the technical challenges are not particularly novel, the real-world utility makes it a worthwhile endeavor. Sometimes the most valuable automation solutions are those that save time on mundane tasks rather than solving complex technical problems.
Future enhancements could include expanding the bot to handle multiple reservation systems and implementing more advanced table selection algorithms based on historical availability data. These improvements would further increase the utility of an already practical automation tool.