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Hello everyone,

I’m Darshan Hiranandani, We recently downloaded the Clear Browser Cache Bot from the Bot Store and tested it in our non-production environment. The goal was to clear cache and browsing history, as described in the documentation, but unfortunately, it seems to be doing much more than expected.

Here’s what’s happening:

  • The AA 360 extension gets disabled.
  • Bookmarks are deleted.
  • The entire user profile seems to be reset, and when Chrome is launched again, it shows the “Welcome to Chrome” message, as if the browser has never been used before.

This unexpected behavior is making the bot difficult, if not impossible, to use in its current form. Has anyone else encountered this issue? We’re hoping to find a way to throttle back the bot’s actions and limit its impact to just clearing cache and history.

Any insights or workarounds from the community would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!

Regards

Darshan Hiranandani

That’s an interesting question, darshanhiranandani23 !

I think the following community members may be able to help 

@Zaid Chougle 

@Tamil Arasu10 

@Sridhar Yadlapalli 

@Ashwin A.K 

@Padmakumar 

Hi Darshan,

Thank you for bringing this up — your observation is absolutely valid and this behavior has been noted by others as well.

The issue you're facing is due to the fact that the "Clear Browser Cache" Bot from the Bot Store likely uses a method that deletes or resets the entire Chrome user profile folder (usually found in AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data). While this effectively clears cache and history, it also removes bookmarks, extensions (including AA 360), saved passwords, and custom settings, hence resetting Chrome to its first-run state.

Workaround / Recommendation:

If your goal is strictly to clear cache and browsing history, a safer and more targeted approach would be to:

  1. Use Chrome’s built-in options via command-line flags or scripting (e.g., via JavaScript + Automation Anywhere).

  2. Avoid deleting or manipulating the User Data directory directly.

  3. Instead, use DevTools Protocol or browser automation
     

Use Chrome’s built-in option - Write a small JS which can clear Browser cache alone and then you can integrate with Automation anywhere, which is a best and easy way

Let me know if you need JS.

Best Regards,

Sridhar

​@darshanhiranandani23 if ​@Sridhar Yadlapalli’s answer helped, feel free to mark it as best answer!

HI Darshan,
The Clear Browser Cache Bot you're using likely performs a hard reset by deleting contents in the Chrome user data directory, which includes:

  • Cache

  • Browsing history

  • Bookmarks

  • Extensions (including Automation Anywhere’s own extension)

  • User preferences and settings

That’s why you’re seeing:

  • AA extension getting disabled

  • Bookmarks lost

  • Chrome launching with the “Welcome” screen — indicative of a wiped user profile

This is not just clearing cache but resetting Chrome to a factory-like state.

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