> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.gpmautomate.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.gpmautomate.com/automate-en/action-guides/mouse/mouse-press-and-hold.md).

# Mouse press and hold

Mouse press and hold is the action of instructing the mouse cursor to perform the action of pressing the left mouse button down and maintaining that pressed state (not released). This action typically does not stand alone but serves as a starting step for more complex operations that simulate real user behavior.

#### Configuration of the press and hold position:

Similar to other mouse interaction actions, you can specify the position to press and hold the mouse using two main mechanisms:

* By XPath: Move to the center of the element specified by the XPath on the webpage and then press and hold.
* By coordinates: Move to a fixed pixel point x,y or pass a variable that combines coordinates (for example, the variable `$pos` in the form of `900,800` obtained from the Image search action) to perform the press and hold.

#### Practical applications:

This action is a necessary link when you want to perform a series of Drag and Drop operations:

* Slider Captcha decoding: Press and hold the slider (`Mouse press and hold`) ➔ Move the mouse to a coordinate X to match the image (`Mouse move`) ➔ Release the mouse to complete the verification (`Mouse release`).
* Drawing or selecting a region: Press and hold at the starting point, move the mouse to sweep a data area or draw a straight line on Canvas/Game applications, then release the mouse.


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