My extension allows you to either enter or copy some text from the page (using document.getSelection()) and then tries to click a button by using document.querySelector and then the click event.

If I enter the text manually, everything works as expected. However, if I paste the text into the extension using getSelection, the click event gets lost.

For reference, this is an abbreviated version of my code:

//content.js
function messagesFromReactAppListener(msg, sender, sendResponse) {
    switch (msg.method) {
        case "getSelection":
            sendResponse({ text: document.getSelection().toString() });
            break;
        case "replyToEmail":
            const replyBtn = document.querySelector(...);
            if (replyBtn) {
                replyBtn.click();
                sendResponse(true);
            } else {
                sendResponse(false);
            }
            break;
    return true;
}

// paste function, called when button pressed on extension
export function pasteText(): Promise<PasteTextRespType> {
    return new Promise((resolve) => {
        chrome.tabs &&
            chrome.tabs.query(
                {
                    active: true,
                    currentWindow: true,
                },
                (tabs) => {
                    chrome.tabs.sendMessage(tabs[0].id || 0, { method: "getSelection" }, (response: PasteTextRespType) => {
                        resolve(response);
                    });
                }
            );
    });
}

// associated with a submit button on the extension
handleSubmit(event: any) {
        ...

        chrome.tabs && chrome.tabs.query({
            active: true,
            currentWindow: true
        }, tabs => {
            chrome.tabs.sendMessage(
                tabs[0].id || 0,
                { method: REACT_MSG_METHODS.replyToEmail },
                (resp) => {
                    ...
                }
            );
        });
        event.preventDefault();
    }

I do know it would be best if I had a listener on the click event before sending response with true, but I haven't been able to do it the right way. Help with that would also be appreciated, but click just doesn't work after using paste above.