--- source_url: "https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser" title: "GitHub - vercel-labs/agent-browser: Browser automation CLI for AI agents · GitHub" mirrored_at: 2026-08-04T01:02:47.984Z host: github.com cited_in_42a: true mirror_canonical: "https://index.42a.ai/github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser" --- > **Original source:** https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser Browser automation CLI for AI agents. Fast native Rust CLI. ## Installation ### Global Installation (recommended) Installs the native Rust binary: npm install -g agent-browser agent-browser install # Download Chrome from Chrome for Testing (first time only) ### Project Installation (local dependency) For projects that want to pin the version in `package.json`: npm install agent-browser agent-browser install Then use via `package.json` scripts or by invoking `agent-browser` directly. ### Homebrew (macOS) brew install agent-browser agent-browser install # Download Chrome from Chrome for Testing (first time only) ### Cargo (Rust) cargo install agent-browser agent-browser install # Download Chrome from Chrome for Testing (first time only) ### From Source Requires Node.js 24+, pnpm 11+, and Rust. git clone https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser cd agent-browser pnpm install pnpm build pnpm build:native # Requires Rust (https://rustup.rs) pnpm link --global # Makes agent-browser available globally agent-browser install ### Linux Dependencies On Linux, install system dependencies: agent-browser install --with-deps This exits nonzero if the package manager cannot install every required browser library. ### Updating Upgrade to the latest version: agent-browser upgrade Detects your installation method (npm, Homebrew, or Cargo) and runs the appropriate update command automatically. ### Requirements - **Chrome** - Run `agent-browser install` to download Chrome from [Chrome for Testing](https://developer.chrome.com/blog/chrome-for-testing/) (Google's official automation channel). Existing Chrome, Brave, Playwright, and Puppeteer installations are detected automatically. No Playwright or Node.js required for the daemon. - **Node.js 24+ and pnpm 11+** - Only needed when building from source. - **Rust** - Only needed when building from source (see From Source above). ## Quick Start agent-browser open example.com agent-browser snapshot # Get accessibility tree with refs agent-browser click @e2 # Click by ref from snapshot agent-browser fill @e3 "test@example.com" # Fill by ref agent-browser get text @e1 # Get text by ref agent-browser screenshot page.png agent-browser close Clicks fail early when another element covers the target's click point, for example a consent banner or modal. Dismiss or interact with the reported covering element, then take a fresh snapshot before retrying the original ref. Headless Chromium screenshots hide native scrollbars for consistent image output. Pass `--hide-scrollbars false` when launching to keep native scrollbars visible. ### Traditional Selectors (also supported) agent-browser click "#submit" agent-browser fill "#email" "test@example.com" agent-browser find role button click --name "Submit" ## Commands ### Core Commands agent-browser open # Launch browser (no navigation); stays on about:blank agent-browser open # Launch + navigate to URL (aliases: goto, navigate) agent-browser read \[url\] # Fetch agent-readable text, or read rendered active-tab DOM agent-browser click # Click element (--new-tab to open in new tab) agent-browser dblclick # Double-click element agent-browser focus # Focus element agent-browser type # Type into element agent-browser fill # Clear and fill agent-browser press # Press key (Enter, Tab, Control+a) (alias: key) agent-browser keyboard type # Type with real keystrokes (no selector, current focus) agent-browser keyboard inserttext # Insert text without key events (no selector) agent-browser keydown # Hold key down agent-browser keyup # Release key agent-browser hover # Hover element agent-browser select # Select dropdown option agent-browser check # Check checkbox agent-browser uncheck # Uncheck checkbox agent-browser scroll \[px\] # Scroll (up/down/left/right, --selector ) agent-browser scrollintoview # Scroll element into view (alias: scrollinto) agent-browser drag # Drag and drop agent-browser upload # Upload files agent-browser screenshot \[path\] # Take screenshot (--full for full page, saves to a temporary directory if no path) agent-browser screenshot --annotate # Annotated screenshot with numbered element labels agent-browser screenshot --screenshot-dir ./shots # Save to custom directory agent-browser screenshot --screenshot-format jpeg --screenshot-quality 80 agent-browser pdf # Save as PDF agent-browser snapshot # Accessibility tree with refs (best for AI) agent-browser eval # Run JavaScript (-b for base64, --stdin for piped input) agent-browser connect # Connect to browser via CDP agent-browser stream enable \[--port \] # Start runtime WebSocket streaming agent-browser stream status # Show runtime streaming state and bound port agent-browser stream disable # Stop runtime WebSocket streaming agent-browser close # Close browser (aliases: quit, exit) agent-browser close --all # Close all active sessions agent-browser chat "" # AI chat: natural language browser control (single-shot) agent-browser chat # AI chat: interactive REPL mode ### Get Info agent-browser get text # Get text content agent-browser get html # Get innerHTML agent-browser get value # Get input value agent-browser get attr # Get attribute agent-browser get title # Get page title agent-browser get url # Get current URL agent-browser get cdp-url # Get CDP WebSocket URL (for DevTools, debugging) agent-browser get count # Count matching elements agent-browser get box # Get bounding box agent-browser get styles # Get computed styles ### Read Agent-Friendly Text agent-browser read agent-browser read https://example.com/article agent-browser read https://example.com/article --filter overview agent-browser read https://example.com/article --outline agent-browser read https://docs.example.com --llms index --filter auth agent-browser read https://docs.example.com --llms full --filter auth agent-browser read example.com/article --require-md agent-browser read https://example.com/article --json `read` fetches a URL without launching Chrome. Omit the URL to read the rendered DOM of the active tab in the current browser session, including browser auth state and client-side updates. Explicit URL reads send `Accept: text/markdown` by default, try the same URL with `.md` appended when the first response is not markdown, walk ancestor paths toward `/` to find the nearest `llms.txt` for a matching docs link, print markdown or plain text when available, and fall back to readable text extracted from HTML. `--llms` and `--require-md` with no URL use the active tab URL because they depend on HTTP resources. `read` does not read `llms-full.txt` unless you ask for it. Options: `--raw` prints the response body without HTML extraction, `--require-md` fails unless the server returns `Content-Type: text/markdown`, `--outline` prints a compact heading outline for one page, `--llms index` prints a compact nearest-ancestor `llms.txt` link list, `--llms full` reads the nearest-ancestor `llms-full.txt`, `--filter ` narrows page sections, llms links/sections, or outline headings, and `--timeout ` changes the request timeout. Global safeguards such as `--allowed-domains`, `--content-boundaries`, and `--max-output` also apply to read fetches and output. ### Check State agent-browser is visible # Check if visible agent-browser is enabled # Check if enabled agent-browser is checked # Check if checked ### Find Elements (Semantic Locators) agent-browser find role \[value\] # By ARIA role agent-browser find text \[value\] # By text content agent-browser find label \[value\] # By label agent-browser find placeholder \[value\] # By placeholder agent-browser find alt \[value\] # By alt text agent-browser find title \[value\] # By title attr agent-browser find testid \[value\] # By data-testid agent-browser find first \[value\] # First match agent-browser find last \[value\] # Last match agent-browser find nth \[value\] # Nth match **Actions:** `click`, `fill`, `check`, `hover`, `text` **Options:** `--name ` (filter role by accessible name), `--exact` (exact, case-sensitive match; for `role` it applies to the accessible name, whose default is a case-insensitive substring) **Examples:** agent-browser find role button click --name "Submit" agent-browser find role heading text --name "Skills" # implicit roles work:

=heading,
    =list, top-level
    =banner agent-browser find text "Sign In" click agent-browser find label "Email" fill "test@test.com" agent-browser find first ".item" click agent-browser find nth 2 "a" text ### Wait agent-browser wait # Wait for element to be visible agent-browser wait # Wait for time (milliseconds) agent-browser wait --text "Welcome" # Wait for text to appear (substring match) agent-browser wait --url "\*\*/dash" # Wait for URL pattern agent-browser wait --load networkidle # Wait for load state agent-browser wait --fn "window.ready === true" # Wait for JS condition # Wait for text/element to disappear agent-browser wait --fn "!document.body.innerText.includes('Loading...')" agent-browser wait "#spinner" --state hidden **Load states:** `load`, `domcontentloaded`, `networkidle` ### Batch Execution Execute multiple commands in a single invocation. Commands can be passed as quoted arguments or piped as JSON via stdin. This avoids per-command process startup overhead when running multi-step workflows. # Argument mode: each quoted argument is a full command agent-browser batch "open https://example.com" "snapshot -i" "screenshot" # With --bail to stop on first error agent-browser batch --bail "open https://example.com" "click @e1" "screenshot" # Stdin mode: pipe commands as JSON echo '\[ \["open", "https://example.com"\], \["snapshot", "-i"\], \["click", "@e1"\], \["screenshot", "result.png"\] \]' | agent-browser batch --json ### Clipboard agent-browser clipboard read # Read text from clipboard agent-browser clipboard write "Hello, World!" # Write text to clipboard agent-browser clipboard copy # Copy current selection (Ctrl+C) agent-browser clipboard paste # Paste from clipboard (Ctrl+V) ### Mouse Control agent-browser mouse move # Move mouse agent-browser mouse down \[button\] # Press button (left/right/middle) agent-browser mouse up \[button\] # Release button agent-browser mouse wheel \[dx\] # Scroll wheel ### Browser Settings agent-browser set viewport \[scale\] # Set viewport size (scale for retina, e.g. 2) agent-browser set device # Emulate device ("iPhone 14") agent-browser set geo # Set geolocation agent-browser set offline \[on|off\] # Toggle offline mode agent-browser set headers # Extra HTTP headers agent-browser set credentials # HTTP basic auth agent-browser set media \[dark|light\] # Emulate color scheme ### Cookies & Storage agent-browser cookies # Get all cookies agent-browser cookies set # Set cookie agent-browser cookies set --curl # Import cookies from a Copy-as-cURL dump, # JSON array, or bare Cookie header (auto-detected) agent-browser cookies clear # Clear cookies agent-browser storage local # Get all localStorage agent-browser storage local # Get specific key agent-browser storage local set # Set value agent-browser storage local clear # Clear all agent-browser storage session # Same for sessionStorage ### Network agent-browser network route # Intercept requests agent-browser network route --abort # Block requests agent-browser network route --body # Mock response agent-browser network route '\*' --abort --resource-type script # Block scripts only agent-browser network unroute \[url\] # Remove routes agent-browser network requests # View tracked requests agent-browser network requests --filter api # Filter requests agent-browser network requests --type xhr,fetch # Filter by resource type agent-browser network requests --method POST # Filter by HTTP method agent-browser network requests --status 2xx # Filter by status (200, 2xx, 400-499) agent-browser network request # View full request/response detail agent-browser network har start # Start HAR recording (embeds text response bodies) agent-browser network har start --content all # Embed all response bodies (binary as base64) agent-browser network har start --content none # Metadata only, no bodies agent-browser network har stop \[output.har\] # Stop and save HAR (temp path if omitted) ### Tabs & Windows agent-browser tab # List tabs (shows \`tabId\` and optional label) agent-browser tab new \[url\] # New tab (optionally with URL) agent-browser tab new --label docs \[url\] # New tab with a user-assigned label agent-browser tab |label\> # Switch to a tab by id or label agent-browser tab close \[t|label\] # Close a tab (defaults to active) agent-browser window new # New window Tab ids are stable strings of the form `t1`, `t2`, `t3`. They're never reused within a session, so scripts and agents can keep referring to the same tab even after other tabs are opened or closed. Positional integers like `tab 2` are **not** accepted; the `t` prefix disambiguates handles from indices and mirrors the `@e1` convention used for element refs. You can also assign a memorable label (`docs`, `app`, `admin`) and use it interchangeably with the id. Labels are never auto-generated and never rewritten on navigation — they're yours to name and keep: agent-browser tab new --label docs https://docs.example.com agent-browser tab docs # switch to the docs tab agent-browser snapshot # populate refs for docs agent-browser click @e3 # click uses docs's refs agent-browser tab close docs # close by label Switching to a tab discarded by Chrome's Memory Saver reactivates it, since a discarded tab has no renderer to drive. Reactivation reloads the discarded page and resets its unsaved state, and the switch result reports `"revived": true`. A tab whose page is paused by a JavaScript dialog is alive rather than discarded, so the switch leaves it untouched and reports `"dialogBlocked": true`; resolve the dialog with `dialog accept` or `dialog dismiss` before interacting. Closing the active tab onto a discarded successor revives it the same way and reports `"activeTabRevived": true`. ### Frames agent-browser frame # Switch to iframe agent-browser frame main # Back to main frame ### Dialogs agent-browser dialog accept \[text\] # Accept (with optional prompt text) agent-browser dialog dismiss # Dismiss agent-browser dialog status # Check if a dialog is currently open By default, `alert` and `beforeunload` dialogs are automatically accepted so they never block the agent. `confirm` and `prompt` dialogs still require explicit handling. Use `--no-auto-dialog` (or `AGENT_BROWSER_NO_AUTO_DIALOG=1`) to disable automatic handling. When a JavaScript dialog is pending, all command responses include a `warning` field with the dialog type and message. ### Diff agent-browser diff snapshot # Compare current vs last snapshot agent-browser diff snapshot --baseline before.txt # Compare current vs saved snapshot file agent-browser diff snapshot --selector "#main" --compact # Scoped snapshot diff agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline before.png # Visual pixel diff against baseline agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline b.png -o d.png # Save diff image to custom path agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline b.png -t 0.2 # Adjust color threshold (0-1) agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com # Compare two URLs (snapshot diff) agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com --screenshot # Also visual diff agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com --wait-until networkidle # Custom wait strategy agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com --selector "#main" # Scope to element ### Debug agent-browser trace start # Start recording trace agent-browser trace stop \[path\] # Stop and save trace agent-browser profiler start # Start Chrome DevTools profiling agent-browser profiler stop \[path\] # Stop and save profile (.json) agent-browser console # View console messages (log, error, warn, info) agent-browser console --json # JSON output with raw CDP args for programmatic access agent-browser console --clear # Clear console agent-browser errors # View page errors (uncaught JavaScript exceptions) agent-browser errors --clear # Clear errors agent-browser highlight # Highlight element agent-browser inspect # Open Chrome DevTools for the active page agent-browser state save # Save auth state agent-browser state load # Load auth state agent-browser state list # List saved state files agent-browser state show # Show state summary agent-browser state rename # Rename state file agent-browser state clear \[name\] # Clear states for session agent-browser state clear --all # Clear all saved states agent-browser state clean --older-than # Delete old states ### Navigation agent-browser back # Go back agent-browser forward # Go forward agent-browser reload # Reload page agent-browser pushstate # SPA client-side nav; auto-detects window.next.router.push, # falls back to history.pushState + popstate ### Pre-navigation setup Some flows (SSR debug, auth cookies for protected origins, init scripts) need state set up _before_ the first navigation. Use `open` with no URL to launch the browser, then stage cookies / routes / init scripts, then navigate. `batch` sends it all in one CLI call: agent-browser batch \\ '\["open"\]' \\ '\["network","route","\*","--abort","--resource-type","script"\]' \\ '\["cookies","set","--curl","cookies.curl","--domain","localhost"\]' \\ '\["navigate","http://localhost:3000/target"\]' Without `batch` the same sequence is three commands that all reuse the same daemon (fast, but not one turn). ### React / Web Vitals Agent-browser ships with first-class React introspection and universal Web Vitals metrics. The React commands need the React DevTools hook installed at launch; Web Vitals and pushstate are framework-agnostic. agent-browser open --enable react-devtools # Launch with React hook installed agent-browser react tree # Full component tree agent-browser react inspect # props, hooks, state, source agent-browser react renders start # Begin fiber render recording agent-browser react renders stop \[--json\] # Stop and print profile (--json for raw data) agent-browser react suspense \[--only-dynamic\] \[--json\] # Suspense boundaries + classifier # --only-dynamic hides the "static" list agent-browser vitals \[url\] \[--json\] # LCP/CLS/TTFB/FCP/INP + hydration summary Each `react ...` subcommand requires `--enable react-devtools` to have been passed at launch (the React DevTools `installHook.js` is embedded in the binary). Without it the commands error with \`React DevTools hook not installed - relaunch with --enable react-devtools\`. Works on any React app — Next.js, Remix, Vite+React, CRA, TanStack Start, React Native Web, etc. `vitals` and `pushstate` are framework-agnostic. `vitals` prints a summary by default; pass `--json` for the full structured payload. ### Accessibility audits Run an [axe-core](https://github.com/dequelabs/axe-core) accessibility audit against the current page or a URL. The axe-core engine is embedded in the binary, so it works offline and under strict CSP. It runs private partial audits across the page's frame tree and merges serialized results without page messaging, so page-provided `window.axe` values remain intact and iframe violations retain their frame selector paths. Accessibility audits require a CDP browser and are not available with Safari or iOS WebDriver sessions. agent-browser a11y # Audit the current page agent-browser a11y https://example.com # Navigate, then audit agent-browser a11y --tags wcag2a,wcag2aa # Only rules with these axe tags agent-browser a11y --selector "#main" # Scope the audit to a subtree agent-browser a11y example.com --json # Full structured results The default output lists each violation with its impact, rule id, fix guidance URL, and the CSS selectors of failing nodes: ``` url: https://example.com/ axe-core: 4.12.1 violations: 2 incomplete: 0 passes: 24 [critical] image-alt: Images must have alternative text (3 nodes) https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/image-alt - img.hero - #logo > img - footer img [serious] color-contrast: Elements must meet minimum color contrast ratio thresholds (1 node) https://dequeuniversity.com/rules/axe/4.12/color-contrast - .nav a.muted ``` `--json` returns the same data structured for automation (`counts`, `violations`, `incomplete`, each violation's `nodes` with `target`, `html`, and `failureSummary`). Each `target` preserves axe's selector path arrays, including nested arrays for shadow DOM boundaries. Rules that axe could not evaluate automatically are reported under `incomplete` for manual review. ### Init scripts agent-browser open --init-script # Register page init script before first navigation # (repeatable; also AGENT\_BROWSER\_INIT\_SCRIPTS env) agent-browser addinitscript # Register at runtime (returns identifier) agent-browser removeinitscript # Remove a previously registered init script ### Setup agent-browser install # Download Chrome from Chrome for Testing (Google's official automation channel) agent-browser install --with-deps # Also install system deps (Linux) agent-browser upgrade # Upgrade agent-browser to the latest version agent-browser doctor # Diagnose the install and auto-clean stale daemon files agent-browser doctor --fix # Also run destructive repairs (reinstall Chrome, purge old state, ...) agent-browser doctor --offline --quick # Skip network probes and the live launch test agent-browser mcp # Start an MCP stdio server `doctor` checks your environment, Chrome install, daemon state, config files, encryption key, providers, network reachability, and runs a live headless browser launch test. Stale socket/pid sidecar files are auto-cleaned. Output is also available as `--json` for agents. ### Skills agent-browser skills # List available skills agent-browser skills list # Same as above agent-browser skills get # Output a skill's full content agent-browser skills get --full # Include references and templates agent-browser skills get --all # Output every skill agent-browser skills path \[name\] # Print skill directory path Serves bundled skill content that always matches the installed CLI version. AI agents use this to get current instructions rather than relying on cached copies. Set `AGENT_BROWSER_SKILLS_DIR` to override the skills directory path. ### MCP Server agent-browser mcp agent-browser mcp --tools all agent-browser mcp --tools core,network,react Starts a Model Context Protocol server over stdio. MCP clients launch this command as a subprocess and exchange newline-delimited JSON-RPC on stdin and stdout. The server defaults to MCP protocol 2025-11-25 and accepts older supported client protocol versions during initialization. The default tools profile is `core`, which keeps MCP context small for everyday browser automation. Use `--tools all` for the full typed CLI parity surface, or combine profiles with commas, such as `--tools core,network,react`. Profiles: - `core` — Default. Navigation, snapshots, interaction, waits, reads, screenshots, JavaScript eval, close, tab basics, and profile discovery - `network` — Network routes, request inspection, HAR, headers, credentials, offline - `state` — Cookies, storage, auth, saved state, sessions, profiles, skills - `debug` — Console/errors, tracing, profiling, recording, a11y audit, clipboard, plugins, doctor, dashboard, install, upgrade, chat, diff, batch, confirm/deny - `tabs` — Back/forward/reload, tabs, windows, frames, dialogs - `react` — React tree/inspect/renders/suspense, vitals, pushstate - `mobile` — Viewport/device/geolocation/media, touch, swipe, mouse, keyboard - `all` — Every MCP tool, including the full typed CLI parity surface Common tools include: - `agent_browser_tools_profiles` - `agent_browser_open` - `agent_browser_snapshot` - `agent_browser_click` - `agent_browser_fill` - `agent_browser_type` - `agent_browser_press` - `agent_browser_wait_for_selector` - `agent_browser_screenshot` - `agent_browser_get_url` - `agent_browser_eval` - `agent_browser_close` Each tool has typed fields such as `url`, `selector`, `text`, `key`, `session`, and `allowedDomains`, so MCP clients show meaningful approval prompts instead of raw command arrays. The common `allowedDomains` array maps to `--allowed-domains` and activates the same WebRTC containment and launch-mode restrictions. Each tool also accepts `extraArgs` for advanced CLI flags and exact CLI parity. Tool discovery is paginated and includes read-only/open-world annotations so modern MCP clients can load the large typed surface incrementally. Example MCP client config: { "mcpServers": { "agent-browser": { "command": "agent-browser", "args": \["mcp"\] } } } Full parity MCP client config: { "mcpServers": { "agent-browser": { "command": "agent-browser", "args": \["mcp", "\--tools", "all"\] } } } Tool invocations use the same config files and environment variables as the CLI. Use `session` in the tool arguments, or set `AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION`, to isolate browser state. ## Authentication agent-browser provides multiple ways to persist login sessions so you don't re-authenticate every run. ### Quick summary Approach Best for Flag / Env **Chrome profile reuse** Reuse your existing Chrome login state (cookies, sessions) with zero setup `--profile ` / `AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE` **Persistent profile** Full browser state (cookies, IndexedDB, service workers, cache) across restarts `--profile ` / `AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE` **Session persistence** Auto-save/restore cookies + localStorage from a stable session key `--session --restore` / `AGENT_BROWSER_RESTORE` **Import from your browser** Grab auth from a Chrome session you already logged into `--auto-connect` + `state save` **State file** Load a previously saved state JSON on launch `--state ` / `AGENT_BROWSER_STATE` **Auth vault** Store credentials locally (encrypted), login by name `auth save` / `auth login` ### Import auth from your browser If you are already logged in to a site in Chrome, you can grab that auth state and reuse it: # 1. Launch Chrome with remote debugging enabled # macOS: "/Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome" --remote-debugging-port=9222 # Or use --auto-connect to discover an already-running Chrome # 2. Connect and save the authenticated state agent-browser --auto-connect state save ./my-auth.json # 3. Use the saved auth in future sessions agent-browser --state ./my-auth.json open https://app.example.com/dashboard # 4. Or use --restore for automatic persistence SESSION="$(agent-browser session id --scope worktree --prefix myapp)" agent-browser --session "$SESSION" --restore --state ./my-auth.json open https://app.example.com/dashboard # From now on, --session "$SESSION" --restore auto-saves/restores this state > **Security notes:** > > - `--remote-debugging-port` exposes full browser control on localhost. Any local process can connect. Only use on trusted machines and close Chrome when done. > - State files contain session tokens in plaintext. Add them to `.gitignore` and delete when no longer needed. For encryption at rest, set `AGENT_BROWSER_ENCRYPTION_KEY` (see [State Encryption](#state-encryption)). For full details on login flows, OAuth, 2FA, cookie-based auth, and the auth vault, see the [Authentication](https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser/blob/main/docs/src/app/sessions/page.mdx) docs. ## Sessions Run multiple isolated browser instances: # Different sessions agent-browser --session agent1 open site-a.com agent-browser --session agent2 open site-b.com # Or via environment variable AGENT\_BROWSER\_SESSION=agent1 agent-browser click "#btn" # List active sessions agent-browser session list # Output: # Active sessions: # -> default # agent1 # Show current session agent-browser session # Generate a stable worktree-scoped session id agent-browser session id --scope worktree --prefix next-dev-loop # Inspect daemon, launch, and restore status agent-browser session info --json Each session has its own: - Browser instance - Cookies and storage - Navigation history - Authentication state ## Chrome Profile Reuse The fastest way to use your existing login state: pass a Chrome profile name to `--profile`: # List available Chrome profiles agent-browser profiles # Reuse your default Chrome profile's login state agent-browser --profile Default open https://gmail.com # Use a named profile (by display name or directory name) agent-browser --profile "Work" open https://app.example.com # Or via environment variable AGENT\_BROWSER\_PROFILE=Default agent-browser open https://gmail.com This copies your Chrome profile to a temp directory (read-only snapshot, no changes to your original profile), so the browser launches with your existing cookies and sessions. > **Note:** On Windows, close Chrome before using `--profile ` if Chrome is running, as some profile files may be locked. ## Persistent Profiles For a persistent custom profile directory that stores state across browser restarts, pass a path to `--profile`: # Use a persistent profile directory agent-browser --profile ~/.myapp-profile open myapp.com # Login once, then reuse the authenticated session agent-browser --profile ~/.myapp-profile open myapp.com/dashboard # Or via environment variable AGENT\_BROWSER\_PROFILE=~/.myapp-profile agent-browser open myapp.com The profile directory stores: - Cookies and localStorage - IndexedDB data - Service workers - Browser cache - Login sessions **Tip**: Use different profile paths for different projects to keep their browser state isolated. ## Session Persistence Use `--restore` with a stable `--session` to automatically save and restore cookies and localStorage across browser restarts: # Generate a stable id for this worktree and auto-save/load state SESSION="$(agent-browser session id --scope worktree --prefix twitter)" agent-browser --session "$SESSION" --restore open twitter.com # Login once, then state persists automatically # State files stored in ~/.agent-browser/sessions/ # Optional: validate restored state before auto-saving again agent-browser --session "$SESSION" --restore --restore-check-text Dashboard open twitter.com State is saved when the browser closes (explicit `close`, idle timeout, or daemon shutdown) and also periodically while the browser is open, so a browser window you close by hand still leaves a recent save behind. Periodic autosave waits for commands to settle, then saves at most once per `AGENT_BROWSER_AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL_MS` (default 30000; set to `0` to save only on close). Idle sessions keep saving on the same interval, so changes the page makes on its own (token refreshes, background requests) are captured too. It respects the `--restore-save` policy. ### State Encryption Encrypt saved session data at rest with AES-256-GCM: # Generate key: openssl rand -hex 32 export AGENT\_BROWSER\_ENCRYPTION\_KEY=<64-char-hex-key\> # State files are now encrypted automatically agent-browser --session secure --restore open example.com Variable Description `AGENT_BROWSER_RESTORE` Auto-save/load state persistence name `AGENT_BROWSER_RESTORE_SAVE` Restore save policy: `auto`, `always`, or `never` `AGENT_BROWSER_AUTOSAVE_INTERVAL_MS` Min ms between periodic autosaves (default: 30000, 0 disables) `AGENT_BROWSER_NAMESPACE` Namespace for daemon sockets and restore state `AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION_NAME` Legacy auto-save/load state persistence name `AGENT_BROWSER_ENCRYPTION_KEY` 64-char hex key for AES-256-GCM encryption `AGENT_BROWSER_STATE_EXPIRE_DAYS` Auto-delete states older than N days (default: 30) ## Security agent-browser includes security features for safe AI agent deployments. All features are opt-in, and existing workflows are unaffected until you explicitly enable a feature: - **Authentication Vault**: Store credentials locally (always encrypted), reference by name. The LLM never sees passwords. `auth login` navigates with `load` and then waits for login form selectors to appear (SPA-friendly, timeout follows the default action timeout). A key is auto-generated at `~/.agent-browser/.encryption-key` if `AGENT_BROWSER_ENCRYPTION_KEY` is not set: `echo "pass" | agent-browser auth save github --url https://github.com/login --username user --password-stdin` then `agent-browser auth login github` - **Plugin System**: Extend agent-browser with external executable plugins. Plugins run out-of-process over the `agent-browser.plugin.v1` stdio JSON protocol and declare capabilities such as `credential.read`, `browser.provider`, `launch.mutate`, or `command.run`. - **Content Boundary Markers**: Wrap page output in delimiters so LLMs can distinguish tool output from untrusted content: `--content-boundaries` - **Domain Allowlist**: Restrict navigation to trusted domains (wildcards like `*.example.com` also match the bare domain): `--allowed-domains "example.com,*.example.com"`. Sub-resource requests (scripts, images, fetch), WebSocket/EventSource connections, and `sendBeacon` calls to non-allowed domains are blocked. WebRTC peer connections are disabled in supported Chromium sessions while the allowlist is active to prevent STUN, TURN, and DNS traffic from bypassing HTTP interception. Dedicated and shared workers are guarded with a bootstrap wrapper; if a page CSP forbids that wrapper, the worker fails closed rather than running without the allowlist guard. Pre-existing CDP sessions, auto-connect, Chrome profiles, direct-page provider plugins, agent-browser restore or state-file replay, raw Chrome args that select profiles, restore sessions, or open startup pages, iOS, and Safari reject this option because agent-browser cannot install equivalent containment before page scripts run. Include any CDN domains your target pages depend on (e.g., `*.cdn.example.com`). - **Action Policy**: Gate destructive actions with a static policy file: `--action-policy ./policy.json` - **Action Confirmation**: Require explicit approval for sensitive action categories: `--confirm-actions eval,download` - **Output Length Limits**: Prevent context flooding: `--max-output 50000` Variable Description `AGENT_BROWSER_CONTENT_BOUNDARIES` Wrap page output in boundary markers `AGENT_BROWSER_MAX_OUTPUT` Max characters for page output `AGENT_BROWSER_ALLOWED_DOMAINS` Comma-separated allowed domain patterns; requires a fresh controllable browser context without profile/session startup args, restore/state replay, or direct-page provider plugins `AGENT_BROWSER_ACTION_POLICY` Path to action policy JSON file `AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIRM_ACTIONS` Action categories requiring confirmation `AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIRM_INTERACTIVE` Enable interactive confirmation prompts `AGENT_BROWSER_PLUGINS` JSON plugin registry override See [Security documentation](https://agent-browser.dev/security) for details. ### Plugin System Plugins let third-party tools integrate without becoming built-in agent-browser dependencies. Add a plugin from npm or GitHub: agent-browser plugin add agent-browser-plugin-captcha agent-browser plugin add @company/agent-browser-plugin-vault --name vault agent-browser plugin add org/agent-browser-plugin-cloud-browser References are resolved by shape: `name` uses npm, `@scope/name` uses npm, and `owner/repo` uses GitHub. `plugin add` writes `./agent-browser.json` by default; use `--global` for `~/.agent-browser/config.json`. Plugin packages should support `plugin.manifest` so `plugin add` can discover their name and capabilities automatically. If a plugin does not support manifests, pass `--capability ` during add. Plugins can also be configured manually in `agent-browser.json`: { "plugins": \[ { "name": "vault", "command": "agent-browser-plugin-vault", "capabilities": \["credential.read"\] }, { "name": "cloud-browser", "command": "agent-browser-plugin-cloud-browser", "capabilities": \["browser.provider"\] }, { "name": "stealth", "command": "agent-browser-plugin-stealth", "capabilities": \["launch.mutate"\] }, { "name": "captcha", "command": "agent-browser-plugin-captcha", "capabilities": \["command.run", "captcha.solve"\] } \] } Inspect configured plugins: agent-browser plugin list agent-browser plugin show vault Use a credential provider plugin for one login: agent-browser auth login my-app --credential-provider vault --item "My App" agent-browser auth login my-app --credential-provider vault --item "My App" --url https://app.example.com/login --username-selector "#email" --password-selector "#password" --submit-selector "button\[type=submit\]" Use a browser provider plugin: agent-browser --provider cloud-browser open https://example.com Use a launch mutator plugin for stealth or local launch customization. The plugin can append Chrome args, extensions, and init scripts before the browser starts: agent-browser open https://example.com Use a generic plugin command for domain-specific tools such as CAPTCHA solvers: agent-browser plugin run captcha captcha.solve --payload '{"siteKey":"...","url":"https://example.com"}' The protocol request always includes `protocol`, `type`, `capability`, and `request`. A credential plugin receives `credential.resolve`, a browser provider receives `browser.launch`, a launch mutator receives `launch.mutate`, and generic commands receive the supplied request type. `plugin run` is for `command.run` and custom capabilities; core capabilities and protocol request types use their dedicated command paths. agent-browser keeps browser automation, redaction-sensitive output, and policy enforcement in core. Gate plugin access by capability action: agent-browser --confirm-actions plugin:vault:credential.read auth login my-app --credential-provider vault --item "My App" agent-browser --confirm-actions plugin:cloud-browser:browser.provider --provider cloud-browser open https://example.com agent-browser --confirm-actions plugin:stealth:launch.mutate open https://example.com Do not put vault tokens or passwords in plugin command args. Use the vault vendor's own login/session mechanism or environment outside agent-browser config. ## Snapshot Options The `snapshot` command supports filtering to reduce output size: agent-browser snapshot # Full accessibility tree agent-browser snapshot -i # Interactive elements only (buttons, inputs, links) agent-browser snapshot -i --urls # Interactive elements with link URLs agent-browser snapshot -c # Compact (remove empty structural elements) agent-browser snapshot -d 3 # Limit depth to 3 levels agent-browser snapshot -s "#main" # Scope to CSS selector agent-browser snapshot -i -c -d 5 # Combine options Option Description `-i, --interactive` Only show interactive elements (buttons, links, inputs) `-u, --urls` Include href URLs for link elements `-c, --compact` Remove empty structural elements `-d, --depth ` Limit tree depth `-s, --selector ` Scope to CSS selector ## Annotated Screenshots The `--annotate` flag overlays numbered labels on interactive elements in the screenshot. Each label `[N]` corresponds to ref `@eN`, so the same refs work for both visual and text-based workflows. Annotated screenshots are supported on the CDP-backed browser path (Chrome/Lightpanda). The Safari/WebDriver backend does not yet support `--annotate`. agent-browser screenshot --annotate # -> Screenshot saved to /tmp/screenshot-2026-02-17T12-00-00-abc123.png # \[1\] @e1 button "Submit" # \[2\] @e2 link "Home" # \[3\] @e3 textbox "Email" After an annotated screenshot, refs are cached so you can immediately interact with elements: agent-browser screenshot --annotate ./page.png agent-browser click @e2 # Click the "Home" link labeled \[2\] This is useful for multimodal AI models that can reason about visual layout, unlabeled icon buttons, canvas elements, or visual state that the text accessibility tree cannot capture. ## Options Option Description `--session ` Use isolated session (or `AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION` env) `--restore [name]` Auto-save/restore session state. Bare `--restore` uses `--session` as the key `--restore-save ` Restore save policy: `auto`, `always`, or `never` `--restore-check-url ` Validate restored state against a URL pattern `--restore-check-text ` Validate restored state against page text `--restore-check-fn ` Validate restored state against a truthy JavaScript expression `--namespace ` Isolate daemon sockets and restore-state directories `--session-name ` Legacy alias for restore persistence key `--profile ` Chrome profile name or persistent directory path (or `AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE` env) `--state ` Load storage state from JSON file (or `AGENT_BROWSER_STATE` env) `--headers ` Set HTTP headers scoped to the URL's origin `--executable-path ` Custom browser executable (or `AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH` env) `--extension ` Load browser extension (repeatable; or `AGENT_BROWSER_EXTENSIONS` env) `--init-script ` Register a page init script before the first navigation (repeatable; or `AGENT_BROWSER_INIT_SCRIPTS` env) `--enable ` Built-in init scripts: `react-devtools` (repeatable or comma-list; or `AGENT_BROWSER_ENABLE` env) `--args ` Browser launch args, comma or newline separated (or `AGENT_BROWSER_ARGS` env) `--user-agent ` Custom User-Agent string (or `AGENT_BROWSER_USER_AGENT` env) `--proxy ` Proxy server URL with optional auth (or `AGENT_BROWSER_PROXY` env) `--proxy-bypass ` Hosts to bypass proxy (or `AGENT_BROWSER_PROXY_BYPASS` env) `--ignore-https-errors` Ignore HTTPS certificate errors (useful for self-signed certs) `--allow-file-access` Allow file:// URLs to access local files (Chromium only) `--hide-scrollbars ` Hide native scrollbars in headless Chromium screenshots, enabled by default (or `AGENT_BROWSER_HIDE_SCROLLBARS` env) `-p, --provider ` Browser provider, including configured `browser.provider` plugins (or `AGENT_BROWSER_PROVIDER` env) `--device ` iOS device name, e.g. "iPhone 15 Pro" (or `AGENT_BROWSER_IOS_DEVICE` env) `--json` JSON output (for agents) `--annotate` Annotated screenshot with numbered element labels (or `AGENT_BROWSER_ANNOTATE` env) `--screenshot-dir ` Default screenshot output directory (or `AGENT_BROWSER_SCREENSHOT_DIR` env) `--screenshot-quality ` JPEG quality 0-100 (or `AGENT_BROWSER_SCREENSHOT_QUALITY` env) `--screenshot-format ` Screenshot format: `png`, `jpeg` (or `AGENT_BROWSER_SCREENSHOT_FORMAT` env) `--headed` Show browser window (not headless) (or `AGENT_BROWSER_HEADED` env) `--webgpu` Enable WebGPU; SwiftShader software Vulkan on Linux, no GPU required (or `AGENT_BROWSER_WEBGPU` env) `--cdp ` Connect via Chrome DevTools Protocol (port or WebSocket URL) `--auto-connect` Auto-discover and connect to running Chrome (or `AGENT_BROWSER_AUTO_CONNECT` env) `--color-scheme ` Color scheme: `dark`, `light`, `no-preference` (or `AGENT_BROWSER_COLOR_SCHEME` env) `--download-path ` Default download directory (or `AGENT_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD_PATH` env) `--content-boundaries` Wrap page output in boundary markers for LLM safety (or `AGENT_BROWSER_CONTENT_BOUNDARIES` env) `--max-output ` Truncate page output to N characters (or `AGENT_BROWSER_MAX_OUTPUT` env) `--allowed-domains ` Comma-separated allowed domain patterns; also disables WebRTC peer connections in supported Chromium sessions and rejects CDP, auto-connect, Chrome profiles, restore/state replay, direct-page provider plugins, unsafe startup `--args`, iOS, and Safari (or `AGENT_BROWSER_ALLOWED_DOMAINS` env) `--action-policy ` Path to action policy JSON file (or `AGENT_BROWSER_ACTION_POLICY` env) `--confirm-actions ` Action categories requiring confirmation (or `AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIRM_ACTIONS` env) `--confirm-interactive` Interactive confirmation prompts; auto-denies if stdin is not a TTY (or `AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIRM_INTERACTIVE` env) `--engine ` Browser engine: `chrome` (default), `lightpanda` (or `AGENT_BROWSER_ENGINE` env) `--idle-timeout