browser

# Browser Automation Automate browser interactions using the browse CLI with Claude. ## Setup check Before running any browser commands, verify the CLI is available: ```bash which browse || npm install -g browse ``` ## Environment Selection (Local vs Remote) The CLI supports explicit per-command environment flags. If you do nothing, the next session defaults to Browserbase when `BROWSERBASE_API_KEY` is set and to local otherwise. ### Local mode - `browse open <url> --local` starts a clean isolated local browser - `browse open <url> --auto-connect` attaches to an already-running debuggable Chrome; use `--local` when no debuggable Chrome is available - `browse open <url> --cdp <port|url>` attaches to a specific CDP target - Best for: development, localhost, trusted sites, and reproducible runs ### Remote mode (Browserbase) - `browse open <url> --remote` starts a Browserbase session - Without a local flag, Browserbase is also the default when `BROWSERBASE_API_KEY` is set - Provides: Browserbase Identity, Verified browsers, automatic CAPTCHA solving, residential proxies, session persistence - **Use remote mode when:** the target site has bot detection, CAPTCHAs, IP rate limiting, Cloudflare protection, or requires geo-specific access - Get credentials at https://browserbase.com/settings ### When to choose which - **Repeatable local testing / clean state**: `browse open <url> --local` - **Reuse your local login/cookies**: `browse open <url> --auto-connect` - **Simple browsing** (docs, wikis, public APIs): local mode is fine - **Protected sites** (login walls, CAPTCHAs, anti-scraping): use remote mode - **If local mode fails** with bot detection or access denied: switch to remote mode ## Commands Most driver commands work across local, remote, and CDP sessions after the daemon starts. ### Navigation ```bash browse open <url> # Go to URL browse open <url> --local # Go to URL in a clean local browser browse open <url> --remote # Go to URL in a Browserbase session browse reload # Reload current page browse back # Go back in history browse forward # Go forward in history ``` ### Page state (prefer snapshot over screenshot) ```bash browse snapshot # Get accessibility tree with element refs (fast, structured) browse screenshot --path <path> # Take visual screenshot (slow, uses vision tokens) browse get url # Get current URL browse get title # Get page title browse get text <selector> # Get text content (use "body" for all text) browse get html <selector> # Get HTML content of element browse get markdown [selector] # Get page content as markdown (defaults to body) browse get value <selector> # Get form field value ``` Use `browse snapshot` as your default for understanding page state — it returns the accessibility tree with element refs you can use to interact. Only use `browse screenshot` when you need visual context (layout, images, debugging). ### Interaction ```bash browse click <ref> # Click element by ref from snapshot (e.g., @0-5) browse type <text> # Type text into focused element browse fill <selector> <value> # Fill input; add --press-enter if Enter is needed browse select <selector> <values...> # Select dropdown option(s) browse upload <selector> <files...> # Upload file(s) to <input type="file"> browse press <key> # Press key (Enter, Tab, Escape, Cmd+A, etc.) browse mouse drag <fromX> <fromY> <toX> <toY> # Drag from one point to another browse mouse scroll <x> <y> <deltaX> <deltaY> # Scroll at coordinates browse highlight <selector> # Highlight element on page browse is visible <selector> # Check if element is visible browse is checked <selector> # Check if element is checked browse wait <type> [arg] # Wait for: load, selector, timeout ``` ### CDP event tailing ```bash browse cdp <url|port> # Stream CDP events as NDJSON from any target browse cdp 9222 # Attach to local Chrome on port 9222 browse cdp ws://localhost:9222/devtools/browser/... # Full WebSocket URL browse cdp <url> --domain Network # Only Network events browse cdp <url> --domain Network --domain Console # Multiple domains browse cdp <url> --pretty # Human-readable output browse cdp <url> > events.jsonl # Pipe to file browse cdp <url> | jq '.method' # Filter with jq ``` The `cdp` command connects directly to any Chrome DevTools Protocol target and streams events. It does **not** use the daemon — it's a standalone, long-running process. Press Ctrl+C to stop. Default domains: Network, Console, Runtime, Log, Page. ### Session management ```bash browse stop # Stop the browser daemon browse status # Check daemon status and resolved mode browse tab list # List all open tabs browse tab switch <index-or-target-id> # Switch to tab by index or target ID browse tab close [index-or-target-id] # Close tab ``` ### Typical workflow If the environment matters, put `--local`, `--remote`, `--auto-connect`, or `--cdp <port|url>` on the first browser command. 1. `browse open <url> --local` or `browse open <url> --remote` — navigate to the page 2. `browse snapshot` — read the accessibility tree to understand page structure and get element refs 3. `browse click <ref>` / `browse type <text>` / `browse fill <selector> <value>` — interact using refs from snapshot 4. `browse snapshot` — confirm the action worked 5. Repeat 3-4 as needed 6. `browse stop` — close the browser when done ## Quick Example ```bash browse open https://example.com browse snapshot # see page structure + element refs browse click @0-5 # click element with ref 0-5 browse get title browse stop ``` ## Mode Comparison | Feature | Local | Browserbase | |---------|-------|-------------| | Speed | Faster | Slightly slower | | Setup | Chrome required | API key required | | Reuse existing local cookies | With `browse open <url> --auto-connect` | N/A | | Verified browser | No | Yes (Browserbase Verified browser via Identity) | | CAPTCHA solving | No | Yes (automatic reCAPTCHA/hCaptcha) | | Residential proxies | No | Yes (201 countries, geo-targeting) | | Session persistence | No | Yes (cookies/auth persist via contexts) | | Best for | Development/simple pages | Protected sites, Browserbase Identity + Verified access, production scraping | ## Best Practices 1. **Choose the local strategy deliberately**: use `browse open <url> --local` for clean state, `browse open <url> --auto-connect` for existing local credentials, and `browse open <url> --remote` for protected sites 2. **Always `browse open` first** before interacting 3. **Use `browse snapshot`** to check page state — it's fast and gives you element refs 4. **Only screenshot when visual context is needed** (layout checks, images, debugging) 5. **Use refs from snapshot** to click/interact — e.g., `browse click @0-5` 6. **`browse stop`** when done to clean up the browser session and clear the env override ## Troubleshooting - **"No active page"**: Run `browse stop`, then check `browse status`. If it still says running, kill the zombie daemon with `pkill -f "browse.*daemon"`, then retry `browse open` - **Chrome not found**: Install Chrome, use `browse open <url> --auto-connect` if you already have a debuggable Chrome running, or switch to `browse open <url> --remote` - **Action fails**: Run `browse snapshot` to see available elements and their refs - **Browserbase fails**: Verify API key is set ## Switching to Remote Mode Switch to remote when you detect: CAPTCHAs (reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, Turnstile), bot detection pages ("Checking your browser..."), HTTP 403/429, empty pages on sites that should have content, or the user asks for it. Don't switch for simple sites (docs, wikis, public APIs, localhost). ```bash browse open <url> --local # clean isolated local browser browse open <url> --auto-connect # attach to existing debuggable Chrome browse open <url> --remote # Browserbase session ``` Mode flags are applied when a session starts. After `browse stop`, the next start falls back to env-var-based auto detection. Use `browse status` to inspect the resolved mode and target while the daemon is running. For detailed examples, see [EXAMPLES.md](EXAMPLES.md). For API reference, see [REFERENCE.md](REFERENCE.md).