browser-use

# Browser Automation with browser-use CLI The `browser-use` command provides fast, persistent browser automation. A background daemon keeps the browser open across commands, giving ~50ms latency per call. ## Prerequisites ```bash browser-use doctor # Verify installation ``` For setup details, see https://github.com/browser-use/browser-use/blob/main/browser_use/skill_cli/README.md ## Core Workflow 1. **Navigate**: `browser-use open <url>` — starts browser if needed 2. **Inspect**: `browser-use state` — returns clickable elements with indices 3. **Interact**: use indices from state (`browser-use click 5`, `browser-use input 3 "text"`) 4. **Verify**: `browser-use state` or `browser-use screenshot` to confirm 5. **Repeat**: browser stays open between commands 6. **Cleanup**: `browser-use close` when done ## Browser Modes ```bash browser-use open <url> # Default: headless Chromium browser-use --headed open <url> # Visible window browser-use --profile "Default" open <url> # Real Chrome with Default profile (existing logins/cookies) browser-use --profile "Profile 1" open <url> # Real Chrome with named profile browser-use --connect open <url> # Auto-discover running Chrome via CDP browser-use --cdp-url ws://localhost:9222/... open <url> # Connect via CDP URL ``` `--connect`, `--cdp-url`, and `--profile` are mutually exclusive. ## Commands ```bash # Navigation browser-use open <url> # Navigate to URL browser-use back # Go back in history browser-use scroll down # Scroll down (--amount N for pixels) browser-use scroll up # Scroll up browser-use switch <tab> # Switch to tab by index browser-use close-tab [tab] # Close tab (current if no index) # Page State — always run state first to get element indices browser-use state # URL, title, clickable elements with indices browser-use screenshot [path.png] # Screenshot (base64 if no path, --full for full page) # Interactions — use indices from state browser-use click <index> # Click element by index browser-use click <x> <y> # Click at pixel coordinates browser-use type "text" # Type into focused element browser-use input <index> "text" # Click element, then type browser-use keys "Enter" # Send keyboard keys (also "Control+a", etc.) browser-use select <index> "option" # Select dropdown option browser-use upload <index> <path> # Upload file to file input browser-use hover <index> # Hover over element browser-use dblclick <index> # Double-click element browser-use rightclick <index> # Right-click element # Data Extraction browser-use eval "js code" # Execute JavaScript, return result browser-use get title # Page title browser-use get html [--selector "h1"] # Page HTML (or scoped to selector) browser-use get text <index> # Element text content browser-use get value <index> # Input/textarea value browser-use get attributes <index> # Element attributes browser-use get bbox <index> # Bounding box (x, y, width, height) # Wait browser-use wait selector "css" # Wait for element (--state visible|hidden|attached|detached, --timeout ms) browser-use wait text "text" # Wait for text to appear # Cookies browser-use cookies get [--url <url>] # Get cookies (optionally filtered) browser-use cookies set <name> <value> # Set cookie (--domain, --secure, --http-only, --same-site, --expires) browser-use cookies clear [--url <url>] # Clear cookies browser-use cookies export <file> # Export to JSON browser-use cookies import <file> # Import from JSON # Python — persistent session with browser access browser-use python "code" # Execute Python (variables persist across calls) browser-use python --file script.py # Run file browser-use python --vars # Show defined variables browser-use python --reset # Clear namespace # Session browser-use close # Close browser and stop daemon browser-use sessions # List active sessions browser-use close --all # Close all sessions ``` The Python `browser` object provides: `browser.url`, `browser.title`, `browser.html`, `browser.goto(url)`, `browser.back()`, `browser.click(index)`, `browser.type(text)`, `browser.input(index, text)`, `browser.keys(keys)`, `browser.upload(index, path)`, `browser.screenshot(path)`, `browser.scroll(direction, amount)`, `browser.wait(seconds)`. ## Cloud API ```bash browser-use cloud connect # Provision cloud browser and connect browser-use cloud connect --timeout 120 --proxy-country US # With options browser-use cloud login <api-key> # Save API key (or set BROWSER_USE_API_KEY) browser-use cloud logout # Remove API key browser-use cloud v2 GET /browsers # REST passthrough (v2 or v3) browser-use cloud v2 POST /tasks '{"task":"...","url":"..."}' browser-use cloud v2 poll <task-id> # Poll task until done browser-use cloud v2 --help # Show API endpoints ``` `cloud connect` provisions a cloud browser, connects via CDP, and prints a live URL. `browser-use close` disconnects AND stops the cloud browser. ## Tunnels ```bash browser-use tunnel <port> # Start Cloudflare tunnel (idempotent) browser-use tunnel list # Show active tunnels browser-use tunnel stop <port> # Stop tunnel browser-use tunnel stop --all # Stop all tunnels ``` ## Profile Management ```bash browser-use profile list # List detected browsers and profiles browser-use profile sync --all # Sync profiles to cloud browser-use profile update # Download/update profile-use binary ``` ## Command Chaining Commands can be chained with `&&`. The browser persists via the daemon, so chaining is safe and efficient. ```bash browser-use open https://example.com && browser-use state browser-use input 5 "user@example.com" && browser-use input 6 "password" && browser-use click 7 ``` Chain when you don't need intermediate output. Run separately when you need to parse `state` to discover indices first. ## Common Workflows ### Authenticated Browsing When a task requires an authenticated site (Gmail, GitHub, internal tools), use Chrome profiles: ```bash browser-use profile list # Check available profiles # Ask the user which profile to use, then: browser-use --profile "Default" open https://github.com # Already logged in ``` ### Connecting to Existing Chrome ```bash browser-use --connect open https://example.com # Auto-discovers Chrome's CDP endpoint ``` Requires Chrome with remote debugging enabled. Falls back to probing ports 9222/9229. ### Exposing Local Dev Servers ```bash browser-use tunnel 3000 # → https://abc.trycloudflare.com browser-use open https://abc.trycloudflare.com # Browse the tunnel ``` ## Global Options | Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | `--headed` | Show browser window | | `--profile [NAME]` | Use real Chrome (bare `--profile` uses "Default") | | `--connect` | Auto-discover running Chrome via CDP | | `--cdp-url <url>` | Connect via CDP URL (`http://` or `ws://`) | | `--session NAME` | Target a named session (default: "default") | | `--json` | Output as JSON | | `--mcp` | Run as MCP server via stdin/stdout | ## Tips 1. **Always run `state` first** to see available elements and their indices 2. **Use `--headed` for debugging** to see what the browser is doing 3. **Sessions persist** — browser stays open between commands 4. **CLI aliases**: `bu`, `browser`, and `browseruse` all work ## Troubleshooting - **Browser won't start?** `browser-use close` then `browser-use --headed open <url>` - **Element not found?** `browser-use scroll down` then `browser-use state` - **Run diagnostics:** `browser-use doctor` ## Cleanup ```bash browser-use close # Close browser session browser-use tunnel stop --all # Stop tunnels (if any) ```