Run local Appium test scripts against Kobiton devices. Guides through app upload, device selection, capability parsing, and local execution. Use when the user asks to run mobile tests, validate an APK or IPA on Kobiton devices, or kick off an Appium suite from a local script directory. Trigger with "run kobiton tests" or "execute appium on kobiton".
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Run local Appium test scripts against Kobiton devices. Guides through app upload, device selection, capability parsing, and local execution. Use when the user asks to run mobile tests, validate an APK or IPA on Kobiton devices, or kick off an Appium suite from a local script directory. Trigger with "run kobiton tests" or "execute appium on kobiton".
Execute Appium-based mobile test automation suites on Kobiton's device cloud. Given a local Appium test script, this skill identifies the target app, selects an available device, parses and reconciles capabilities, runs the script in the background, and surfaces the resulting session URL plus artifacts (video, logs, screenshots, reports).
Use this skill when the user asks to run mobile tests, validate an APK or IPA across real devices, or trigger a Kobiton-hosted automation run from a local script directory.
Prerequisites
Before invoking this skill, ensure:
Kobiton MCP connection - the Kobiton MCP server is reachable (default api.kobiton.com/mcp; check .mcp.json for the configured endpoint).
Local Appium test script - a runnable Appium WebDriver script (.js, .ts, .py, .java, .kt, .cs, .rb) referencing desired capabilities for the target platform.
Runtime installed locally - Node.js + npm/npx, Python + pip, Java + mvn/gradle, .NET SDK, or Ruby + bundle, whichever your test script uses.
App build (or store reference) - either a local .apk / .ipa / .zip build artifact for upload, or a kobiton-store:vXXXXX reference for an existing upload.
Kobiton account - credentials with device access for the target platform (Android / iOS) and remaining session quota.
Authentication
This skill calls tools served by the Kobiton MCP server at api.kobiton.com/mcp. Two authentication configurations ship with the plugin; one of them must be active before any MCP tool will respond:
Config file
Auth mechanism
When to use
.mcp.json (default)
OAuth 2.1 browser flow
Interactive AI-CLI session for an end user
.mcp.apikey-example.json
Basic auth header — Authorization: Basic base64(username:apikey) from the KOBITON_AUTH env var
CI / headless / scripted invocations; copy this file over .mcp.json
If the skill is invoked and no MCP connection is established, abort step 1 and surface a clear error: the user needs to authenticate the Kobiton MCP server in their AI CLI before any device or session call can succeed. The exact invocation depends on the host (e.g. /mcp in Claude Code, /mcp auth kobiton in GitHub Copilot CLI and Gemini CLI, automatic browser flow on first tool call in Codex CLI, /mcp list then Login in Cursor CLI — see the plugin README for current per-CLI commands). Do NOT attempt to recover by retrying — the auth context is fixed at session start.
Instructions
1. Identify the app
IMPORTANT: Always ask the user this question, even if they already provided an app file path. Do NOT skip ahead or start uploading automatically.
Ask the user:
"Would you like to:"
Upload a new app build
Use an existing app from Kobiton Store or a provided URL
Wait for their response before proceeding. Do not call any upload or app-related tools until the user responds.
If uploading a new app: Look for .apk, .ipa, .zip files in the project context, or ask the user for the file path. Upload via uploadAppToStore (permanent, visible in app repository). This is a four-step process: call the tool to get a pre-signed URL, upload the file via PUT, confirm the upload via confirmAppUpload, then poll getAppParsingStatus with the returned versionId until the state is terminal - OK means ready to use; a FAILURE_* state means parsing failed. confirmAppUpload may return appId: null for a brand-new upload - getAppParsingStatus resolves the real appId.
If reusing an existing app: Check appium:app field of capabilities in the test script. Call listApps with that app version as keywork to check uploaded or not. Let the user pick the version to use (e.g., kobiton-store:v72107) if needed
2. Select a device and ask how to observe the run
Ask the user which device or platform to target.
Call listDevices with the relevant platform filter to show available options.
If the user has a specific device in mind, confirm its availability with getDeviceStatus.
Reserve the device with reserveDevice if needed.
In the same exchange, ask how they want to observe the run — don't wait until the script is already running to raise it:
"Open the device live view in a browser window to watch the run, or run it in the background?"
Remember the choice; act on it in Step 5 (which happens right after the script launches in Step 4). Do NOT auto-open a window without asking — some users prefer silent runs, especially on shared screens. If the user's request already made the preference clear (e.g. "just run it in the background", "open it so I can watch"), skip the question and honor what they said.
3. Identify script & parse capabilities
Ask the user for the path to their local Appium test script.
Detect the language and runtime from the file extension. See references/capabilities.md for the full extension -> runtime -> common commands lookup and the manifest-based runner selection guidance.
Read the script file and extract the key capability fields used by Appium and Kobiton (platformName, udid, app, automation/browser names, vendor kobiton:* extensions, etc.).
Identify how the UDID is passed into the script (CLI argument, environment variable, or hardcoded) so it can be overridden with the selected device.
Appium runtime: Check if the script contains 'kobiton:runtime': 'appium' or equivalent. If it does NOT, do not inject it - the default Kobiton runtime will be used. Only if the user explicitly asks to use the Appium runtime should you suggest adding 'kobiton:runtime': 'appium' to the script's capabilities.
Validate capabilities: After parsing the script, run the render script to generate the correct capabilities for the selected device and app:
For web testing, replace --app <app> with --browserName <browser> --testingType web.
Compare the JSON output against the parsed script capabilities using the reconciliation rules: must-match fields are autocorrected to the rendered values, suggested defaults require user confirmation before changing, and user-controlled capabilities are left untouched.
The rendered output also includes kobiton:aiToolName: "<host>" so Kobiton can attribute sessions started by this skill to the calling AI workspace in adoption analytics. Resolution order:
--aiToolName <name> CLI flag (always wins; "" opts out entirely)
KOBITON_AI_TOOL_NAME env var (also accepts "" to opt out)
Auto-detect from runtime markers, any non-empty value:
CLAUDECODE -> Claude
COPILOT_CLI -> Copilot
GEMINI_CLI -> Gemini
CODEX_THREAD_ID (or CODEX_CLI) -> Codex — Codex CLI sets the thread ID, not a generic CODEX_CLI flag; the latter is accepted for manual override only
If nothing matches, no kobiton:aiToolName capability is emitted.
This capability is treated as must-match during reconciliation (see references/capabilities.md): if the rendered output includes kobiton:aiToolName, always overwrite any existing value in the user's script with it. A stale value from a prior session run under a different CLI would mis-attribute adoption analytics. If the rendered output omits the capability (no runtime marker matched), leave the user's value untouched.
The injection is non-interactive. Edit the script silently using your Edit tool — mention the one-line change inline in your reply for transparency (e.g., "Added kobiton:aiToolName: 'Gemini' to your capabilities for adoption analytics."), but do NOT ask the user to confirm before editing. The value is deterministic (it matches the runtime env from auto-detect), there is nothing to negotiate. If the user objects, they can revert the edit themselves.
Required: verify the injection landed before Step 4. The kobiton:aiToolName capability must be present in the script's source code (e.g., the capabilities object/dict/map). If your reconciliation pass didn't write it to the script, Kobiton will never see it — there is no sidecar config that injects it at runtime. Confirm with a literal-string grep against the user's script:
Match found — injection succeeded, proceed to Step 4.
No match, rendered output had a value — your edit was skipped. Use your Edit tool to add the capability to the script's capabilities block now (use the language-appropriate syntax for the script — JS/TS object literal, Python dict, Java Map.of(...) / DesiredCapabilities, .NET AppiumOptions.AddAdditionalCapability(...), Ruby hash), then re-run the grep. Do NOT proceed to Step 4 until the grep succeeds.
No match, rendered output omitted the capability — expected (no runtime marker matched, or user opted out via --aiToolName "" or KOBITON_AI_TOOL_NAME=""). Skip injection, proceed.
Wait for user confirmation, then execute the command in the background using your shell execution tool.
5. Open running session in browser
Act on the observation choice the user already made in Step 2 — do not re-ask here.
If they chose to run in the background, skip to Step 6.
If they chose to open the live view, wait 2 seconds after the script was launched in Step 4 (to allow the session to initialize on Kobiton), then open the session in the user's browser.
Determine the portal URL: Read .mcp.json to get the MCP server URL, then derive the portal base URL by replacing the api host with the portal equivalent (drop any trailing /mcp):
MCP Server
Portal Base URL
https://api.kobiton.com/mcp
https://portal.kobiton.com
https://api-*.kobiton.com/mcp
https://portal-*.kobiton.com (same * suffix)
For example, an api-*.kobiton.com host maps to its matching portal-*.kobiton.com host. If the mapping doesn't resolve, fall back to https://portal.kobiton.com.
Build the launch URL. Default to the device-only view — it shows just the device screen, no surrounding Kobiton UI, ideal for watching an automation run, sharing, or embedding:
Where <deviceId> is the ID of the selected device from Step 2 (returned by listDevices, getDeviceStatus, or reserveDevice).
The device-only view is also interactive for redirection: when the user taps or swipes on the device canvas, those gestures BOTH (a) reach the device in real time (just like a normal click-to-device tap) AND (b) are captured and made available to you via getUserInputEvents (see Step 6) so you can see what the user just did and adapt your plan.
Fall back to the default view (without &view=device-only) only when the user explicitly asks to interact with the device — e.g. "let me drive it manually", "open the full session view", "I want to tap on the screen", or similar interaction-implying language. The default view shows the full Kobiton UI around the device (sidebars, controls, action panels):
<portal-base-url>/devices/launch?id=<deviceId>
Launch via the chromeless helper (default — gated on saved browser preference). For the device-only URL branch above, check auto memory for a saved browser preference:
No preference saved, OR preference is Google Chrome → invoke the chromeless launcher (the section below). On the very first run the launcher prompts the user to confirm Chrome via the macOS Automation grant; the choice is sticky.
Preference is Safari, Firefox, or Default browser → skip the chromeless launcher entirely. The user has explicitly told us they prefer a non-Chrome browser, and a chromeless Chrome window would override that. Fall through to the Default-browser fallback section below — that path honors their saved preference.
When the chromeless launcher is invoked, it opens Chrome in --app mode (no tab strip, no URL bar, no bookmarks bar) and resizes the window to a device-shaped frame. Pick width and height based on the reserved device's form factor (the device name from Step 2 — listDevices / getDeviceStatus / reserveDevice):
Device class
Detect by name (case-insensitive)
Portrait width × height
Landscape width × height
Tablet
iPad, Galaxy Tab, Pixel Tablet, Surface, MatePad, or any model with "Tab" or "Pad" in the name
All three presets share the same 920 px height — only the width grows by device class — so the chromeless window's vertical footprint stays consistent.
If getSession / the rendered capabilities report orientation=LANDSCAPE, swap width and height (use the Landscape column above). Default is portrait.
Pick the right command for the host OS. Run it in the background (Claude Code: Bash tool with run_in_background: true; other hosts: append & and disown) so the launcher's resize-polling loop doesn't block Step 6's result collection. The launcher's stdout/stderr and exit code surface later when it completes; the session URL printed above is the user's fallback if the launcher silently fails.
bash skills/run-automation-suite/scripts/chromeless-launcher.sh --url "<url>" --width <W> --height <H> (launch-only — no auto-resize on Linux)
<W> and <H> are the dimensions from the table above — substitute literally.
On macOS, the very first run triggers a system prompt: "X wants to control Google Chrome.app" — click OK. The grant lives under System Settings → Privacy & Security → Automation (NOT Accessibility) and persists per host process. Tell the user this once if you can see it's their first invocation.
Launcher exit codes drive the fallback (they arrive in the background-task completion event, not synchronously):
0 — Chrome was launched (resize may have logged a warning, but the session is fine). Continue to Step 6.
2 — Chrome / Chromium is not installed on the host. Fall through to the default-browser fallback table below.
64 — usage error (missing --url or unknown flag) — surface to the user; the launcher is buggy.
Manual-interaction fallback URL. When the URL branch above was the manual-interaction form (the user explicitly asked to drive the device, so the URL has no ?view=device-only), skip the chromeless helper entirely and go straight to the default-browser fallback below — the user wants the full Kobiton UI around the device, so a chromeless --app window would defeat the point.
Default-browser fallback (used when (a) the saved browser preference is Safari/Firefox/Default, OR (b) chromeless exited 2 because Chrome is absent, OR (c) the URL branch is the manual-interaction form):
Check auto memory for a saved browser preference. If none exists, ask the user which browser to use:
"Which browser should I open the session in?"
Google Chrome
Safari
Firefox
Default browser
Save their choice to auto memory so they are not asked again in future sessions.
Choice
Command
Google Chrome
open -na "Google Chrome" --args --new-window <url>
Safari
open -a "Safari" <url>
Firefox
open -a "Firefox" <url>
Default browser
open <url>
On Linux, use xdg-open <url> (browser selection is not supported — always opens the default).
6. Collect results
While the background script is running, call listSessions with deviceId=<deviceId> (from Step 2) and state='START' to find the session that just triggered. Use the most recent session (first result) as the match.
Call getSession with the matched session ID to get detailed results.
Call getSessionArtifacts with the session ID to retrieve:
Video recording URL
Device logs URL
Screenshots
Test reports
Watch for user redirection (when the device-only view is open). While the background script runs, poll getUserInputEvents with the matched sessionId between your scripted commands — no faster than once per second. Track the timestamp of the newest event you have seen and pass it as sinceTimestamp on the next call so you only get new gestures:
On the first poll, omit sinceTimestamp to drain everything buffered. Each response is capped (default 50 events, max 200) — if you see exactly that many events in a single response there may be more behind them; re-poll immediately with sinceTimestamp set to the newest event's timestamp to page forward.
If the response contains events, surface them as observations and let them steer your plan — e.g. a touch at (0.42, 0.78) near the bottom-right means "the user tapped there; they may want me to focus on whatever is at that position (looks like Settings)." A swipe (xNorm/yNorm → xNorm2/yNorm2) means they want you to scroll or navigate in that direction.
Advance sinceTimestamp to the largest timestamp you received, so the next poll returns only newer gestures.
The user's tap also reaches the device in real time, so by the time you read these gestures the device has already moved. Don't try to "replay" or undo them — they reflect what the human just did. Adapt your remaining script: pivot focus, re-orient, or pause for the next user signal. You are no longer the sole driver of the device while a human is watching the device-only view.
7. Summarize
Present a summary to the user:
Pass/fail status
Session link in Kobiton portal
Video recording link
Key error messages (if failed)
Execution duration
Output
On successful completion, the skill returns:
Live session URL: https://portal.kobiton.com/devices/launch?id=<deviceId> — opened in a browser window once the session starts only if the user chose to watch the run at Step 2; background runs skip the window and just surface the URL as text.
Session metadata: session ID, device ID, app version, start time, and final pass/fail status (via getSession).
Session artifacts: video recording URL, device logs URL, screenshots, and test reports (via getSessionArtifacts).
Execution duration: wall-clock time from script launch to completion.
On failure, the skill surfaces error output from the test runner, the session URL if the session reached Kobiton (useful for portal-side debugging), and suggested next steps drawn from the categories in ## Error Handling.
Error Handling
listDevices returns empty: suggest broadening filters (remove platform/group constraints) or trying again later when devices free up.
Upload fails or times out: retry the upload. Pre-signed URLs expire after 30 minutes - if expired, call the upload tool again to get a fresh URL.
App parsing fails (getAppParsingStatus returns a FAILURE_* state): surface the state to the user and stop - do not reserve devices or start a session with that build.
Session stuck in a non-terminal state: poll getSession with a reasonable timeout. If still running, offer to call terminateSession and retry.
reserveDevice fails (device already taken): call listDevices again to find another available device.
Script execution fails: check error output for missing dependencies (e.g. wd, appium), incorrect UDID, or network issues. Suggest fixes.
Examples
Run a single test on the first available Android device
"Run ./tests/checkout.js on a Pixel 7 - upload the latest APK from ./build/app.apk first."
The skill detects the .apk build, uploads it via uploadAppToStore, queries listDevices filtered to Pixel 7, reserves the device with reserveDevice, parses the script's capabilities, confirms the launch summary with the user (asking at device selection whether to watch the run or run it in the background), runs node ./tests/checkout.js <udid> in the background, opens the live session URL in the user's browser if they chose to watch, and returns the session ID plus artifacts when the run completes.
Run an attached IPA with an attached script on a specific iOS device
"Test this app @TestApp.ipa by this script @automation.js on Kobiton iOS iPhone 15 Pro"
The skill resolves the two @-referenced files from the chat context, uploads TestApp.ipa via uploadAppToStore, queries listDevices filtered to iOS iPhone 15 Pro, reserves the matching device, parses automation.js for capabilities, reconciles them against the rendered defaults for the selected device, confirms the launch summary with the user (asking at device selection whether to watch the run or run it in the background), runs node automation.js <udid> in the background, opens the live session URL in the user's browser if they chose to watch, and surfaces the session ID plus artifacts when the run completes.
Resources
Kobiton available capabilities reference - canonical list of kobiton:* and supported appium:* capabilities the skill's render-capabilities step compares against.
Appium 2.x documentation - driver-specific capability docs (UiAutomator2, XCUITest) and Appium client libraries for each runtime.
