Browser Automation with agent-browser

Quick start

bash
agent-browser open <url>        # Navigate to page
agent-browser snapshot -i       # Get interactive elements with refs
agent-browser click @e1         # Click element by ref
agent-browser fill @e2 "text"   # Fill input by ref
agent-browser close             # Close browser

Core workflow

1. Navigate: agent-browser open <url>
2. Snapshot: agent-browser snapshot -i (returns elements with refs like @e1, @e2)
3. Interact using refs from the snapshot
4. Re-snapshot after navigation or significant DOM changes

Commands

Navigation

bash
agent-browser open <url>      # Navigate to URL (aliases: goto, navigate)
agent-browser back            # Go back
agent-browser forward         # Go forward
agent-browser reload          # Reload page
agent-browser close           # Close browser (aliases: quit, exit)

Snapshot (page analysis)

bash
agent-browser snapshot            # Full accessibility tree
agent-browser snapshot -i         # Interactive elements only (recommended)
agent-browser snapshot -i -C      # Include cursor-interactive elements (divs with onclick, etc.)
agent-browser snapshot -c         # Compact (remove empty structural elements)
agent-browser snapshot -d 3       # Limit depth to 3
agent-browser snapshot -s "#main" # Scope to CSS selector
agent-browser snapshot -i -c -d 5 # Combine options

The -C flag is useful for modern web apps that use custom clickable elements (divs, spans) instead of standard buttons/links.

Interactions (use @refs from snapshot)

bash
agent-browser click @e1           # Click (--new-tab to open in new tab)
agent-browser dblclick @e1        # Double-click
agent-browser focus @e1           # Focus element
agent-browser fill @e2 "text"     # Clear and type
agent-browser type @e2 "text"     # Type without clearing
agent-browser keyboard type "text"     # Type with real keystrokes (no selector, current focus)
agent-browser keyboard inserttext "text"  # Insert text without key events (no selector)
agent-browser press Enter         # Press key
agent-browser press Control+a     # Key combination
agent-browser keydown Shift       # Hold key down
agent-browser keyup Shift         # Release key
agent-browser hover @e1           # Hover
agent-browser check @e1           # Check checkbox
agent-browser uncheck @e1         # Uncheck checkbox
agent-browser select @e1 "value"  # Select dropdown
agent-browser scroll down 500     # Scroll page (--selector <sel> for container)
agent-browser scrollintoview @e1  # Scroll element into view (alias: scrollinto)
agent-browser drag @e1 @e2        # Drag and drop
agent-browser upload @e1 file.pdf # Upload files

Get information

bash
agent-browser get text @e1        # Get element text
agent-browser get html @e1        # Get innerHTML
agent-browser get value @e1       # Get input value
agent-browser get attr @e1 href   # Get attribute
agent-browser get title           # Get page title
agent-browser get url             # Get current URL
agent-browser get count ".item"   # Count matching elements
agent-browser get box @e1         # Get bounding box
agent-browser get styles @e1      # Get computed styles

Check state

bash
agent-browser is visible @e1      # Check if visible
agent-browser is enabled @e1      # Check if enabled
agent-browser is checked @e1      # Check if checked

Screenshots & PDF

bash
agent-browser screenshot          # Screenshot (saves to temp dir if no path)
agent-browser screenshot path.png # Save to file
agent-browser screenshot --full   # Full page
agent-browser screenshot --annotate   # Annotated screenshot with numbered element labels
agent-browser pdf output.pdf      # Save as PDF

Annotated screenshots overlay numbered labels [N] on interactive elements. Each label corresponds to ref @eN, so refs work for both visual and text workflows:

bash
agent-browser screenshot --annotate ./page.png
# Output: [1] @e1 button "Submit", [2] @e2 link "Home", [3] @e3 textbox "Email"
agent-browser click @e2     # Click the "Home" link labeled [2]

Video recording

bash
agent-browser record start ./demo.webm    # Start recording (uses current URL + state)
agent-browser click @e1                   # Perform actions
agent-browser record stop                 # Stop and save video
agent-browser record restart ./take2.webm # Stop current + start new recording

Recording creates a fresh context but preserves cookies/storage from your session.

Wait

bash
agent-browser wait @e1                     # Wait for element
agent-browser wait 2000                    # Wait milliseconds
agent-browser wait --text "Success"        # Wait for text
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard"    # Wait for URL pattern
agent-browser wait --load networkidle      # Wait for network idle
agent-browser wait --fn "window.ready"     # Wait for JS condition

Load states: load, domcontentloaded, networkidle

Mouse control

bash
agent-browser mouse move 100 200      # Move mouse
agent-browser mouse down left         # Press button (left/right/middle)
agent-browser mouse up left           # Release button
agent-browser mouse wheel 100         # Scroll wheel

Semantic locators (alternative to refs)

bash
agent-browser find role button click --name "Submit"
agent-browser find text "Sign In" click
agent-browser find label "Email" fill "user@test.com"
agent-browser find placeholder "Search..." fill "query"
agent-browser find alt "Logo" click
agent-browser find title "Close" click
agent-browser find testid "submit-btn" click
agent-browser find first ".item" click
agent-browser find last ".item" click
agent-browser find nth 2 "a" text

Actions: click, fill, type, hover, focus, check, uncheck, text Options: --name <name> (filter role by accessible name), --exact (require exact text match)

Browser settings

bash
agent-browser set viewport 1920 1080      # Set viewport size
agent-browser set device "iPhone 14"      # Emulate device
agent-browser set geo 37.7749 -122.4194   # Set geolocation
agent-browser set offline on              # Toggle offline mode
agent-browser set headers '{"X-Key":"v"}' # Extra HTTP headers
agent-browser set credentials user pass   # HTTP basic auth
agent-browser set media dark              # Emulate color scheme

Cookies & Storage

bash
agent-browser cookies                     # Get all cookies
agent-browser cookies set name value      # Set cookie
agent-browser cookies clear               # Clear cookies

agent-browser storage local               # Get all localStorage
agent-browser storage local key           # Get specific key
agent-browser storage local set k v       # Set value
agent-browser storage local clear         # Clear all

agent-browser storage session             # Same for sessionStorage

Network

bash
agent-browser network route <url>              # Intercept requests
agent-browser network route <url> --abort      # Block requests
agent-browser network route <url> --body '{}'  # Mock response
agent-browser network unroute [url]            # Remove routes
agent-browser network requests                 # View tracked requests
agent-browser network requests --filter api    # Filter requests

Tabs & Windows

bash
agent-browser tab                 # List tabs
agent-browser tab new [url]       # New tab
agent-browser tab 2               # Switch to tab
agent-browser tab close           # Close tab
agent-browser window new          # New window

Frames

bash
agent-browser frame "#iframe"     # Switch to iframe
agent-browser frame main          # Back to main frame

Dialogs

bash
agent-browser dialog accept [text]  # Accept dialog (with optional prompt text)
agent-browser dialog dismiss        # Dismiss dialog

Diff (compare snapshots, screenshots, URLs)

bash
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 --selector "#main"  # Scope to element

JavaScript

bash
agent-browser eval "document.title"   # Run JavaScript
agent-browser eval -b "base64code"    # Run base64-encoded JS
agent-browser eval --stdin            # Read JS from stdin

Debug & Profiling

bash
agent-browser console                 # View console messages
agent-browser console --clear         # Clear console
agent-browser errors                  # View page errors
agent-browser errors --clear          # Clear errors
agent-browser highlight @e1           # Highlight element
agent-browser trace start             # Start recording trace
agent-browser trace stop trace.zip    # Stop and save trace
agent-browser profiler start          # Start Chrome DevTools profiling
agent-browser profiler stop profile.json  # Stop and save profile

State management

bash
agent-browser state save auth.json    # Save auth state
agent-browser state load auth.json    # Load auth state
agent-browser state list              # List saved state files
agent-browser state show <file>       # Show state summary
agent-browser state rename <old> <new>  # 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 <days>  # Delete old states

Setup

bash
agent-browser install                 # Download Chromium browser
agent-browser install --with-deps     # Also install system deps (Linux)

Global Options

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | --session <name> | Isolated browser session (AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION env) | | --session-name <name> | Auto-save/restore session state (AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION_NAME env) | | --profile <path> | Persistent browser profile (AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE env) | | --state <path> | Load storage state from JSON file (AGENT_BROWSER_STATE env) | | --headers <json> | HTTP headers scoped to URL's origin | | --executable-path <path> | Custom browser binary (AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH env) | | --extension <path> | Load browser extension (repeatable; AGENT_BROWSER_EXTENSIONS env) | | --args <args> | Browser launch args (AGENT_BROWSER_ARGS env) | | --user-agent <ua> | Custom User-Agent (AGENT_BROWSER_USER_AGENT env) | | --proxy <url> | Proxy server (AGENT_BROWSER_PROXY env) | | --proxy-bypass <hosts> | Hosts to bypass proxy (AGENT_BROWSER_PROXY_BYPASS env) | | --ignore-https-errors | Ignore HTTPS certificate errors | | --allow-file-access | Allow file:// URLs to access local files | | -p, --provider <name> | Cloud browser provider (AGENT_BROWSER_PROVIDER env) | | --device <name> | iOS device name (AGENT_BROWSER_IOS_DEVICE env) | | --json | Machine-readable JSON output | | --full, -f | Full page screenshot | | --annotate | Annotated screenshot with numbered labels (AGENT_BROWSER_ANNOTATE env) | | --headed | Show browser window (AGENT_BROWSER_HEADED env) | | --cdp <port\|wss://url> | Connect via Chrome DevTools Protocol | | --auto-connect | Auto-discover running Chrome (AGENT_BROWSER_AUTO_CONNECT env) | | --color-scheme <scheme> | Color scheme: dark, light, no-preference (AGENT_BROWSER_COLOR_SCHEME env) | | --download-path <path> | Default download directory (AGENT_BROWSER_DOWNLOAD_PATH env) | | --native | Experimental] Use native Rust daemon (AGENT_BROWSER_NATIVE env) | | --config <path> | Custom config file (AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIG env) | | --debug | Debug output |

Security options

| Option | Description | |--------|-------------| | --content-boundaries | Wrap page output in boundary markers (AGENT_BROWSER_CONTENT_BOUNDARIES env) | | --max-output <chars> | Truncate page output to N characters (AGENT_BROWSER_MAX_OUTPUT env) | | --allowed-domains <list> | Comma-separated allowed domain patterns (AGENT_BROWSER_ALLOWED_DOMAINS env) | | --action-policy <path> | Path to action policy JSON file (AGENT_BROWSER_ACTION_POLICY env) | | --confirm-actions <list> | Action categories requiring confirmation (AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIRM_ACTIONS env) |

Configuration file

Create agent-browser.json for persistent defaults (no need to repeat flags):

Locations (lowest to highest priority):

1. ~/.agent-browser/config.json — user-level defaults
2. ./agent-browser.json — project-level overrides
3. AGENT_BROWSER_* environment variables
4. CLI flags override everything

json
{
  "headed": true,
  "proxy": "http://localhost:8080",
  "profile": "./browser-data",
  "native": true
}

Example: Form submission

bash
agent-browser open https://example.com/form
agent-browser snapshot -i
# Output shows: textbox "Email" [ref=e1], textbox "Password" [ref=e2], button "Submit" [ref=e3]

agent-browser fill @e1 "user@example.com"
agent-browser fill @e2 "password123"
agent-browser click @e3
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser snapshot -i  # Check result

Example: Authentication with saved state

bash
# Login once
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e1 "username"
agent-browser fill @e2 "password"
agent-browser click @e3
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard"
agent-browser state save auth.json

# Later sessions: load saved state
agent-browser state load auth.json
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard

Header-based Auth (Skip login flows)

bash
# Headers scoped to api.example.com only
agent-browser open api.example.com --headers '{"Authorization": "Bearer <token>"}'
# Navigate to another domain - headers NOT sent (safe)
agent-browser open other-site.com
# Global headers (all domains)
agent-browser set headers '{"X-Custom-Header": "value"}'

Authentication Vault

bash
# Store credentials locally (encrypted). The LLM never sees passwords.
echo "pass" | agent-browser auth save github --url https://github.com/login --username user --password-stdin
agent-browser auth login github

Sessions & Persistent Profiles

Sessions (parallel browsers)

bash
agent-browser --session test1 open site-a.com
agent-browser --session test2 open site-b.com
agent-browser session list

Session persistence (auto-save/restore)

bash
agent-browser --session-name twitter open twitter.com
# Login once, state persists automatically across restarts
# State files stored in ~/.agent-browser/sessions/

Persistent Profiles

Persists cookies, localStorage, IndexedDB, service workers, cache, login sessions across browser restarts.

bash
agent-browser --profile ~/.myapp-profile open myapp.com
# Or via env var
AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE=~/.myapp-profile agent-browser open myapp.com

JSON output (for parsing)

Add --json for machine-readable output:

bash
agent-browser snapshot -i --json
agent-browser get text @e1 --json

Local files

bash
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/document.pdf
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/page.html

CDP Mode

bash
agent-browser connect 9222                                          # Local CDP port
agent-browser --cdp 9222 snapshot                                   # Direct CDP on each command
agent-browser --cdp "wss://browser-service.com/cdp?token=..." snapshot  # Remote via WebSocket
agent-browser --auto-connect snapshot                               # Auto-discover running Chrome

Cloud providers

bash
# Browserbase
BROWSERBASE_API_KEY="key" BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID="id" agent-browser -p browserbase open example.com

# Browser Use
BROWSER_USE_API_KEY="key" agent-browser -p browseruse open example.com

# Kernel
KERNEL_API_KEY="key" agent-browser -p kernel open example.com

iOS Simulator

bash
agent-browser device list                                        # List available simulators
agent-browser -p ios --device "iPhone 16 Pro" open example.com   # Launch Safari
agent-browser -p ios snapshot -i                                 # Same commands as desktop
agent-browser -p ios tap @e1                                     # Tap
agent-browser -p ios swipe up                                    # Mobile-specific
agent-browser -p ios close                                       # Close session

Native Mode (Experimental)

Pure Rust daemon using direct CDP — no Node.js/Playwright required:

bash
agent-browser --native open example.com
# Or: export AGENT_BROWSER_NATIVE=1
# Or: {"native": true} in agent-browser.json

Install: bun add -g agent-browser && agent-browser install. Run agent-browser --help for all commands. Repo: https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser