# Browser Use

> Control a real web browser to navigate, interact with, and extract data from websites.

- Skill: `chetanreddyv/browser-use` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 2 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add chetanreddyv/browser-use`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/chetanreddyv/browser-use/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Coding & Dev Tools
- Author: chetanreddyv (https://skillmd.com/u/chetanreddyv)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/chetanreddyv/browser-use

---


### TRIGGER_EXAMPLES
- "open a browser"
- "open instacart"
- "go to instacart.com"
- "visit costco on instacart and add items to cart"
- "go to a website and complete a task"
- "visit an ecommerce site and buy groceries"
- "navigate to google.com"
- "visit youtube.com"
- "open amazon.com and browse products"
- "click the sign in button on the page"
- "fill out the search box with 'EnterpriseClaw'"
- "take a screenshot of the current page"
- "get a snapshot of the page elements"
- "scroll down on the page"
- "type 'hello' into the search bar and press enter"
### END_TRIGGER_EXAMPLES

# Browser Use Skill

You can control a **real Chromium browser** to navigate websites, interact with page elements, fill forms, click buttons, select dropdowns, upload files, and extract content. Each conversation gets its own isolated browser session with separate cookies.

## ⚠️ CRITICAL: Index-Based Element Interaction

When interacting with the browser, the system automatically shows you an **Interactive Elements map** with numbered entries like:

```
[15] <button>Submit</button>
[16] <input type="text" placeholder="Search...">
[42] <a href="/login">Sign In</a>
```

**You MUST use these exact index integers** when calling interaction tools:
- `browser_click(index=42)` — NOT a CSS selector
- `browser_type(index=16, text="hello")` — NOT a placeholder or label

**Never use CSS selectors for click or type.** The index system provides reliable element targeting that works across SPAs and dynamic pages.

## Available Tools

### Reading Tools (run immediately)

- **`browser_navigate(url)`** — Go to a URL. Returns the page title.
- **`browser_get_text()`** — Re-read the current page's visible text content.
- **`browser_screenshot()`** — Take a screenshot with Set-of-Marks highlighting.
- **`browser_snapshot()`** — Get the numbered interactive elements map. Better than raw text for finding elements.
- **`browser_go_back()`** — Go back to the previous page in history.
- **`browser_scroll(direction, amount)`** — Scroll up/down to see more content.
- **`browser_wait_for(seconds, text)`** — Wait for a time delay or for specific text to appear.
- **`browser_close_current_tab()`** — Close the active tab.

### Interaction Tools

- **`browser_click(index, double_click)`** — Click an element by its **index** from the Interactive Elements map.
- **`browser_type(index, text, submit)`** — Type text into an input field by its **index**. Set `submit=True` to press Enter.
- **`browser_select_option(selector, value)`** — Select an option from a `<select>` dropdown.
- **`browser_press_key(key)`** — Press a keyboard key (`Enter`, `Escape`, `Tab`, `ArrowDown`, `Control+a`).
- **`browser_hover(selector)`** — Hover over an element to trigger dropdown menus or tooltips.
- **`browser_execute_js(script)`** — Execute arbitrary JavaScript on the page.
- **`browser_handle_dialog(action, prompt_text)`** — Control how alert/confirm/prompt dialogs are handled.
- **`browser_file_upload(selector, file_paths)`** — Upload files to a file input element.

## Best Practices

1. **Always navigate first.** Before any interaction, use `browser_navigate` to load the page.
2. **Read the Current Environment State first.** The runtime auto-refreshes state after each action; do not issue extra "look" calls unless the state is insufficient.
3. **Use the index numbers.** When calling `browser_click` or `browser_type`, use the `[N]` index from the Interactive Elements map.
4. **Use `browser_snapshot` only as a fallback** when element grounding is missing or ambiguous.
5. **Use `browser_get_text` only for deep content extraction** (long article text, legal copy, or detailed requirements).
6. **Use `browser_screenshot` for explicit visual grounding** (layout-dependent actions, CAPTCHAs, overlays, or ambiguous affordances).
7. **Use `submit=True` on `browser_type`** when filling search boxes or single-field forms instead of a separate `browser_press_key("Enter")`.
8. **Use `browser_select_option` for dropdowns** instead of trying to click through `<select>` options.
9. **Handle infinite scroll with `browser_scroll`** and rely on the next auto-refreshed state snapshot.
10. **Use `browser_go_back` if you navigate to a wrong page** — don't re-navigate from scratch.
11. **Wait for dynamic content with `browser_wait_for`** — SPAs and AJAX pages need time to load.
12. **Use `browser_close_current_tab` as the escape hatch** when an Apply flow opens an irrelevant or external tab.

## ⚠️ CRITICAL: Autonomy & Resilience Rules

You are an **autonomous browser agent**. You MUST follow these rules during ANY browsing task:

### Never Give Up After One Failure
- If a URL returns 404 or an error, **DO NOT stop**. Navigate to the site's homepage and find the correct link manually.
- If an index doesn't match, first re-read Current Environment State, then use `browser_snapshot()` only if needed.
- If a page loads strangely, take a `browser_screenshot()` to visually inspect it before concluding it's broken.
- If a login page doesn't exist at the expected URL, navigate to the homepage and LOOK for a "Sign In" or "Login" link.

### Think Like a Human Browser User
- A human doesn't type exact URLs for login pages — they go to the homepage and click "Sign In".
- A human doesn't give up when one link is broken — they look for alternatives.
- A human scrolls down to see more content, uses the search bar, clicks around menus.
- **You must do the same.** Use your reasoning to adapt to what you see on the page.
- **NEVER guess or invent internal URLs** (e.g. going directly to `/cart` or `/checkout`) if there are visible UI controls to click instead. Always prefer UI-grounded navigation (clicking links, using search boxes) over URL manipulation.

### Browsing is a Loop, Not a One-Shot Command
- After every action (navigate, click, type), **read the auto-updated Current Environment State first** before making the next move.
- Only call `browser_get_text()`, `browser_snapshot()`, or `browser_screenshot()` when the current state is missing detail you need.
- Based on what you see, decide your NEXT action. Do not pre-plan a rigid sequence and give up if step 1 fails.
- Keep going until the task is complete or you've exhausted all reasonable approaches (at least 3-5 different strategies).

### URL Discovery
- **Never assume URLs.** If a skill mentions a URL like `example.com/login`, treat it as a *hint*, not a guarantee.
- If the hinted URL fails, try: (1) the homepage, (2) common alternatives (`/signin`, `/auth`, `/account`), (3) use auto-refreshed state and fallback look tools only when needed.

### Error Recovery Strategies
1. **Page not found (404)?** → Go to homepage, look for navigation links
2. **Element not found?** → Re-read Current Environment State, then use `browser_snapshot()` for disambiguation
3. **Form submission failed?** → Read error hints in Current Environment State, then use `browser_get_text()` if deeper text is required
4. **CAPTCHA or unusual page?** → Use `browser_screenshot()` to visually inspect, report to user if truly blocked
5. **Redirect to unexpected page?** → Use Current Environment State first, then `browser_get_text()` if needed