# Hs:agent Browser

> Browser and desktop automation through the agent-browser CLI. Use for long autonomous browsing, compact page snapshots, screenshots, form filling, login/test flows without real Chrome profile state, scraping, exploratory QA, cloud browsers, Electron apps, Slack automation, and bug hunts.

- Skill: `danielleit241/hs-agent-browser` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files)
- Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add danielleit241/hs-agent-browser`
- Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/danielleit241/hs-agent-browser/raw
- Safety review: pending
- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: DevOps & Infra
- License: Apache-2.0
- Author: danielleit241 (https://skillmd.com/u/danielleit241)
- Updated: 2026-09-17
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/danielleit241/hs-agent-browser

---


# agent-browser Skill

Fast browser automation CLI for AI agents. Chrome/Chromium via CDP with accessibility-tree snapshots and compact `@eN` element refs (~280 chars/snapshot vs 8K+ for Playwright MCP).

Use `hs:agent-browser` for browser testing, screenshots, form fills, scraping, exploratory QA, bug hunts, cloud browsers, Electron apps, Slack automation, and flows where a fresh or tool-managed browser is fine. Prefer it over generic browser tools for profile-independent browser work.

Use `hs:chrome-profile` instead when the task needs the user's actual Chrome profile: existing cookies, logged-in sessions, a specific Google account, a tenant/workspace already open in daily Chrome, or deterministic targeting across multiple Chrome profiles.

## Install / Upgrade

```bash
npm install -g agent-browser     # install (or upgrade) to latest
agent-browser install            # download Chromium (one-time)
agent-browser install --with-deps  # Linux: include system deps
agent-browser upgrade            # self-upgrade the binary
agent-browser --version          # verify
```

Re-run `npm install -g agent-browser` (or `agent-browser upgrade`) periodically — new commands and skills ship with the binary.

## Start here — load live workflow content

This file is a discovery stub, not the usage guide. Before running any `agent-browser` command, load workflow content from the installed CLI:

```bash
agent-browser skills get core             # start here: workflows, common patterns, troubleshooting
agent-browser skills get core --full      # include full command reference and templates
```

The CLI serves skill content from the installed binary, so instructions always match the installed version. This stub stays intentionally small and points at `skills get core` instead of duplicating command details that can change between releases.

## Specialized skills

Load a specialized skill when the task falls outside browser web pages:

```bash
agent-browser skills get electron          # Electron apps (VS Code, Slack, Discord, Figma, ...)
agent-browser skills get slack             # Slack workspace automation
agent-browser skills get dogfood           # Exploratory testing / QA / bug hunts
agent-browser skills get vercel-sandbox    # agent-browser inside Vercel Sandbox microVMs
agent-browser skills get agentcore         # AWS Bedrock AgentCore cloud browsers
```

Run `agent-browser skills list` to see everything available on the installed version.

## When to use

Default for browser automation that does not depend on the user's real Chrome login state: autonomous sessions, ad-hoc navigation, screenshots, form fills, scraping, multi-tab work, self-verifying build loops, Electron desktop apps, Slack automation, and Browserbase/cloud browsers.

For low-level Chrome DevTools Protocol diagnostics, use the configured `chrome-devtools-mcp` bridge or client when one is available. Reason first: if the task does not need a specific real Chrome profile, Chrome DevTools MCP may use its normal navigation tools. If it does need profile/cookie/account state, use `hs:chrome-profile`; let `chrome-profile open --json` create the tab and bind to its returned selector before using MCP inspection tools. See `references/agent-browser-vs-chrome-devtools.md` for the trade-off.

## Why agent-browser

- Native Rust CLI rather than a Node.js wrapper
- Works across AI agents such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Continue, and Windsurf
- Chrome/Chromium via CDP without a Playwright or Puppeteer dependency
- Accessibility-tree snapshots with stable element refs for reliable interaction
- Sessions, authentication vault, state persistence, and video recording
- Specialized workflows for Electron apps, Slack, exploratory testing, and cloud browsers

## Cloud browsers

For CI/CD or environments without a local browser:

```bash
export BROWSERBASE_API_KEY="..."
export BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID="..."
agent-browser -p browserbase open https://example.com
```

See `references/browserbase-cloud-setup.md` for detailed setup. For AWS Bedrock AgentCore or Vercel Sandbox, run `agent-browser skills get agentcore` / `agent-browser skills get vercel-sandbox`.

## Prerequisites & Environment

| Name | Purpose | Required? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `agent-browser` CLI installed (`npm install -g agent-browser`) + Chromium (`agent-browser install`) | Provides the CLI and local browser this skill drives | Required |
| `BROWSERBASE_API_KEY` | Authenticates the Browserbase cloud-browser provider (`-p browserbase`) | Optional — only for cloud-browser sessions |
| `BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID` | Selects the Browserbase project for cloud-browser sessions | Optional — only for cloud-browser sessions |

The kit ships no configuration-value file for this skill — no keys, no project IDs. Users supply their own Browserbase (or other cloud-provider) values through their own local environment/setup; local/default browser automation needs none of this.

## Observability dashboard

Agent Browser exposes an observability dashboard independently of browser sessions on port 4848. It can also be opened through a proxied or forwarded URL such as `https://dashboard.agent-browser.localhost`. Stay on the dashboard origin; session tabs, status, and stream traffic are proxied internally, so individual session ports do not need to be exposed.

## Troubleshooting

| Issue                          | Solution                                                                   |
| ------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Command not found              | `npm install -g agent-browser`                                             |
| Chromium missing               | `agent-browser install`                                                    |
| Linux deps missing             | `agent-browser install --with-deps`                                        |
| Stale commands / missing flags | `npm install -g agent-browser` then `agent-browser skills get core --full` |
| Session stale                  | `agent-browser close`                                                      |
| Element not found              | Re-run `agent-browser snapshot -i` after page changes                      |

## Resources

- Upstream: https://github.com/vercel-labs/agent-browser
- Browserbase: https://docs.browserbase.com/