robertoatila Browser Automation with agent-browser
Quick start
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
- Navigate:
agent-browser open <url> - Snapshot:
agent-browser snapshot -i(returns elements with refs like@e1,@e2) - Interact using refs from the snapshot
- Re-snapshot after navigation or significant DOM changes
Commands
Navigation
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)
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)
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
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
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
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:
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
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
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
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)
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
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
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
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
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
agent-browser frame "#iframe" # Switch to iframe
agent-browser frame main # Back to main frame
Dialogs
agent-browser dialog accept [text] # Accept dialog (with optional prompt text)
agent-browser dialog dismiss # Dismiss dialog
Diff (compare snapshots, screenshots, URLs)
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
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
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
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
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):
~/.agent-browser/config.json— user-level defaults./agent-browser.json— project-level overridesAGENT_BROWSER_*environment variables- CLI flags override everything
{
"headed": true,
"proxy": "http://localhost:8080",
"profile": "./browser-data",
"native": true
}
Example: Form submission
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
# 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)
# 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
# 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)
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)
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.
NEVER point --profile or AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE at the user's real/main browser profile when any cookie, cache, or site-data clear or reset might happen (Network.clearBrowserCookies, Storage.clearCookies, chrome.browsingData.remove, cookies clear, "clear browsing data") — that wipes their logged-in state everywhere. If the task needs the main profile's login state, clone the profile directory first (rsync -a <profile>/ <tmp-clone>/) and pass the clone as --profile; run any clearing on the clone only.
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:
agent-browser snapshot -i --json
agent-browser get text @e1 --json
Local files
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/document.pdf
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/page.html
CDP Mode
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
# 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
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:
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