tools-only agent-browser Skill
Browser automation CLI designed for AI agents. Uses "snapshot + refs" paradigm for 93% less context than Playwright MCP.
Quick Start
# Install globally
npm install -g agent-browser
# Download Chromium (one-time)
agent-browser install
# Linux: include system deps
agent-browser install --with-deps
# Verify
agent-browser --version
Core Workflow
The 4-step pattern for all browser automation:
# 1. Navigate
agent-browser open https://example.com
# 2. Snapshot (get interactive elements with refs)
agent-browser snapshot -i
# Output: button "Sign In" @e1, textbox "Email" @e2, ...
# 3. Interact using refs
agent-browser fill @e2 "user@example.com"
agent-browser click @e1
# 4. Re-snapshot after page changes
agent-browser snapshot -i
When to Use (vs chrome-devtools)
| Use agent-browser | Use chrome-devtools |
|---|---|
| Long autonomous AI sessions | Quick one-off screenshots |
| Context-constrained workflows | Custom Puppeteer scripts needed |
| Video recording for debugging | WebSocket full frame debugging |
| Cloud browsers (Browserbase) | Existing workflow integration |
| Multi-tab handling | Need Sharp auto-compression |
| Self-verifying build loops | Session with auth injection |
Token efficiency: ~280 chars/snapshot vs 8K+ for Playwright MCP.
Command Reference
Navigation
agent-browser open <url> # Navigate to URL
agent-browser back # Go back
agent-browser forward # Go forward
agent-browser reload # Reload page
agent-browser close # Close browser
Analysis (Snapshot)
agent-browser snapshot # Full accessibility tree
agent-browser snapshot -i # Interactive elements only (recommended)
agent-browser snapshot -c # Compact output
agent-browser snapshot -d 3 # Limit depth
agent-browser snapshot -s "nav" # Scope to CSS selector
Interactions (use @refs from snapshot)
agent-browser click @e1 # Click element
agent-browser dblclick @e1 # Double-click
agent-browser fill @e2 "text" # Clear and fill input
agent-browser type @e2 "text" # Type without clearing
agent-browser press Enter # Press key
agent-browser hover @e1 # Hover over element
agent-browser check @e3 # Check checkbox
agent-browser uncheck @e3 # Uncheck checkbox
agent-browser select @e4 "opt" # Select dropdown option
agent-browser scroll @e1 # Scroll element into view
agent-browser scroll down 500 # Scroll page by pixels
agent-browser drag @e1 @e2 # Drag from e1 to e2
agent-browser upload @e5 file.pdf # Upload file
Information Retrieval
agent-browser get text @e1 # Get text content
agent-browser get html @e1 # Get HTML
agent-browser get value @e2 # Get input value
agent-browser get attr @e1 href # Get attribute
agent-browser get title # Page title
agent-browser get url # Current URL
agent-browser get count "li" # Count elements
agent-browser get box @e1 # Bounding box
State Checks
agent-browser is visible @e1 # Check visibility
agent-browser is enabled @e1 # Check if enabled
agent-browser is checked @e3 # Check if checked
Media
agent-browser screenshot # Capture viewport
agent-browser screenshot --full # Full page
agent-browser screenshot -o ss.png # Save to file
agent-browser pdf -o page.pdf # Export PDF
agent-browser record start # Start video recording
agent-browser record stop # Stop and save video
agent-browser record restart # Restart recording
Wait Conditions
agent-browser wait @e1 # Wait for element
agent-browser wait --text "Success" # Wait for text to appear
agent-browser wait --url "/dashboard" # Wait for URL pattern
agent-browser wait --load # Wait for page load
agent-browser wait --idle # Wait for network idle
agent-browser wait --fn "() => window.ready" # Wait for JS condition
Browser Configuration
agent-browser viewport 1920 1080 # Set viewport size
agent-browser device "iPhone 14" # Emulate device
agent-browser geolocation 40.7 -74.0 # Set geolocation
agent-browser offline true # Enable offline mode
agent-browser headers '{"X-Custom":"val"}' # Set headers
agent-browser credentials user pass # HTTP auth
agent-browser color-scheme dark # Set color scheme
Storage Management
agent-browser cookies # List cookies
agent-browser cookies set name=val # Set cookie
agent-browser cookies clear # Clear cookies
agent-browser storage local # Get localStorage
agent-browser storage session # Get sessionStorage
agent-browser state save auth.json # Save browser state
agent-browser state load auth.json # Load browser state
Network Control
agent-browser network route "**/*.jpg" --abort # Block requests
agent-browser network route "**/api/*" --body '{"data":[]}' # Mock response
agent-browser network unroute "**/*.jpg" # Remove specific route
agent-browser network requests # List intercepted requests
Semantic Finding
agent-browser find role button # Find by ARIA role
agent-browser find text "Submit" # Find by text content
agent-browser find label "Email" # Find by label
agent-browser find placeholder "Search" # Find by placeholder
agent-browser find testid "login-btn" # Find by data-testid
agent-browser find first "button" # First matching element
agent-browser find last "li" # Last matching element
agent-browser find nth 2 "li" # Nth element (0-indexed)
Advanced
agent-browser tabs # List tabs
agent-browser tab new # New tab
agent-browser tab 2 # Switch to tab
agent-browser tab close # Close current tab
agent-browser frame 0 # Switch to frame
agent-browser dialog accept # Accept dialog
agent-browser dialog dismiss # Dismiss dialog
agent-browser eval "document.title" # Execute JS
agent-browser highlight @e1 # Highlight element visually
agent-browser mouse move 100 200 # Move mouse to coordinates
agent-browser mouse down # Mouse button down
agent-browser mouse up # Mouse button up
Global Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--session <name> |
Named session for parallel testing |
--json |
JSON output for parsing |
--headed |
Show browser window |
--cdp <port> |
Connect via Chrome DevTools Protocol |
-p <provider> |
Cloud browser provider |
--proxy <url> |
Proxy server |
--headers <json> |
Custom HTTP headers |
--executable-path |
Custom browser binary |
--extension <path> |
Load browser extension |
Environment Variables
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION |
Default session name |
AGENT_BROWSER_PROVIDER |
Cloud provider (e.g., browserbase) |
AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH |
Browser binary location |
AGENT_BROWSER_EXTENSIONS |
Comma-separated extension paths |
AGENT_BROWSER_STREAM_PORT |
WebSocket streaming port |
AGENT_BROWSER_HOME |
Custom installation directory |
AGENT_BROWSER_PROFILE |
Browser profile directory |
BROWSERBASE_API_KEY |
Browserbase API key |
BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID |
Browserbase project ID |
Common Patterns
Form Submission
agent-browser open https://example.com/login
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e1 "user@example.com"
agent-browser fill @e2 "password123"
agent-browser click @e3 # Submit button
agent-browser wait url "/dashboard"
State Persistence (Auth)
# Save authenticated state
agent-browser open https://example.com/login
# ... login steps ...
agent-browser state save auth.json
# Reuse in future sessions
agent-browser state load auth.json
agent-browser open https://example.com/dashboard
Video Recording (Debugging)
agent-browser open https://example.com
agent-browser record start
# ... perform actions ...
agent-browser record stop # Saves to recording.webm
Parallel Sessions
# Terminal 1
agent-browser --session test1 open https://example.com
# Terminal 2
agent-browser --session test2 open https://example.com
Cloud Browsers (Browserbase)
For CI/CD or environments without local browser:
# Set credentials
export BROWSERBASE_API_KEY="your-api-key"
export BROWSERBASE_PROJECT_ID="your-project-id"
# Use cloud browser
agent-browser -p browserbase open https://example.com
See references/browserbase-cloud-setup.md for detailed setup.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Solution |
|---|---|
| Command not found | Run npm install -g agent-browser |
| Chromium missing | Run agent-browser install |
| Linux deps missing | Run agent-browser install --with-deps |
| Session stale | Close browser: agent-browser close |
| Element not found | Re-run snapshot -i after page changes |