Agent Browser

Browser Automation with agent-browser

Core Workflow

Every browser automation follows this pattern:

1. Navigate: agent-browser open <url> 2. Snapshot: agent-browser snapshot -i (get element refs like @e1, @e2) 3. Interact: Use refs to click, fill, select 4. Re-snapshot: After navigation or DOM changes, get fresh refs

agent-browser open https://example.com/form
agent-browser snapshot -i
# Output: @e1 [input type="email"], @e2 [input type="password"], @e3 [button] "Submit"

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

Essential Commands

# Navigation
agent-browser open <url>              # Navigate (aliases: goto, navigate)
agent-browser close                   # Close browser

# Snapshot
agent-browser snapshot -i             # Interactive elements with refs (recommended)
agent-browser snapshot -i -C          # Include cursor-interactive elements (divs with onclick, cursor:pointer)
agent-browser snapshot -s "#selector" # Scope to CSS selector

# Interaction (use @refs from snapshot)
agent-browser click @e1               # Click element
agent-browser fill @e2 "text"         # Clear and type text
agent-browser type @e2 "text"         # Type without clearing
agent-browser select @e1 "option"     # Select dropdown option
agent-browser check @e1               # Check checkbox
agent-browser press Enter             # Press key
agent-browser scroll down 500         # Scroll page

# Get information
agent-browser get text @e1            # Get element text
agent-browser get url                 # Get current URL
agent-browser get title               # Get page title

# Wait
agent-browser wait @e1                # Wait for element
agent-browser wait --load networkidle # Wait for network idle
agent-browser wait --url "**/page"    # Wait for URL pattern
agent-browser wait 2000               # Wait milliseconds

# Capture
agent-browser screenshot              # Screenshot to temp dir
agent-browser screenshot --full       # Full page screenshot
agent-browser pdf output.pdf          # Save as PDF

Common Patterns

Form Submission

agent-browser open https://example.com/signup
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e1 "Jane Doe"
agent-browser fill @e2 "jane@example.com"
agent-browser select @e3 "California"
agent-browser check @e4
agent-browser click @e5
agent-browser wait --load networkidle

Authentication with State Persistence

# Login once and save state
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

# Reuse in future sessions
agent-browser state load auth.json
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard

Data Extraction

agent-browser open https://example.com/products
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser get text @e5           # Get specific element text
agent-browser get text body > page.txt  # Get all page text

# JSON output for parsing
agent-browser snapshot -i --json
agent-browser get text @e1 --json

Parallel Sessions

agent-browser --session site1 open https://site-a.com
agent-browser --session site2 open https://site-b.com

agent-browser --session site1 snapshot -i
agent-browser --session site2 snapshot -i

agent-browser session list

Visual Browser (Debugging)

agent-browser --headed open https://example.com
agent-browser highlight @e1          # Highlight element
agent-browser record start demo.webm # Record session

Local Files (PDFs, HTML)

# Open local files with file:// URLs
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/document.pdf
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/page.html
agent-browser screenshot output.png

iOS Simulator (Mobile Safari)

# List available iOS simulators
agent-browser device list

# Launch Safari on a specific device
agent-browser -p ios --device "iPhone 16 Pro" open https://example.com

# Same workflow as desktop - snapshot, interact, re-snapshot
agent-browser -p ios snapshot -i
agent-browser -p ios tap @e1          # Tap (alias for click)
agent-browser -p ios fill @e2 "text"
agent-browser -p ios swipe up         # Mobile-specific gesture

# Take screenshot
agent-browser -p ios screenshot mobile.png

# Close session (shuts down simulator)
agent-browser -p ios close

Requirements: macOS with Xcode, Appium (npm install -g appium && appium driver install xcuitest)

Real devices: Works with physical iOS devices if pre-configured. Use --device "<UDID>" where UDID is from xcrun xctrace list devices.

Ref Lifecycle (Important)

Refs (@e1, @e2, etc.) are invalidated when the page changes. Always re-snapshot after:

• Clicking links or buttons that navigate
• Form submissions
• Dynamic content loading (dropdowns, modals)

agent-browser click @e5              # Navigates to new page
agent-browser snapshot -i            # MUST re-snapshot
agent-browser click @e1              # Use new refs

Semantic Locators (Alternative to Refs)

When refs are unavailable or unreliable, use semantic locators:

agent-browser find text "Sign In" click
agent-browser find label "Email" fill "user@test.com"
agent-browser find role button click --name "Submit"
agent-browser find placeholder "Search" type "query"
agent-browser find testid "submit-btn" click

Deep-Dive Documentation

Ready-to-Use Templates

./templates/form-automation.sh https://example.com/form
./templates/authenticated-session.sh https://app.example.com/login
./templates/capture-workflow.sh https://example.com ./output

Authentication Patterns

Login flows, session persistence, OAuth, 2FA, and authenticated browsing.

Related: session-management.md for state persistence details, SKILL.md for quick start.

Contents

• Basic Login Flow
• Saving Authentication State
• Restoring Authentication
• OAuth / SSO Flows
• Two-Factor Authentication
• HTTP Basic Auth
• Cookie-Based Auth
• Token Refresh Handling
• Security Best Practices

Basic Login Flow

# Navigate to login page
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login
agent-browser wait --load networkidle

# Get form elements
agent-browser snapshot -i
# Output: @e1 [input type="email"], @e2 [input type="password"], @e3 [button] "Sign In"

# Fill credentials
agent-browser fill @e1 "user@example.com"
agent-browser fill @e2 "password123"

# Submit
agent-browser click @e3
agent-browser wait --load networkidle

# Verify login succeeded
agent-browser get url  # Should be dashboard, not login

Saving Authentication State

After logging in, save state for reuse:

# Login first (see above)
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e1 "user@example.com"
agent-browser fill @e2 "password123"
agent-browser click @e3
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard"

# Save authenticated state
agent-browser state save ./auth-state.json

Restoring Authentication

Skip login by loading saved state:

# Load saved auth state
agent-browser state load ./auth-state.json

# Navigate directly to protected page
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard

# Verify authenticated
agent-browser snapshot -i

OAuth / SSO Flows

For OAuth redirects:

# Start OAuth flow
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/auth/google

# Handle redirects automatically
agent-browser wait --url "**/accounts.google.com**"
agent-browser snapshot -i

# Fill Google credentials
agent-browser fill @e1 "user@gmail.com"
agent-browser click @e2  # Next button
agent-browser wait 2000
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e3 "password"
agent-browser click @e4  # Sign in

# Wait for redirect back
agent-browser wait --url "**/app.example.com**"
agent-browser state save ./oauth-state.json

Two-Factor Authentication

Handle 2FA with manual intervention:

# Login with credentials
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login --headed  # Show browser
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e1 "user@example.com"
agent-browser fill @e2 "password123"
agent-browser click @e3

# Wait for user to complete 2FA manually
echo "Complete 2FA in the browser window..."
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard" --timeout 120000

# Save state after 2FA
agent-browser state save ./2fa-state.json

HTTP Basic Auth

For sites using HTTP Basic Authentication:

# Set credentials before navigation
agent-browser set credentials username password

# Navigate to protected resource
agent-browser open https://protected.example.com/api

Cookie-Based Auth

Manually set authentication cookies:

# Set auth cookie
agent-browser cookies set session_token "abc123xyz"

# Navigate to protected page
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard

Token Refresh Handling

For sessions with expiring tokens:

#!/bin/bash
# Wrapper that handles token refresh

STATE_FILE="./auth-state.json"

# Try loading existing state
if [[ -f "$STATE_FILE" ]]; then
    agent-browser state load "$STATE_FILE"
    agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard

    # Check if session is still valid
    URL=$(agent-browser get url)
    if [[ "$URL" == *"/login"* ]]; then
        echo "Session expired, re-authenticating..."
        # Perform fresh 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 "$STATE_FILE"
    fi
else
    # First-time login
    agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login
    # ... login flow ...
fi

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit state files - They contain session tokens

   echo "*.auth-state.json" >> .gitignore

2. Use environment variables for credentials

   agent-browser fill @e1 "$APP_USERNAME"
   agent-browser fill @e2 "$APP_PASSWORD"

3. Clean up after automation

   agent-browser cookies clear
   rm -f ./auth-state.json

4. Use short-lived sessions for CI/CD

   # Don't persist state in CI
   agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login
   # ... login and perform actions ...
   agent-browser close  # Session ends, nothing persisted

Command Reference

Complete reference for all agent-browser commands. For quick start and common patterns, see SKILL.md.

Navigation

agent-browser open <url>      # Navigate to URL (aliases: goto, navigate)
                              # Supports: https://, http://, file://, about:, data://
                              # Auto-prepends https:// if no protocol given
agent-browser back            # Go back
agent-browser forward         # Go forward
agent-browser reload          # Reload page
agent-browser close           # Close browser (aliases: quit, exit)
agent-browser connect 9222    # Connect to browser via CDP port

Snapshot (page analysis)

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 to 3
agent-browser snapshot -s "#main" # Scope to CSS selector

Interactions (use @refs from snapshot)

agent-browser click @e1           # Click
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 press Enter         # Press key (alias: 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 option
agent-browser select @e1 "a" "b"  # Select multiple options
agent-browser scroll down 500     # Scroll page (default: down 300px)
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 (font, color, bg, etc.)

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 and PDF

agent-browser screenshot          # Save to temporary directory
agent-browser screenshot path.png # Save to specific path
agent-browser screenshot --full   # Full page
agent-browser pdf output.pdf      # Save as PDF

Video Recording

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

Wait

agent-browser wait @e1                     # Wait for element
agent-browser wait 2000                    # Wait milliseconds
agent-browser wait --text "Success"        # Wait for text (or -t)
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard"    # Wait for URL pattern (or -u)
agent-browser wait --load networkidle      # Wait for network idle (or -l)
agent-browser wait --fn "window.ready"     # Wait for JS condition (or -f)

Mouse Control

agent-browser mouse move 100 200      # Move mouse
agent-browser mouse down left         # Press button
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 text "Sign In" click --exact      # Exact match only
agent-browser find label "Email" fill "user@test.com"
agent-browser find placeholder "Search" type "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" hover

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 (alias: 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 (alias: auth)
agent-browser set media dark                  # Emulate color scheme
agent-browser set media light reduced-motion  # Light mode + reduced motion

Cookies and 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

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 and Windows

agent-browser tab                 # List tabs
agent-browser tab new [url]       # New tab
agent-browser tab 2               # Switch to tab by index
agent-browser tab close           # Close current tab
agent-browser tab close 2         # Close tab by index
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
agent-browser dialog dismiss        # Dismiss dialog

JavaScript

agent-browser eval "document.title"          # Simple expressions only
agent-browser eval -b "<base64>"             # Any JavaScript (base64 encoded)
agent-browser eval --stdin                   # Read script from stdin

Use -b/--base64 or --stdin for reliable execution. Shell escaping with nested quotes and special characters is error-prone.

# Base64 encode your script, then:
agent-browser eval -b "ZG9jdW1lbnQucXVlcnlTZWxlY3RvcignW3NyYyo9Il9uZXh0Il0nKQ=="

# Or use stdin with heredoc for multiline scripts:
cat <<'EOF' | agent-browser eval --stdin
const links = document.querySelectorAll('a');
Array.from(links).map(a => a.href);
EOF

State Management

agent-browser state save auth.json    # Save cookies, storage, auth state
agent-browser state load auth.json    # Restore saved state

Global Options

agent-browser --session <name> ...    # Isolated browser session
agent-browser --json ...              # JSON output for parsing
agent-browser --headed ...            # Show browser window (not headless)
agent-browser --full ...              # Full page screenshot (-f)
agent-browser --cdp <port> ...        # Connect via Chrome DevTools Protocol
agent-browser -p <provider> ...       # Cloud browser provider (--provider)
agent-browser --proxy <url> ...       # Use proxy server
agent-browser --headers <json> ...    # HTTP headers scoped to URL's origin
agent-browser --executable-path <p>   # Custom browser executable
agent-browser --extension <path> ...  # Load browser extension (repeatable)
agent-browser --ignore-https-errors   # Ignore SSL certificate errors
agent-browser --help                  # Show help (-h)
agent-browser --version               # Show version (-V)
agent-browser <command> --help        # Show detailed help for a command

Debugging

agent-browser --headed open example.com   # Show browser window
agent-browser --cdp 9222 snapshot         # Connect via CDP port
agent-browser connect 9222                # Alternative: connect command
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

Environment Variables

AGENT_BROWSER_SESSION="mysession"            # Default session name
AGENT_BROWSER_EXECUTABLE_PATH="/path/chrome" # Custom browser path
AGENT_BROWSER_EXTENSIONS="/ext1,/ext2"       # Comma-separated extension paths
AGENT_BROWSER_PROVIDER="browserbase"         # Cloud browser provider
AGENT_BROWSER_STREAM_PORT="9223"             # WebSocket streaming port
AGENT_BROWSER_HOME="/path/to/agent-browser"  # Custom install location

Proxy Support

Proxy configuration for geo-testing, rate limiting avoidance, and corporate environments.

Related: commands.md for global options, SKILL.md for quick start.

Contents

• Basic Proxy Configuration
• Authenticated Proxy
• SOCKS Proxy
• Proxy Bypass
• Common Use Cases
• Verifying Proxy Connection
• Troubleshooting
• Best Practices

Basic Proxy Configuration

Set proxy via environment variable before starting:

# HTTP proxy
export HTTP_PROXY="http://proxy.example.com:8080"
agent-browser open https://example.com

# HTTPS proxy
export HTTPS_PROXY="https://proxy.example.com:8080"
agent-browser open https://example.com

# Both
export HTTP_PROXY="http://proxy.example.com:8080"
export HTTPS_PROXY="http://proxy.example.com:8080"
agent-browser open https://example.com

Authenticated Proxy

For proxies requiring authentication:

# Include credentials in URL
export HTTP_PROXY="http://username:password@proxy.example.com:8080"
agent-browser open https://example.com

SOCKS Proxy

# SOCKS5 proxy
export ALL_PROXY="socks5://proxy.example.com:1080"
agent-browser open https://example.com

# SOCKS5 with auth
export ALL_PROXY="socks5://user:pass@proxy.example.com:1080"
agent-browser open https://example.com

Proxy Bypass

Skip proxy for specific domains:

# Bypass proxy for local addresses
export NO_PROXY="localhost,127.0.0.1,.internal.company.com"
agent-browser open https://internal.company.com  # Direct connection
agent-browser open https://external.com          # Via proxy

Common Use Cases

Geo-Location Testing

#!/bin/bash
# Test site from different regions using geo-located proxies

PROXIES=(
    "http://us-proxy.example.com:8080"
    "http://eu-proxy.example.com:8080"
    "http://asia-proxy.example.com:8080"
)

for proxy in "${PROXIES[@]}"; do
    export HTTP_PROXY="$proxy"
    export HTTPS_PROXY="$proxy"

    region=$(echo "$proxy" | grep -oP '^\w+-\w+')
    echo "Testing from: $region"

    agent-browser --session "$region" open https://example.com
    agent-browser --session "$region" screenshot "./screenshots/$region.png"
    agent-browser --session "$region" close
done

Rotating Proxies for Scraping

#!/bin/bash
# Rotate through proxy list to avoid rate limiting

PROXY_LIST=(
    "http://proxy1.example.com:8080"
    "http://proxy2.example.com:8080"
    "http://proxy3.example.com:8080"
)

URLS=(
    "https://site.com/page1"
    "https://site.com/page2"
    "https://site.com/page3"
)

for i in "${!URLS[@]}"; do
    proxy_index=$((i % ${#PROXY_LIST[@]}))
    export HTTP_PROXY="${PROXY_LIST[$proxy_index]}"
    export HTTPS_PROXY="${PROXY_LIST[$proxy_index]}"

    agent-browser open "${URLS[$i]}"
    agent-browser get text body > "output-$i.txt"
    agent-browser close

    sleep 1  # Polite delay
done

Corporate Network Access

#!/bin/bash
# Access internal sites via corporate proxy

export HTTP_PROXY="http://corpproxy.company.com:8080"
export HTTPS_PROXY="http://corpproxy.company.com:8080"
export NO_PROXY="localhost,127.0.0.1,.company.com"

# External sites go through proxy
agent-browser open https://external-vendor.com

# Internal sites bypass proxy
agent-browser open https://intranet.company.com

Verifying Proxy Connection

# Check your apparent IP
agent-browser open https://httpbin.org/ip
agent-browser get text body
# Should show proxy's IP, not your real IP

Troubleshooting

Proxy Connection Failed

# Test proxy connectivity first
curl -x http://proxy.example.com:8080 https://httpbin.org/ip

# Check if proxy requires auth
export HTTP_PROXY="http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080"

SSL/TLS Errors Through Proxy

Some proxies perform SSL inspection. If you encounter certificate errors:

# For testing only - not recommended for production
agent-browser open https://example.com --ignore-https-errors

Slow Performance

# Use proxy only when necessary
export NO_PROXY="*.cdn.com,*.static.com"  # Direct CDN access

Best Practices

1. Use environment variables - Don't hardcode proxy credentials 2. Set NO_PROXY appropriately - Avoid routing local traffic through proxy 3. Test proxy before automation - Verify connectivity with simple requests 4. Handle proxy failures gracefully - Implement retry logic for unstable proxies 5. Rotate proxies for large scraping jobs - Distribute load and avoid bans

Session Management

Multiple isolated browser sessions with state persistence and concurrent browsing.

Related: authentication.md for login patterns, SKILL.md for quick start.

Contents

• Named Sessions
• Session Isolation Properties
• Session State Persistence
• Common Patterns
• Default Session
• Session Cleanup
• Best Practices

Named Sessions

Use --session flag to isolate browser contexts:

# Session 1: Authentication flow
agent-browser --session auth open https://app.example.com/login

# Session 2: Public browsing (separate cookies, storage)
agent-browser --session public open https://example.com

# Commands are isolated by session
agent-browser --session auth fill @e1 "user@example.com"
agent-browser --session public get text body

Session Isolation Properties

Each session has independent:

• Cookies
• LocalStorage / SessionStorage
• IndexedDB
• Cache
• Browsing history
• Open tabs

Session State Persistence

Save Session State

# Save cookies, storage, and auth state
agent-browser state save /path/to/auth-state.json

Load Session State

# Restore saved state
agent-browser state load /path/to/auth-state.json

# Continue with authenticated session
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard

State File Contents

{
  "cookies": [...],
  "localStorage": {...},
  "sessionStorage": {...},
  "origins": [...]
}

Common Patterns

Authenticated Session Reuse

#!/bin/bash
# Save login state once, reuse many times

STATE_FILE="/tmp/auth-state.json"

# Check if we have saved state
if [[ -f "$STATE_FILE" ]]; then
    agent-browser state load "$STATE_FILE"
    agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard
else
    # Perform login
    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 --load networkidle

    # Save for future use
    agent-browser state save "$STATE_FILE"
fi

Concurrent Scraping

#!/bin/bash
# Scrape multiple sites concurrently

# Start all sessions
agent-browser --session site1 open https://site1.com &
agent-browser --session site2 open https://site2.com &
agent-browser --session site3 open https://site3.com &
wait

# Extract from each
agent-browser --session site1 get text body > site1.txt
agent-browser --session site2 get text body > site2.txt
agent-browser --session site3 get text body > site3.txt

# Cleanup
agent-browser --session site1 close
agent-browser --session site2 close
agent-browser --session site3 close

A/B Testing Sessions

# Test different user experiences
agent-browser --session variant-a open "https://app.com?variant=a"
agent-browser --session variant-b open "https://app.com?variant=b"

# Compare
agent-browser --session variant-a screenshot /tmp/variant-a.png
agent-browser --session variant-b screenshot /tmp/variant-b.png

Default Session

When --session is omitted, commands use the default session:

# These use the same default session
agent-browser open https://example.com
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser close  # Closes default session

Session Cleanup

# Close specific session
agent-browser --session auth close

# List active sessions
agent-browser session list

Best Practices

1. Name Sessions Semantically

# GOOD: Clear purpose
agent-browser --session github-auth open https://github.com
agent-browser --session docs-scrape open https://docs.example.com

# AVOID: Generic names
agent-browser --session s1 open https://github.com

2. Always Clean Up

# Close sessions when done
agent-browser --session auth close
agent-browser --session scrape close

3. Handle State Files Securely

# Don't commit state files (contain auth tokens!)
echo "*.auth-state.json" >> .gitignore

# Delete after use
rm /tmp/auth-state.json

4. Timeout Long Sessions

# Set timeout for automated scripts
timeout 60 agent-browser --session long-task get text body

Snapshot and Refs

Compact element references that reduce context usage dramatically for AI agents.

Related: commands.md for full command reference, SKILL.md for quick start.

Contents

• How Refs Work
• Snapshot Command
• Using Refs
• Ref Lifecycle
• Best Practices
• Ref Notation Details
• Troubleshooting

How Refs Work

Traditional approach:

Full DOM/HTML → AI parses → CSS selector → Action (~3000-5000 tokens)

agent-browser approach:

Compact snapshot → @refs assigned → Direct interaction (~200-400 tokens)

The Snapshot Command

# Basic snapshot (shows page structure)
agent-browser snapshot

# Interactive snapshot (-i flag) - RECOMMENDED
agent-browser snapshot -i

Snapshot Output Format

Page: Example Site - Home
URL: https://example.com

@e1 [header]
  @e2 [nav]
    @e3 [a] "Home"
    @e4 [a] "Products"
    @e5 [a] "About"
  @e6 [button] "Sign In"

@e7 [main]
  @e8 [h1] "Welcome"
  @e9 [form]
    @e10 [input type="email"] placeholder="Email"
    @e11 [input type="password"] placeholder="Password"
    @e12 [button type="submit"] "Log In"

@e13 [footer]
  @e14 [a] "Privacy Policy"

Using Refs

Once you have refs, interact directly:

# Click the "Sign In" button
agent-browser click @e6

# Fill email input
agent-browser fill @e10 "user@example.com"

# Fill password
agent-browser fill @e11 "password123"

# Submit the form
agent-browser click @e12

Ref Lifecycle

IMPORTANT: Refs are invalidated when the page changes!

# Get initial snapshot
agent-browser snapshot -i
# @e1 [button] "Next"

# Click triggers page change
agent-browser click @e1

# MUST re-snapshot to get new refs!
agent-browser snapshot -i
# @e1 [h1] "Page 2"  ← Different element now!

Best Practices

1. Always Snapshot Before Interacting

# CORRECT
agent-browser open https://example.com
agent-browser snapshot -i          # Get refs first
agent-browser click @e1            # Use ref

# WRONG
agent-browser open https://example.com
agent-browser click @e1            # Ref doesn't exist yet!

2. Re-Snapshot After Navigation

agent-browser click @e5            # Navigates to new page
agent-browser snapshot -i          # Get new refs
agent-browser click @e1            # Use new refs

3. Re-Snapshot After Dynamic Changes

agent-browser click @e1            # Opens dropdown
agent-browser snapshot -i          # See dropdown items
agent-browser click @e7            # Select item

4. Snapshot Specific Regions

For complex pages, snapshot specific areas:

# Snapshot just the form
agent-browser snapshot @e9

Ref Notation Details

@e1 [tag type="value"] "text content" placeholder="hint"
│    │   │             │               │
│    │   │             │               └─ Additional attributes
│    │   │             └─ Visible text
│    │   └─ Key attributes shown
│    └─ HTML tag name
└─ Unique ref ID

Common Patterns

@e1 [button] "Submit"                    # Button with text
@e2 [input type="email"]                 # Email input
@e3 [input type="password"]              # Password input
@e4 [a href="/page"] "Link Text"         # Anchor link
@e5 [select]                             # Dropdown
@e6 [textarea] placeholder="Message"     # Text area
@e7 [div class="modal"]                  # Container (when relevant)
@e8 [img alt="Logo"]                     # Image
@e9 [checkbox] checked                   # Checked checkbox
@e10 [radio] selected                    # Selected radio

Troubleshooting

"Ref not found" Error

# Ref may have changed - re-snapshot
agent-browser snapshot -i

Element Not Visible in Snapshot

# Scroll to reveal element
agent-browser scroll --bottom
agent-browser snapshot -i

# Or wait for dynamic content
agent-browser wait 1000
agent-browser snapshot -i

Too Many Elements

# Snapshot specific container
agent-browser snapshot @e5

# Or use get text for content-only extraction
agent-browser get text @e5

Video Recording

Capture browser automation as video for debugging, documentation, or verification.

Related: commands.md for full command reference, SKILL.md for quick start.

Contents

• Basic Recording
• Recording Commands
• Use Cases
• Best Practices
• Output Format
• Limitations

Basic Recording

# Start recording
agent-browser record start ./demo.webm

# Perform actions
agent-browser open https://example.com
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser click @e1
agent-browser fill @e2 "test input"

# Stop and save
agent-browser record stop

Recording Commands

# Start recording to file
agent-browser record start ./output.webm

# Stop current recording
agent-browser record stop

# Restart with new file (stops current + starts new)
agent-browser record restart ./take2.webm

Use Cases

Debugging Failed Automation

#!/bin/bash
# Record automation for debugging

agent-browser record start ./debug-$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S).webm

# Run your automation
agent-browser open https://app.example.com
agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser click @e1 || {
    echo "Click failed - check recording"
    agent-browser record stop
    exit 1
}

agent-browser record stop

Documentation Generation

#!/bin/bash
# Record workflow for documentation

agent-browser record start ./docs/how-to-login.webm

agent-browser open https://app.example.com/login
agent-browser wait 1000  # Pause for visibility

agent-browser snapshot -i
agent-browser fill @e1 "demo@example.com"
agent-browser wait 500

agent-browser fill @e2 "password"
agent-browser wait 500

agent-browser click @e3
agent-browser wait --load networkidle
agent-browser wait 1000  # Show result

agent-browser record stop

CI/CD Test Evidence

#!/bin/bash
# Record E2E test runs for CI artifacts

TEST_NAME="${1:-e2e-test}"
RECORDING_DIR="./test-recordings"
mkdir -p "$RECORDING_DIR"

agent-browser record start "$RECORDING_DIR/$TEST_NAME-$(date +%s).webm"

# Run test
if run_e2e_test; then
    echo "Test passed"
else
    echo "Test failed - recording saved"
fi

agent-browser record stop

Best Practices

1. Add Pauses for Clarity

# Slow down for human viewing
agent-browser click @e1
agent-browser wait 500  # Let viewer see result

2. Use Descriptive Filenames

# Include context in filename
agent-browser record start ./recordings/login-flow-2024-01-15.webm
agent-browser record start ./recordings/checkout-test-run-42.webm

3. Handle Recording in Error Cases

#!/bin/bash
set -e

cleanup() {
    agent-browser record stop 2>/dev/null || true
    agent-browser close 2>/dev/null || true
}
trap cleanup EXIT

agent-browser record start ./automation.webm
# ... automation steps ...

4. Combine with Screenshots

# Record video AND capture key frames
agent-browser record start ./flow.webm

agent-browser open https://example.com
agent-browser screenshot ./screenshots/step1-homepage.png

agent-browser click @e1
agent-browser screenshot ./screenshots/step2-after-click.png

agent-browser record stop

Output Format

• Default format: WebM (VP8/VP9 codec)
• Compatible with all modern browsers and video players
• Compressed but high quality

Limitations

• Recording adds slight overhead to automation
• Large recordings can consume significant disk space
• Some headless environments may have codec limitations