agent-browser

# Browser Automation with agent-browser

## Prerequisites (required)

This skill relies on the external `agent-browser` CLI plus a local Chromium browser binary.

Before using this skill, confirm prerequisites are satisfied:

1. `agent-browser` is available in PATH (or via `npx`)
2. Chromium is installed for Playwright (one-time download)

If the CLI is missing, ask the user whether to install it (this may download binaries):

```bash
# Option A: global install (recommended for repeated use)
npm install -g agent-browser

# Option B: no global install (runs via npx)
npx agent-browser --version
```

Then install the browser binary (one-time download):

```bash
agent-browser install
# or:
npx agent-browser install
```

Linux only (if Chromium fails to launch due to missing shared libraries):

```bash
agent-browser install --with-deps
# or:
npx playwright install-deps chromium
```

If prerequisites are not available and the user does not want to install anything, do not silently switch tools. Tell the user what is missing and offer a non-browser fallback.

## 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

```bash
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
```

## Command Chaining

Commands can be chained with `&&` in a single shell invocation. The browser persists between commands via a background daemon, so chaining is safe and more efficient than separate calls.

```bash
# Chain open + wait + snapshot in one call
agent-browser open https://example.com && agent-browser wait --load networkidle && agent-browser snapshot -i

# Chain multiple interactions
agent-browser fill @e1 "user@example.com" && agent-browser fill @e2 "password123" && agent-browser click @e3

# Navigate and capture
agent-browser open https://example.com && agent-browser wait --load networkidle && agent-browser screenshot page.png
```

**When to chain:** Use `&&` when you don't need to read the output of an intermediate command before proceeding (e.g., open + wait + screenshot). Run commands separately when you need to parse the output first (e.g., snapshot to discover refs, then interact using those refs).

## Essential Commands

```bash
# 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 click @e1 --new-tab     # Click and open in new tab
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 keyboard type "text"    # Type at current focus (no selector)
agent-browser keyboard inserttext "text"  # Insert without key events
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 screenshot --annotate   # Annotated screenshot with numbered element labels
agent-browser pdf output.pdf          # Save as PDF

# Diff (compare page states)
agent-browser diff snapshot                          # Compare current vs last snapshot
agent-browser diff snapshot --baseline before.txt    # Compare current vs saved file
agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline before.png  # Visual pixel diff
agent-browser diff url <url1> <url2>                 # Compare two pages
agent-browser diff url <url1> <url2> --wait-until networkidle  # Custom wait strategy
agent-browser diff url <url1> <url2> --selector "#main"  # Scope to element
```

## Common Patterns

### Form Submission

```bash
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

```bash
# 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
```

### Session Persistence

```bash
# Auto-save/restore cookies and localStorage across browser restarts
agent-browser --session-name myapp open https://app.example.com/login
# ... login flow ...
agent-browser close  # State auto-saved to ~/.agent-browser/sessions/

# Next time, state is auto-loaded
agent-browser --session-name myapp open https://app.example.com/dashboard

# Encrypt state at rest
export AGENT_BROWSER_ENCRYPTION_KEY=$(openssl rand -hex 32)
agent-browser --session-name secure open https://app.example.com

# Manage saved states
agent-browser state list
agent-browser state show myapp-default.json
agent-browser state clear myapp
agent-browser state clean --older-than 7
```

### Data Extraction

```bash
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

```bash
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
```

### Connect to Existing Chrome

```bash
# Auto-discover running Chrome with remote debugging enabled
agent-browser --auto-connect open https://example.com
agent-browser --auto-connect snapshot

# Or with explicit CDP port
agent-browser --cdp 9222 snapshot
```

### Color Scheme (Dark Mode)

```bash
# Persistent dark mode via flag (applies to all pages and new tabs)
agent-browser --color-scheme dark open https://example.com

# Or via environment variable
AGENT_BROWSER_COLOR_SCHEME=dark agent-browser open https://example.com

# Or set during session (persists for subsequent commands)
agent-browser set media dark
```

### Visual Browser (Debugging)

```bash
agent-browser --headed open https://example.com
agent-browser highlight @e1          # Highlight element
agent-browser record start demo.webm # Record session
agent-browser profiler start         # Start Chrome DevTools profiling
agent-browser profiler stop trace.json # Stop and save profile (path optional)
```

### Local Files (PDFs, HTML)

```bash
# 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)

```bash
# 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`.

## Diffing (Verifying Changes)

Use `diff snapshot` after performing an action to verify it had the intended effect. This compares the current accessibility tree against the last snapshot taken in the session.

```bash
# Typical workflow: snapshot -> action -> diff
agent-browser snapshot -i          # Take baseline snapshot
agent-browser click @e2            # Perform action
agent-browser diff snapshot        # See what changed (auto-compares to last snapshot)
```

For visual regression testing or monitoring:

```bash
# Save a baseline screenshot, then compare later
agent-browser screenshot baseline.png
# ... time passes or changes are made ...
agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline baseline.png

# Compare staging vs production
agent-browser diff url https://staging.example.com https://prod.example.com --screenshot
```

`diff snapshot` output uses `+` for additions and `-` for removals, similar to git diff. `diff screenshot` produces a diff image with changed pixels highlighted in red, plus a mismatch percentage.

## Timeouts and Slow Pages

The default Playwright timeout is 25 seconds for local browsers. This can be overridden with the `AGENT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT` environment variable (value in milliseconds). For slow websites or large pages, use explicit waits instead of relying on the default timeout:

```bash
# Wait for network activity to settle (best for slow pages)
agent-browser wait --load networkidle

# Wait for a specific element to appear
agent-browser wait "#content"
agent-browser wait @e1

# Wait for a specific URL pattern (useful after redirects)
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard"

# Wait for a JavaScript condition
agent-browser wait --fn "document.readyState === 'complete'"

# Wait a fixed duration (milliseconds) as a last resort
agent-browser wait 5000
```

When dealing with consistently slow websites, use `wait --load networkidle` after `open` to ensure the page is fully loaded before taking a snapshot. If a specific element is slow to render, wait for it directly with `wait <selector>` or `wait @ref`.

## Session Management and Cleanup

When running multiple agents or automations concurrently, always use named sessions to avoid conflicts:

```bash
# Each agent gets its own isolated session
agent-browser --session agent1 open site-a.com
agent-browser --session agent2 open site-b.com

# Check active sessions
agent-browser session list
```

Always close your browser session when done to avoid leaked processes:

```bash
agent-browser close                    # Close default session
agent-browser --session agent1 close   # Close specific session
```

If a previous session was not closed properly, the daemon may still be running. Use `agent-browser close` to clean it up before starting new work.

## 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)

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

## Annotated Screenshots (Vision Mode)

Use `--annotate` to take a screenshot with numbered labels overlaid on interactive elements. Each label `[N]` maps to ref `@eN`. This also caches refs, so you can interact with elements immediately without a separate snapshot.

```bash
agent-browser screenshot --annotate
# Output includes the image path and a legend:
#   [1] @e1 button "Submit"
#   [2] @e2 link "Home"
#   [3] @e3 textbox "Email"
agent-browser click @e2              # Click using ref from annotated screenshot
```

Use annotated screenshots when:
- The page has unlabeled icon buttons or visual-only elements
- You need to verify visual layout or styling
- Canvas or chart elements are present (invisible to text snapshots)
- You need spatial reasoning about element positions

## Semantic Locators (Alternative to Refs)

When refs are unavailable or unreliable, use semantic locators:

```bash
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
```

## JavaScript Evaluation (eval)

Use `eval` to run JavaScript in the browser context. **Shell quoting can corrupt complex expressions** -- use `--stdin` or `-b` to avoid issues.

```bash
# Simple expressions work with regular quoting
agent-browser eval 'document.title'
agent-browser eval 'document.querySelectorAll("img").length'

# Complex JS: use --stdin with heredoc (RECOMMENDED)
agent-browser eval --stdin <<'EVALEOF'
JSON.stringify(
  Array.from(document.querySelectorAll("img"))
    .filter(i => !i.alt)
    .map(i => ({ src: i.src.split("/").pop(), width: i.width }))
)
EVALEOF

# Alternative: base64 encoding (avoids all shell escaping issues)
agent-browser eval -b "$(echo -n 'Array.from(document.querySelectorAll("a")).map(a => a.href)' | base64)"
```

**Why this matters:** When the shell processes your command, inner double quotes, `!` characters (history expansion), backticks, and `$()` can all corrupt the JavaScript before it reaches agent-browser. The `--stdin` and `-b` flags bypass shell interpretation entirely.

**Rules of thumb:**
- Single-line, no nested quotes -> regular `eval 'expression'` with single quotes is fine
- Nested quotes, arrow functions, template literals, or multiline -> use `eval --stdin <<'EVALEOF'`
- Programmatic/generated scripts -> use `eval -b` with base64

## Configuration File

Create `agent-browser.json` in the project root for persistent settings:

```json
{
  "headed": true,
  "proxy": "http://localhost:8080",
  "profile": "./browser-data"
}
```

Priority (lowest to highest): `~/.agent-browser/config.json` < `./agent-browser.json` < env vars < CLI flags. Use `--config <path>` or `AGENT_BROWSER_CONFIG` env var for a custom config file (exits with error if missing/invalid). All CLI options map to camelCase keys (e.g., `--executable-path` -> `"executablePath"`). Boolean flags accept `true`/`false` values (e.g., `--headed false` overrides config). Extensions from user and project configs are merged, not replaced.

## Deep-Dive Documentation

| Reference | When to Use |
|-----------|-------------|
| [references/commands.md](references/commands.md) | Full command reference with all options |
| [references/snapshot-refs.md](references/snapshot-refs.md) | Ref lifecycle, invalidation rules, troubleshooting |
| [references/session-management.md](references/session-management.md) | Parallel sessions, state persistence, concurrent scraping |
| [references/authentication.md](references/authentication.md) | Login flows, OAuth, 2FA handling, state reuse |
| [references/video-recording.md](references/video-recording.md) | Recording workflows for debugging and documentation |
| [references/profiling.md](references/profiling.md) | Chrome DevTools profiling for performance analysis |
| [references/proxy-support.md](references/proxy-support.md) | Proxy configuration, geo-testing, rotating proxies |

## Ready-to-Use Templates

| Template | Description |
|----------|-------------|
| [templates/form-automation.sh](templates/form-automation.sh) | Form filling with validation |
| [templates/authenticated-session.sh](templates/authenticated-session.sh) | Login once, reuse state |
| [templates/capture-workflow.sh](templates/capture-workflow.sh) | Content extraction with screenshots |

```bash
./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
```