Setting the chapter. One moment.
16 chapters · 94 min
Skills
Chapter 6 of 16
Automate web browser interactions using natural language via CLI commands.
3 minutes · 633 words · 18 sections
Automate browser interactions using the browse CLI with Claude.
Before running any browser commands, verify the CLI is available:
which browse || npm install -g browseThe CLI supports explicit per-command environment flags. If you do nothing, the next session defaults to Browserbase when BROWSERBASE_API_KEY is set and to local otherwise.
browse open <url> --local starts a clean isolated local browserbrowse open <url> --auto-connect attaches to an already-running debuggable Chrome; use --local when no debuggable Chrome is availablebrowse open <url> --cdp <port|url> attaches to a specific CDP targetbrowse open <url> --remote starts a Browserbase sessionBROWSERBASE_API_KEY is setbrowse open <url> --localbrowse open <url> --auto-connectMost driver commands work across local, remote, and CDP sessions after the daemon starts.
browse open <url> # Go to URL
browse open <url> --local # Go to URL in a clean local browser
browse open <url> --remote # Go to URL in a Browserbase session
browse reload # Reload current page
browse back # Go back in history
browse forwardbrowse snapshot # Get accessibility tree with element refs (fast, structured)
browse screenshot --path <path> # Take visual screenshot (slow, uses vision tokens)
browse get url # Get current URL
browse get title # Get page title
browse get text <selector> # Get text content (use "body" for all text)
Use browse snapshot as your default for understanding page state — it returns the accessibility tree with element refs you can use to interact. Only use browse screenshot when you need visual context (layout, images, debugging).
browse click <ref> # Click element by ref from snapshot (e.g., @0-5)
browse type <text> # Type text into focused element
browse fill <selector> <value> # Fill input; add --press-enter if Enter is needed
browse
browse cdp <url|port> # Stream CDP events as NDJSON from any target
browse cdp 9222 # Attach to local Chrome on port 9222
browse cdp ws://localhost:9222/devtools/browser/... # Full WebSocket URL
browse cdp <url> --domain Network # Only Network events
browse cdp <url
The cdp command connects directly to any Chrome DevTools Protocol target and streams events. It does not use the daemon — it’s a standalone, long-running process. Press Ctrl+C to stop. Default domains: Network, Console, Runtime, Log, Page.
browse stop # Stop the browser daemon
browse status # Check daemon status and resolved mode
browse tab list # List all open tabs
browse tab switch <index-or-target-id> # Switch to tab by index or target ID
browse tab close [index-or-target-id] # Close tabIf the environment matters, put --local, --remote, --auto-connect, or --cdp <port|url> on the first browser command.
browse open <url> --local or browse open <url> --remote — navigate to the pagebrowse snapshot — read the accessibility tree to understand page structure and get element refsbrowse click <ref> / browse type <text> / browse fill <selector> <value> — interact using refs from snapshotbrowse snapshot — confirm the action workedbrowse stop — close the browser when donebrowse open https://example.com
browse snapshot # see page structure + element refs
browse click @0-5 # click element with ref 0-5
browse get title
browse stop| Feature | Local | Browserbase |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | Faster | Slightly slower |
| Setup | Chrome required | API key required |
| Reuse existing local cookies | With browse open <url> --auto-connect | N/A |
| Verified browser | No | Yes (Browserbase Verified browser via Identity) |
| CAPTCHA solving | No | Yes (automatic reCAPTCHA/hCaptcha) |
| Residential proxies | No | Yes (201 countries, geo-targeting) |
| Session persistence | No | Yes (cookies/auth persist via contexts) |
| Best for | Development/simple pages | Protected sites, Browserbase Identity + Verified access, production scraping |
browse open <url> --local for clean state, browse open <url> --auto-connect for existing local credentials, and browse open <url> --remote for protected sitesbrowse open first before interactingbrowse snapshot to check page state — it’s fast and gives you element refsbrowse click @0-5browse stop when done to clean up the browser session and clear the env overridebrowse stop, then check browse status. If it still says running, kill the zombie daemon with pkill -f "browse.*daemon", then retry browse openbrowse open <url> --auto-connect if you already have a debuggable Chrome running, or switch to browse open <url> --remotebrowse snapshot to see available elements and their refsSwitch to remote when you detect: CAPTCHAs (reCAPTCHA, hCaptcha, Turnstile), bot detection pages (“Checking your browser…”), HTTP 403/429, empty pages on sites that should have content, or the user asks for it.
Don’t switch for simple sites (docs, wikis, public APIs, localhost).
browse open <url> --local # clean isolated local browser
browse open <url> --auto-connect # attach to existing debuggable Chrome
browse open <url> --remote # Browserbase sessionMode flags are applied when a session starts. After browse stop, the next start falls back to env-var-based auto detection. Use browse status to inspect the resolved mode and target while the daemon is running.
For detailed examples, see EXAMPLES.md (opens in a new tab). For API reference, see REFERENCE.md (opens in a new tab).
Install this repository
npx skills add browserbase/skills/plugin marketplace add browserbase/skillsSkills install per repository, not per chapter — the CLI has no documented per-skill form, so we do not print one.
Automate web browser interactions using natural language via CLI commands. Use when the user asks to browse websites, navigate web pages, extract data from websites, take screenshots, fill forms, click buttons, or interact with web applications. Supports remote Browserbase sessions with Browserbase Identity, Verified browsers, automatic CAPTCHA solving, and residential proxies — ideal for protected websites and JavaScript-heavy pages.
The verbatim description from this skill’s front matter — the string an agent matches on to decide whether to load it.
Bashskills/browser/SKILL.mdmain, last pushed 5 August 2026.SKILL.md, not by matching a directory convention. One layout observed: skills/*/SKILL.md.h1 and no skipped levels:.claude-plugin/marketplace.json by Browserbase, declaring 5 plugins. It is read for editorial metadata only — never as the skill index, which is always the repository tree./browserbase/skills.md.md3 files · 22 KB
Everything this skill ships beside its prose. All of it is set here, as subchapters of chapter 6.
Everything else published alongside the skill.