Cookie Sync

16 chapters · 94 min

Prerequisites

• Chrome (or Chromium, Brave, Edge) with remote debugging enabled
• If your browser build exposes chrome://flags/#allow-remote-debugging, enable it and restart the browser
• Otherwise, launch with --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/chrome-debug and set CDP_URL=ws://127.0.0.1:9222
• At least one tab open in Chrome
• Node.js 22+
• Environment variable: BROWSERBASE_API_KEY

Setup

Install dependencies before first use:

Usage

Basic — sync all cookies

Creates a persistent context with all your Chrome cookies. Outputs a context ID.

Filter by domain — only sync specific sites

Matches the domain and all subdomains (e.g. google.com matches accounts.google.com, mail.google.com, etc.)

Refresh cookies in an existing context

Re-injects fresh cookies into a previously created context. Use this when cookies have expired.

Verified browser mode

Enables Browserbase Identity with a Verified browser to improve access on protected sites. Recommended for sites like Google that fingerprint browsers.

Residential proxy with geolocation

Routes through a residential proxy in the specified location. Format: "City,ST,Country" (state is 2-letter code). Helps match your local IP’s geolocation so auth cookies aren’t rejected.

Combine flags

Browsing Authenticated Sites

After syncing, use the browse CLI with the context ID:

The --persist flag on browse cloud sessions create saves any new cookies or state changes back to the context when the cloud session is released, keeping the session fresh for next time.

Full workflow example:

Reusing Contexts for Scheduled Jobs

Contexts persist across sessions, making them ideal for scheduled/recurring tasks:

1. Once (laptop open): Run cookie-sync → get a context ID
2. Scheduled jobs: Create a Browserbase session with browse cloud sessions create --context-id <ctx-id> --persist --keep-alive, then attach with browse open <url> --cdp <connectUrl> — no local Chrome needed
3. Re-sync as needed: When cookies expire, run cookie-sync again with --context <ctx-id> to refresh

Troubleshooting

• “No DevToolsActivePort found” → Enable chrome://flags/#allow-remote-debugging if your browser build exposes it, or launch with --remote-debugging-port=9222 and set CDP_URL=ws://127.0.0.1:9222
• “No open page targets found” → Open at least one tab in Chrome
• “WebSocket error” → Chrome may be hung; force quit and reopen it
• Cookies expired in context → Re-run cookie-sync with --context <id> to refresh
• Auth rejected by site → Try adding --verified and/or --proxy with a location near you