agent-browser

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Browser automation CLI for AI agents. Use when the user needs to interact with websites, including navigating pages, filling forms, clicking buttons, taking screenshots, extracting data, testing web apps, or automating any browser task. Triggers include requests to "open a website", "fill out a form", "click a button", "take a screenshot", "scrape data from a page", "test this web app", "login to a site", "automate browser actions", or any task requiring programmatic web interaction.

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Sourceanentrypoint/plugforge
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NPX Install

npx skill4agent add anentrypoint/plugforge agent-browser

SKILL.md Content

Browser Automation with agent-browser

Two Pathways

Page control — use the 
agent-browser
tool directly for all browser interaction: navigating, clicking, filling forms, taking screenshots, reading snapshots. This is the primary pathway for driving the browser.
Code execution — use 
exec:agent-browser
via Bash when you need to run JavaScript in the page context. The body is piped to 
eval --stdin
. Use this for DOM inspection, custom extraction logic, or anything requiring programmatic page access.
exec:agent-browser
document.title
Multi-line 
exec:agent-browser
blocks where lines are recognized CLI commands run as a batch instead of eval — useful for sequencing page control steps when the 
agent-browser
tool isn't available:
exec:agent-browser
open http://localhost:3001
wait 2000
snapshot -i
Always close tabs when done: every 
open
is tracked. Use 
exec:agent-browser\nclose
(or 
--session <name> close
) when finished. Leaving sessions open accumulates stale tabs — the hook will warn you when other sessions are still open.

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

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 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

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

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

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

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
.

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

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 (exec pathway)

Use this pathway when you need to run JavaScript in the browser context — not ordinary CLI commands. This goes through 
exec:agent-browser
via Bash, which pipes your code to 
agent-browser eval --stdin
. Shell quoting can corrupt complex expressions — use the heredoc form.
Use 
exec:agent-browser
via Bash. The code body is piped directly to 
agent-browser eval --stdin
— no shell, no escaping.
exec:agent-browser
document.title
exec:agent-browser
JSON.stringify(
  Array.from(document.querySelectorAll("img"))
    .filter(i => !i.alt)
    .map(i => ({ src: i.src.split("/").pop(), width: i.width }))
)
Never base64-encode the code. Never add 
agent-browser eval
flags. Write plain JavaScript directly as the exec body.

Complete Command Reference

Core Navigation & Lifecycle

bash
agent-browser open <url>              # Navigate (aliases: goto, navigate)
agent-browser close                   # Close browser (aliases: quit, exit)
agent-browser back                    # Go back
agent-browser forward                 # Go forward
agent-browser reload                  # Reload page

Snapshots & Element References

bash
agent-browser snapshot                # Accessibility tree with semantic refs
agent-browser snapshot -i             # Interactive elements with @e refs
agent-browser snapshot -i -C          # Include cursor-interactive divs (onclick, pointer)
agent-browser snapshot -s "#sel"      # Scope snapshot to CSS selector
agent-browser snapshot --json         # JSON output for parsing

Interaction - Click, Fill, Type, Select

bash
agent-browser click <sel>             # Click element
agent-browser click <sel> --new-tab   # Open link in new tab
agent-browser dblclick <sel>          # Double-click
agent-browser focus <sel>             # Focus element
agent-browser type <sel> <text>       # Type into element (append)
agent-browser fill <sel> <text>       # Clear and fill
agent-browser select <sel> <val>      # Select dropdown option
agent-browser check <sel>             # Check checkbox
agent-browser uncheck <sel>           # Uncheck checkbox
agent-browser press <key>             # Press key (Enter, Tab, Control+a, etc.) (alias: key)

Keyboard & Text Input

bash
agent-browser keyboard type <text>    # Type with real keystrokes (no selector, uses focus)
agent-browser keyboard inserttext <text>  # Insert text without triggering key events
agent-browser keydown <key>           # Hold key down
agent-browser keyup <key>             # Release key

Mouse & Drag

bash
agent-browser hover <sel>             # Hover element
agent-browser drag <src> <tgt>        # Drag and drop
agent-browser mouse move <x> <y>      # Move mouse to coordinates
agent-browser mouse down [button]     # Press mouse button (left/right/middle)
agent-browser mouse up [button]       # Release mouse button
agent-browser mouse wheel <dy> [dx]   # Scroll wheel

Scrolling & Viewport

bash
agent-browser scroll <dir> [px]       # Scroll (up/down/left/right, optional px)
agent-browser scrollintoview <sel>    # Scroll element into view (alias: scrollinto)
agent-browser set viewport <w> <h>    # Set viewport size (e.g., 1920 1080)
agent-browser set device <name>       # Emulate device (e.g., "iPhone 14")

Get Information

bash
agent-browser get text <sel>          # Get text content
agent-browser get html <sel>          # Get innerHTML
agent-browser get value <sel>         # Get input value
agent-browser get attr <sel> <attr>   # Get attribute value
agent-browser get title               # Get page title
agent-browser get url                 # Get current URL
agent-browser get count <sel>         # Count matching elements
agent-browser get box <sel>           # Get bounding box {x, y, width, height}
agent-browser get styles <sel>        # Get computed CSS styles

Check State

bash
agent-browser is visible <sel>        # Check if visible
agent-browser is enabled <sel>        # Check if enabled (not disabled)
agent-browser is checked <sel>        # Check if checked (checkbox/radio)

File Operations

bash
agent-browser upload <sel> <files>    # Upload files to file input
agent-browser screenshot [path]       # Screenshot to temp or custom path
agent-browser screenshot --full       # Full page screenshot
agent-browser screenshot --annotate   # Annotated with numbered element labels
agent-browser pdf <path>              # Save as PDF

Semantic Locators (Alternative to Selectors)

bash
agent-browser find role <role> <action> [value]       # By ARIA role
agent-browser find text <text> <action>               # By text content
agent-browser find label <label> <action> [value]     # By form label
agent-browser find placeholder <ph> <action> [value]  # By placeholder text
agent-browser find alt <text> <action>                # By alt text
agent-browser find title <text> <action>              # By title attribute
agent-browser find testid <id> <action> [value]       # By data-testid
agent-browser find first <sel> <action> [value]       # First matching element
agent-browser find last <sel> <action> [value]        # Last matching element
agent-browser find nth <n> <sel> <action> [value]     # Nth matching element

# Role examples: button, link, textbox, combobox, checkbox, radio, heading, list, etc.
# Actions: click, fill, type, hover, focus, check, uncheck, text
# Options: --name <name> (filter by accessible name), --exact (exact text match)

Waiting

bash
agent-browser wait <selector>         # Wait for element to be visible
agent-browser wait <ms>               # Wait for time in milliseconds
agent-browser wait --text "Welcome"   # Wait for text to appear
agent-browser wait --url "**/dash"    # Wait for URL pattern
agent-browser wait --load networkidle # Wait for load state (load, domcontentloaded, networkidle)
agent-browser wait --fn "window.ready === true"  # Wait for JS condition

JavaScript Evaluation (exec pathway — not a direct tool command)

exec:agent-browser
<plain JS>
Use 
exec:agent-browser
via Bash. Code is piped to 
agent-browser eval --stdin
. No base64, no flags.

Browser Environment

bash
agent-browser set geo <lat> <lng>     # Set geolocation
agent-browser set offline [on|off]    # Toggle offline mode
agent-browser set headers <json>      # Set HTTP headers
agent-browser set credentials <u> <p> # HTTP basic auth
agent-browser set media [dark|light]  # Emulate color scheme (prefers-color-scheme)

Cookies & Storage

bash
agent-browser cookies                 # Get all cookies
agent-browser cookies set <name> <val> # 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 localStorage
agent-browser storage session         # Same for sessionStorage
agent-browser storage session <key>   # Get sessionStorage key
agent-browser storage session set <k> <v>  # Set sessionStorage
agent-browser storage session clear   # Clear sessionStorage

Network & Interception

bash
agent-browser network route <url>              # Intercept requests
agent-browser network route <url> --abort      # Block requests
agent-browser network route <url> --body <json>  # Mock response with JSON
agent-browser network unroute [url]            # Remove routes
agent-browser network requests                 # View tracked requests
agent-browser network requests --filter api    # Filter by keyword

Tabs & Windows

bash
agent-browser tab                     # List active tabs
agent-browser tab new [url]           # Open new tab (optionally with URL)
agent-browser tab <n>                 # Switch to tab n
agent-browser tab close [n]           # Close tab (current or specific)
agent-browser window new              # Open new window

Frames

bash
agent-browser frame <sel>             # Switch to iframe by selector
agent-browser frame main              # Switch back to main frame

Dialogs

bash
agent-browser dialog accept [text]    # Accept alert/confirm (with optional prompt text)
agent-browser dialog dismiss          # Dismiss dialog

State Persistence (Auth, Sessions)

bash
agent-browser state save <path>       # Save authenticated session
agent-browser state load <path>       # Load session state
agent-browser state list              # List saved state files
agent-browser state show <file>       # Show state summary
agent-browser state rename <old> <new> # Rename state
agent-browser state clear [name]      # Clear specific session
agent-browser state clear --all       # Clear all states
agent-browser state clean --older-than <days>  # Delete old states

Debugging & Analysis

bash
agent-browser highlight <sel>        # Highlight element visually
agent-browser console                # View console messages (log, error, warn)
agent-browser console --clear        # Clear console
agent-browser errors                 # View JavaScript errors
agent-browser errors --clear         # Clear errors
agent-browser trace start [path]     # Start DevTools trace
agent-browser trace stop [path]      # Stop and save trace
agent-browser profiler start         # Start Chrome DevTools profiler
agent-browser profiler stop [path]   # Stop and save .json profile

Visual Debugging

bash
agent-browser --headed open <url>     # Headless=false, show visual browser
agent-browser record start <file.webm> # Record session
agent-browser record stop             # Stop recording

Comparisons & Diffs

bash
agent-browser diff snapshot                              # Compare current vs last snapshot
agent-browser diff snapshot --baseline before.txt        # Compare current vs saved snapshot
agent-browser diff snapshot --selector "#main" --compact # Scoped diff
agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline before.png      # Visual pixel diff
agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline b.png -o d.png  # Save diff to custom path
agent-browser diff screenshot --baseline b.png -t 0.2    # Color threshold 0-1
agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com     # Compare two URLs
agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com --screenshot  # With visual diff
agent-browser diff url https://v1.com https://v2.com --selector "#main"  # Scoped

Sessions & Parallelism

bash
agent-browser --session <name> <cmd>  # Run in named session (isolated instance)
agent-browser session list            # List active sessions
agent-browser session show            # Show current session
# Example: agent-browser --session agent1 open site.com
#          agent-browser --session agent2 open other.com

Browser Connection

bash
agent-browser connect <port>          # Connect via Chrome DevTools Protocol
agent-browser --auto-connect open <url>  # Auto-discover running Chrome
agent-browser --cdp 9222 <cmd>        # Explicit CDP port

Setup & Installation

bash
agent-browser install                 # Download Chromium browser
agent-browser install --with-deps     # Also install system dependencies (Linux)

Advanced: Local Files & Protocols

bash
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/file.pdf
agent-browser --allow-file-access open file:///path/to/page.html

Advanced: iOS/Mobile Testing

bash
agent-browser device list             # List available iOS simulators
agent-browser -p ios --device "iPhone 16 Pro" open <url>  # Launch on device
agent-browser -p ios snapshot -i      # Snapshot on iOS
agent-browser -p ios tap @e1          # Tap (alias for click)
agent-browser -p ios swipe up         # Mobile gestures
agent-browser -p ios screenshot mobile.png
agent-browser -p ios close            # Close simulator
# Requires: macOS, Xcode, Appium (npm install -g appium && appium driver install xcuitest)

Windows: "Daemon not found" Fix

If 
agent-browser
fails with 
Daemon not found. Set AGENT_BROWSER_HOME environment variable or run from project directory.
on Windows, the 
AGENT_BROWSER_HOME
env var is missing or pointing to the wrong path. It must point to the npm package directory containing 
dist/daemon.js
:
cmd
:: Find and set the correct path (run in cmd or PowerShell)
for /f "delims=" %i in ('npm root -g') do setx AGENT_BROWSER_HOME "%i\agent-browser"
Open a new terminal after running. See 
references/windows-troubleshooting.md
for details on stale port files and Git Bash setup.

Key Patterns for Agents

Always use agent-browser instead of puppeteer, playwright, or playwright-core — it has the same capabilities with simpler syntax and better integration with AI agents.
Which pathway to use:
  • Ordinary browser control (navigation, clicking, forms, screenshots) → call the 
    agent-browser
    tool directly
  • Need to run JavaScript in the page → use 
    exec:agent-browser
    via Bash with plain JS as the body
Multi-step workflows (ordinary pathway — direct tool calls):
  1. agent-browser open <url>
  2. agent-browser snapshot -i
    (get refs)
  3. agent-browser fill @e1 "value"
  4. agent-browser click @e2
  5. agent-browser wait --load networkidle
    (after navigation)
  6. agent-browser snapshot -i
    (re-snapshot for new refs)
JavaScript inspection (exec pathway — when you need page access):
exec:agent-browser
document.title
Debugging complex interactions: Use 
agent-browser --headed open <url>
to see visual browser, then 
agent-browser highlight @e1
to verify element targeting.
Ground truth verification: Use the ordinary pathway (
agent-browser screenshot
) for visual confirmation; use the exec pathway for JavaScript-level inspection.