Agent Browser

---
name: agent-browser
description: "Runs agent-browser to open pages, snapshot refs, click, fill, screenshot, and extract. Use when web tests, forms, or interactive scraping need a real browser."
triggers:
  - browser
  - navigate
  - form fill
  - screenshot
  - web testing
  - extract from page
---

# Browser Automation with agent-browser

**Role:** You are the browser automation specialist. You execute `agent-browser` CLI commands to navigate, snapshot, interact, and extract. You interpret snapshot output (refs like `@e1`) and choose the correct command for each interaction. You do not click blindly—always snapshot first to get refs, then interact.

## When to Use vs Alternatives

| Need | Use | Why |
|------|-----|-----|
| Forms, clicks, waits, interactive flows | **agent-browser** (this) | Requires DOM interaction |
| Static content extraction | firecrawl scrape | Faster, no browser |
| Web search | brave-search or valyu | Search, not scrape |
| Local code/docs search | lev-find | Not web |

## Quick start

```bash
agent-browser open <url>        # Navigate to page
agent-browser snapshot -i       # Get interactive elements with refs
agent-browser click @e1         # Click element by ref
agent-browser fill @e2 "text"   # Fill input by ref
agent-browser close             # Close browser
```

## Core workflow

1. Navigate: `agent-browser open <url>`
2. Snapshot: `agent-browser snapshot -i` (returns elements with refs like `@e1`, `@e2`)
3. Interact using refs from the snapshot
4. Re-snapshot after navigation or significant DOM changes

## Commands

### Navigation
```bash
agent-browser open <url>      # Navigate to URL
agent-browser back            # Go back
agent-browser forward         # Go forward
agent-browser reload          # Reload page
agent-browser close           # Close browser
```

### Snapshot (page analysis)
```bash
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)
```bash
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
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
agent-browser scroll down 500     # Scroll page
agent-browser scrollintoview @e1  # Scroll element into view
agent-browser drag @e1 @e2        # Drag and drop
agent-browser upload @e1 file.pdf # Upload files
```

### Get information
```bash
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
```

### Check state
```bash
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 & PDF
```bash
agent-browser screenshot          # Screenshot to stdout
agent-browser screenshot path.png # Save to file
agent-browser screenshot --full   # Full page
agent-browser pdf output.pdf      # Save as PDF
```

### Video recording
```bash
agent-browser record start ./demo.webm    # Start recording (uses current URL + state)
agent-browser click @e1                   # Perform actions
agent-browser record stop                 # Stop and save video
agent-browser record restart ./take2.webm # Stop current + start new recording
```
Recording creates a fresh context but preserves cookies/storage from your session. If no URL is provided, it automatically returns to your current page. For smooth demos, explore first, then start recording.

### Wait
```bash
agent-browser wait @e1                     # Wait for element
agent-browser wait 2000                    # Wait milliseconds
agent-browser wait --text "Success"        # Wait for text
agent-browser wait --url "**/dashboard"    # Wait for URL pattern
agent-browser wait --load networkidle      # Wait for network idle
agent-browser wait --fn "window.ready"     # Wait for JS condition
```

### Mouse control
```bash
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)
```bash
agent-browser find role button click --name "Submit"
agent-browser find text "Sign In" click
agent-browser find label "Email" fill "user@test.com"
agent-browser find first ".item" click
agent-browser find nth 2 "a" text
```

### Browser settings
```bash
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
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
agent-browser set media dark              # Emulate color scheme
```

### Cookies & Storage
```bash
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
```bash
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 & Windows
```bash
agent-browser tab                 # List tabs
agent-browser tab new [url]       # New tab
agent-browser tab 2               # Switch to tab
agent-browser tab close           # Close tab
agent-browser window new          # New window
```

### Frames
```bash
agent-browser frame "#iframe"     # Switch to iframe
agent-browser frame main          # Back to main frame
```

### Dialogs
```bash
agent-browser dialog accept [text]  # Accept dialog
agent-browser dialog dismiss        # Dismiss dialog
```

### JavaScript
```bash
agent-browser eval "document.title"   # Run JavaScript
```

## Example: Form submission

```bash
agent-browser open https://example.com/form
agent-browser snapshot -i
# Output shows: textbox "Email" [ref=e1], textbox "Password" [ref=e2], button "Submit" [ref=e3]

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
```

## Example: Authentication with saved state

```bash
# Login once
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

# Later sessions: load saved state
agent-browser state load auth.json
agent-browser open https://app.example.com/dashboard
```

## Sessions (parallel browsers)

```bash
agent-browser --session test1 open site-a.com
agent-browser --session test2 open site-b.com
agent-browser session list
```

## JSON output (for parsing)

Add `--json` for machine-readable output:
```bash
agent-browser snapshot -i --json
agent-browser get text @e1 --json
```

## Debugging

```bash
agent-browser open example.com --headed              # Show browser window
agent-browser console                                # View console messages
agent-browser errors                                 # View page errors
agent-browser record start ./debug.webm   # Record from current page
agent-browser record stop                            # Save recording
agent-browser open example.com --headed  # Show browser window
agent-browser --cdp 9222 snapshot        # Connect via CDP
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
```

---

## Related Search & Scraping Tools

**agent-browser is for interactive web automation. For simpler use cases:**

| Tool | Use When | Example |
|------|----------|---------|
| **agent-browser** (this) | Interactive testing, forms, screenshots | Complex navigation requiring interaction |
| **firecrawl** | Static content extraction, site mapping | `firecrawl scrape <url>` (faster, cheaper) |
| **brave-search** | Quick web search | `brave-search "query"` |
| **valyu** | Recursive research | `valyu research "query" --turns 5` |
| **deep-research** | Multi-query synthesis | `deep-research "query" --deep` |
| **lev-find** | Unified search | `lev get "query" --scope=research` |

**Decision tree:**
```
Need web data? → Choose:
├─ Static content → firecrawl scrape (fastest)
├─ Requires interaction (forms, clicks, waits) → agent-browser (this)
├─ Search only → brave-search or valyu
└─ Local search → lev-find or qmd
```

**When agent-browser is overkill:**
- Just need page content → Use `firecrawl scrape` instead
- Searching for information → Use `brave-search` or `valyu`
- Don't need to click/fill → Use `firecrawl`

See `skill://firecrawl` for static scraping, `skill://lev-research` for research workflows.