fix(browser): default to chrome extension takeover

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
 - Agents: stabilize sub-agent announce status from runtime outcomes and normalize Result/Notes. (#835) — thanks @roshanasingh4.
 - Apps: use canonical main session keys from gateway defaults across macOS/iOS/Android to avoid creating bare `main` sessions.
 - Browser: ship a built-in `chrome` profile for extension relay and start the relay automatically when running locally.
+- Browser: default `browser.defaultProfile` to `chrome` (existing Chrome takeover mode).
 - Embedded runner: suppress raw API error payloads from replies. (#924) — thanks @grp06.
 - Auth: normalize Claude Code CLI profile mode to oauth and auto-migrate config. (#855) — thanks @sebslight.
 - Daemon: clear persisted launchd disabled state before bootstrap (fixes `daemon install` after uninstall). (#849) — thanks @ndraiman.

docs/cli/browser.md

@@ -23,11 +23,10 @@ Related:
 ## Quick start (local)
 
 ```bash
-clawdbot browser status
-clawdbot browser start
-clawdbot browser tabs
-clawdbot browser open https://example.com
-clawdbot browser snapshot
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile chrome tabs
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd start
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd open https://example.com
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd snapshot
 ```
 
 ## Profiles

docs/gateway/configuration.md

@@ -2357,7 +2357,7 @@ Defaults:
     enabled: true,
     controlUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18791",
     // cdpUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18792", // legacy single-profile override
-    defaultProfile: "clawd",
+    defaultProfile: "chrome",
     profiles: {
       clawd: { cdpPort: 18800, color: "#FF4500" },
       work: { cdpPort: 18801, color: "#0066CC" },

docs/tools/browser.md

@@ -30,10 +30,10 @@ agent automation and verification.
 ## Quick start
 
 ```bash
-clawdbot browser status
-clawdbot browser start
-clawdbot browser open https://example.com
-clawdbot browser snapshot
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd status
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd start
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd open https://example.com
+clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd snapshot
 ```
 
 If you get “Browser disabled”, enable it in config (see below) and restart the
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ Browser settings live in `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json`.
     enabled: true,                    // default: true
     controlUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18791",
     cdpUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18792", // defaults to controlUrl + 1
-    defaultProfile: "clawd",
+    defaultProfile: "chrome",
     color: "#FF4500",
     headless: false,
     noSandbox: false,

docs/tools/index.md

@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ Notes:
 - Requires `browser.enabled=true` (default is `true`; set `false` to disable).
 - Uses `browser.controlUrl` unless `controlUrl` is passed explicitly.
 - All actions accept optional `profile` parameter for multi-instance support.
-- When `profile` is omitted, uses `browser.defaultProfile` (defaults to "clawd").
+- When `profile` is omitted, uses `browser.defaultProfile` (defaults to "chrome").
 - Profile names: lowercase alphanumeric + hyphens only (max 64 chars).
 - Port range: 18800-18899 (~100 profiles max).
 - Remote profiles are attach-only (no start/stop/reset).

src/browser/config.test.ts

@@ -10,14 +10,15 @@ describe("browser config", () => {
     expect(resolved.color).toBe("#FF4500");
     expect(shouldStartLocalBrowserServer(resolved)).toBe(true);
     const profile = resolveProfile(resolved, resolved.defaultProfile);
-    expect(profile?.cdpPort).toBe(18800);
-    expect(profile?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:18800");
-    expect(profile?.cdpIsLoopback).toBe(true);
+    expect(profile?.name).toBe("chrome");
+    expect(profile?.driver).toBe("extension");
+    expect(profile?.cdpPort).toBe(18792);
+    expect(profile?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:18792");
 
-    const chrome = resolveProfile(resolved, "chrome");
-    expect(chrome?.driver).toBe("extension");
-    expect(chrome?.cdpPort).toBe(18792);
-    expect(chrome?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:18792");
+    const clawd = resolveProfile(resolved, "clawd");
+    expect(clawd?.driver).toBe("clawd");
+    expect(clawd?.cdpPort).toBe(18800);
+    expect(clawd?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:18800");
   });
 
   it("derives default ports from CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT when unset", () => {
@@ -26,14 +27,14 @@ describe("browser config", () => {
     try {
       const resolved = resolveBrowserConfig(undefined);
       expect(resolved.controlPort).toBe(19003);
-      const profile = resolveProfile(resolved, resolved.defaultProfile);
-      expect(profile?.cdpPort).toBe(19012);
-      expect(profile?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:19012");
-
       const chrome = resolveProfile(resolved, "chrome");
       expect(chrome?.driver).toBe("extension");
       expect(chrome?.cdpPort).toBe(19004);
       expect(chrome?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:19004");
+
+      const clawd = resolveProfile(resolved, "clawd");
+      expect(clawd?.cdpPort).toBe(19012);
+      expect(clawd?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://127.0.0.1:19012");
     } finally {
       if (prev === undefined) {
         delete process.env.CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_PORT;
@@ -80,7 +81,7 @@ describe("browser config", () => {
       controlUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18791",
       cdpUrl: "http://example.com:9222",
     });
-    const profile = resolveProfile(resolved, resolved.defaultProfile);
+    const profile = resolveProfile(resolved, "clawd");
     expect(profile?.cdpPort).toBe(9222);
     expect(profile?.cdpUrl).toBe("http://example.com:9222");
     expect(profile?.cdpIsLoopback).toBe(false);
@@ -127,5 +128,6 @@ describe("browser config", () => {
       },
     });
     expect(resolveProfile(resolved, "chrome")).toBe(null);
+    expect(resolved.defaultProfile).toBe("clawd");
   });
 });

src/browser/config.ts

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import {
   DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_COLOR,
   DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_CONTROL_URL,
   DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_ENABLED,
+  DEFAULT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_PROFILE_NAME,
   DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_PROFILE_NAME,
 } from "./constants.js";
 import { CDP_PORT_RANGE_START, getUsedPorts } from "./profiles.js";
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ export function resolveBrowserConfig(cfg: BrowserConfig | undefined): ResolvedBr
   const attachOnly = cfg?.attachOnly === true;
   const executablePath = cfg?.executablePath?.trim() || undefined;
 
-  const defaultProfile = cfg?.defaultProfile ?? DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_PROFILE_NAME;
+  const defaultProfileFromConfig = cfg?.defaultProfile?.trim() || undefined;
   // Use legacy cdpUrl port for backward compatibility when no profiles configured
   const legacyCdpPort = rawCdpUrl ? cdpInfo.port : undefined;
   const profiles = ensureDefaultChromeExtensionProfile(
@@ -190,6 +191,11 @@ export function resolveBrowserConfig(cfg: BrowserConfig | undefined): ResolvedBr
     controlPort,
   );
   const cdpProtocol = cdpInfo.parsed.protocol === "https:" ? "https" : "http";
+  const defaultProfile =
+    defaultProfileFromConfig ??
+    (profiles[DEFAULT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_PROFILE_NAME]
+      ? DEFAULT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_PROFILE_NAME
+      : DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_PROFILE_NAME);
 
   return {
     enabled,

src/browser/constants.ts

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ export const DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_ENABLED = true;
 export const DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_CONTROL_URL = "http://127.0.0.1:18791";
 export const DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_COLOR = "#FF4500";
 export const DEFAULT_CLAWD_BROWSER_PROFILE_NAME = "clawd";
+export const DEFAULT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_PROFILE_NAME = "chrome";
 export const DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS = 80_000;
 export const DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_EFFICIENT_MAX_CHARS = 10_000;
 export const DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_EFFICIENT_DEPTH = 6;

src/browser/profiles-service.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import type { BrowserProfileConfig, ClawdbotConfig } from "../config/config.js";
 import { loadConfig, writeConfigFile } from "../config/config.js";
 import { deriveDefaultBrowserCdpPortRange } from "../config/port-defaults.js";
+import { DEFAULT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_PROFILE_NAME } from "./constants.js";
 import { resolveClawdUserDataDir } from "./chrome.js";
 import { parseHttpUrl, resolveProfile } from "./config.js";
 import {
@@ -134,7 +135,7 @@ export function createBrowserProfilesService(ctx: BrowserRouteContext) {
       throw new Error(`profile "${name}" not found`);
     }
 
-    const defaultProfile = cfg.browser?.defaultProfile ?? "clawd";
+    const defaultProfile = cfg.browser?.defaultProfile ?? DEFAULT_BROWSER_DEFAULT_PROFILE_NAME;
     if (name === defaultProfile) {
       throw new Error(
         `cannot delete the default profile "${name}"; change browser.defaultProfile first`,

src/config/types.browser.ts

@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ export type BrowserConfig = {
   noSandbox?: boolean;
   /** If true: never launch; only attach to an existing browser. Default: false */
   attachOnly?: boolean;
-  /** Default profile to use when profile param is omitted. Default: "clawd" */
+  /** Default profile to use when profile param is omitted. Default: "chrome" */
   defaultProfile?: string;
   /** Named browser profiles with explicit CDP ports or URLs. */
   profiles?: Record<string, BrowserProfileConfig>;