diff --git a/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.test.ts b/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8f34447c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,92 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+
+const browserClientMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  browserCloseTab: vi.fn(async () => ({})),
+  browserFocusTab: vi.fn(async () => ({})),
+  browserOpenTab: vi.fn(async () => ({})),
+  browserSnapshot: vi.fn(async () => ({
+    ok: true,
+    format: "ai",
+    targetId: "t1",
+    url: "https://example.com",
+    snapshot: "ok",
+  })),
+  browserStart: vi.fn(async () => ({})),
+  browserStatus: vi.fn(async () => ({
+    ok: true,
+    running: true,
+    pid: 1,
+    cdpPort: 18792,
+    cdpUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18792",
+  })),
+  browserStop: vi.fn(async () => ({})),
+  browserTabs: vi.fn(async () => []),
+}));
+vi.mock("../../browser/client.js", () => browserClientMocks);
+
+const browserConfigMocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  resolveBrowserConfig: vi.fn(() => ({
+    enabled: true,
+    controlUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18791",
+    controlHost: "127.0.0.1",
+    controlPort: 18791,
+    cdpProtocol: "http",
+    cdpHost: "127.0.0.1",
+    cdpIsLoopback: true,
+    color: "#FF0000",
+    headless: true,
+    noSandbox: false,
+    attachOnly: false,
+    defaultProfile: "clawd",
+    profiles: {
+      clawd: {
+        cdpPort: 18792,
+        color: "#FF0000",
+      },
+    },
+  })),
+}));
+vi.mock("../../browser/config.js", () => browserConfigMocks);
+
+vi.mock("../../config/config.js", () => ({
+  loadConfig: vi.fn(() => ({ browser: {} })),
+}));
+
+import { DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS } from "../../browser/constants.js";
+import { createBrowserTool } from "./browser-tool.js";
+
+describe("browser tool snapshot maxChars", () => {
+  afterEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks();
+  });
+
+  it("applies the default ai snapshot limit", async () => {
+    const tool = createBrowserTool();
+    await tool.execute?.(null, { action: "snapshot", format: "ai" });
+
+    expect(browserClientMocks.browserSnapshot).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://127.0.0.1:18791",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        format: "ai",
+        maxChars: DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+
+  it("respects an explicit maxChars override", async () => {
+    const tool = createBrowserTool();
+    const override = 2_000;
+    await tool.execute?.(null, {
+      action: "snapshot",
+      format: "ai",
+      maxChars: override,
+    });
+
+    expect(browserClientMocks.browserSnapshot).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+      "http://127.0.0.1:18791",
+      expect.objectContaining({
+        maxChars: override,
+      }),
+    );
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.ts b/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.ts
index 3b33bbac4..2fcc0ad2b 100644
--- a/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.ts
+++ b/src/agents/tools/browser-tool.ts
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import {
   browserScreenshotAction,
 } from "../../browser/client-actions.js";
 import { resolveBrowserConfig } from "../../browser/config.js";
+import { DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS } from "../../browser/constants.js";
 import { loadConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import {
   type AnyAgentTool,
@@ -44,8 +45,6 @@ const BROWSER_ACT_KINDS = [
 
 type BrowserActKind = (typeof BROWSER_ACT_KINDS)[number];
 
-const DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS = 80_000;
-
 // NOTE: Using a flattened object schema instead of Type.Union([Type.Object(...), ...])
 // because Claude API on Vertex AI rejects nested anyOf schemas as invalid JSON Schema.
 // The discriminator (kind) determines which properties are relevant; runtime validates.
diff --git a/src/browser/constants.ts b/src/browser/constants.ts
index 041a3e6ce..a5c3052d1 100644
--- a/src/browser/constants.ts
+++ b/src/browser/constants.ts
@@ -2,3 +2,4 @@ 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_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS = 80_000;
diff --git a/src/browser/routes/agent.ts b/src/browser/routes/agent.ts
index 91b4d5c42..3439937ec 100644
--- a/src/browser/routes/agent.ts
+++ b/src/browser/routes/agent.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import type express from "express";
 import { ensureMediaDir, saveMediaBuffer } from "../../media/store.js";
 import { captureScreenshot, snapshotAria } from "../cdp.js";
 import type { BrowserFormField } from "../client-actions-core.js";
+import { DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS } from "../constants.js";
 import {
   DEFAULT_BROWSER_SCREENSHOT_MAX_BYTES,
   DEFAULT_BROWSER_SCREENSHOT_MAX_SIDE,
@@ -1205,6 +1206,8 @@ export function registerBrowserAgentRoutes(
       maxCharsRaw > 0
         ? Math.floor(maxCharsRaw)
         : undefined;
+    const resolvedMaxChars =
+      format === "ai" ? (maxChars ?? DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS) : undefined;
     const interactive = toBoolean(req.query.interactive);
     const compact = toBoolean(req.query.compact);
     const depth = toNumber(req.query.depth);
@@ -1239,7 +1242,9 @@ export function registerBrowserAgentRoutes(
               .snapshotAiViaPlaywright({
                 cdpUrl: profileCtx.profile.cdpUrl,
                 targetId: tab.targetId,
-                ...(maxChars ? { maxChars } : {}),
+                ...(typeof resolvedMaxChars === "number"
+                  ? { maxChars: resolvedMaxChars }
+                  : {}),
               })
               .catch(async (err) => {
                 // Public-API fallback when Playwright's private _snapshotForAI is missing.
diff --git a/src/browser/server.test.ts b/src/browser/server.test.ts
index 47e644b1e..85b2ecf15 100644
--- a/src/browser/server.test.ts
+++ b/src/browser/server.test.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { type AddressInfo, createServer } from "node:net";
 import { fetch as realFetch } from "undici";
 
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
+import { DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS } from "./constants.js";
 
 let testPort = 0;
 let cdpBaseUrl = "";
@@ -329,6 +330,7 @@ describe("browser control server", () => {
     expect(pwMocks.snapshotAiViaPlaywright).toHaveBeenCalledWith({
       cdpUrl: cdpBaseUrl,
       targetId: "abcd1234",
+      maxChars: DEFAULT_AI_SNAPSHOT_MAX_CHARS,
     });
 
     const nav = (await realFetch(`${base}/navigate`, {