clawdbot/docs/cli/browser.md

summary, read_when

summary	read_when
CLI reference for `clawdbot browser` (profiles, tabs, actions, extension relay, remote serve)	You use `clawdbot browser` and want examples for common tasks You want to control a remote browser via `browser.controlUrl` You want to use the Chrome extension relay (attach/detach via toolbar button)

clawdbot browser

Manage Clawdbot’s browser control server and run browser actions (tabs, snapshots, screenshots, navigation, clicks, typing).

Related:

• Browser tool + API: Browser tool
• Chrome extension relay: Chrome extension

Common flags

• --url <controlUrl>: override browser.controlUrl for this command invocation.
• --browser-profile <name>: choose a browser profile (default comes from config).
• --json: machine-readable output (where supported).

Quick start (local)

clawdbot browser status
clawdbot browser start
clawdbot browser tabs
clawdbot browser open https://example.com
clawdbot browser snapshot

Profiles

Profiles are named browser routing configs. In practice:

• clawd: launches/attaches to a dedicated Clawdbot-managed Chrome instance (isolated user data dir).
• chrome: controls your existing Chrome tab(s) via the Chrome extension relay.

clawdbot browser profiles
clawdbot browser create-profile --name work --color "#FF5A36"
clawdbot browser delete-profile --name work

Use a specific profile:

clawdbot browser --browser-profile work tabs

Tabs

clawdbot browser tabs
clawdbot browser open https://docs.clawd.bot
clawdbot browser focus <targetId>
clawdbot browser close <targetId>

Snapshot / screenshot / actions

Snapshot:

clawdbot browser snapshot

Screenshot:

clawdbot browser screenshot

Navigate/click/type (ref-based UI automation):

clawdbot browser navigate https://example.com
clawdbot browser click <ref>
clawdbot browser type <ref> "hello"

Chrome extension relay (attach via toolbar button)

This mode lets the agent control an existing Chrome tab that you attach manually (it does not auto-attach).

Install the unpacked extension to a stable path:

clawdbot browser extension install
clawdbot browser extension path

Then Chrome → chrome://extensions → enable “Developer mode” → “Load unpacked” → select the printed folder.

Full guide: Chrome extension

Remote browser control (clawdbot browser serve)

If the Gateway runs on a different machine than the browser, run a standalone browser control server on the machine that runs Chrome:

clawdbot browser serve --bind 127.0.0.1 --port 18791 --token <token>

Then point the Gateway at it using browser.controlUrl + browser.controlToken (or CLAWDBOT_BROWSER_CONTROL_TOKEN).

Security + TLS best-practices: Browser tool, Tailscale, Security