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Install in OpenClaw
/install browserctl
Description
WebDriver automation CLI for AI-driven browser control. Provides session management, tab control, element interaction, screenshots, batch execution, and an i...
README (SKILL.md)
browsectl
CRITICAL: Before doing anything, run
browsectl setupto detect installed browsers and auto-download the matching WebDriver binary. Sessions persist to.browsectl/sessions.jsonacross CLI invocations — you do not need to create a new session every time.
WebDriver automation CLI for AI-driven browser control. browsectl provides subcommands for browser session management, tab control, element interaction, screenshots, batch execution, and an interactive REPL.
Installation
npm install -g @yorelog/browsectl
browsectl setup
Skills
Session & Driver Lifecycle
Session & driver lifecycle management.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
setup |
Detect browsers and download WebDriver binary |
status |
Show driver and session status |
driver-start |
Start the WebDriver server |
session-create |
Create a new browser session |
session-list |
List all active sessions |
session-use |
Switch the default session |
session-delete |
Delete a session |
Browser Commands
Browser interaction commands — navigate, click, type, screenshot, scroll, read state, wait.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
run --type open |
Navigate to a URL |
run --type click |
Click a DOM element by CSS selector |
run --type fill |
Type text into an input field character by character |
run --type paste |
Paste text via clipboard simulation |
run --type screenshot |
Capture a DOM element to PNG |
run --type scroll |
Scroll the page or a specific element |
run --type title |
Get the current page title |
run --type last-message-content |
Extract the last message block (chat UIs) |
run --type wait |
Wait for a condition (visible, hidden, URL, title, JS) |
Tab Management
Tab management — list, create, switch, and close browser tabs.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
tab-list |
List all open tabs |
tab-create |
Open a new tab |
tab-switch |
Switch to a tab by index, alias, or handle |
tab-close |
Close a tab |
Batch Execution
Batch execution — run single commands, sequential batches from JSON files, and parallel groups.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
run |
Execute a single WebDriver command |
batch |
Run a sequence of commands from a JSON file |
Selector Syntax
CSS selectors with ::text(/regex/flags) extension for filtering elements by text content.
Interactive REPL
Interactive REPL — live command entry, tab-completion, persistent history.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
repl |
Start the interactive REPL |
Global CLI Flags
| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
--browser |
chrome |
Browser to automate: chrome or edge |
--server |
http://127.0.0.1:9515 |
WebDriver server URL |
--chromedriver |
(auto-detected) | Path to WebDriver binary (chromedriver / msedgedriver) |
--chrome-binary |
(auto-detected) | Path to browser binary |
--user-data-dir |
~/.browsectl/\x3Cbrowser>-profile |
Browser user-data directory |
--profile-directory |
Default |
Browser profile directory name |
--headless |
false |
Run browser in headless mode |
--viewport |
1024,768 |
Viewport size as width,height |
--session |
(default session) | Session ID to operate on |
Platform Support
| OS | x64 | arm64 |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | ✅ | ✅ |
| Linux | ✅ | ✅ |
| Windows | ✅ | ✅ |
Usage Guidance
This package is coherent with its stated purpose (a WebDriver CLI wrapper) but has two important security considerations:
1) Install behavior: the npm postinstall will download a prebuilt binary from GitHub Releases and place an executable on disk. That binary will be executed via the wrapper. Treat that as running third-party native code — verify the publisher/repo and trustworthiness before installing.
2) Sensitive local data access: the tool is designed to detect your installed browsers and (unless you opt out) can copy cookies and extensions from your real browser profile into the automation profile. If you run it non-interactively (background worker or invoked by an agent), the docs say it defaults to copying cookies and extensions. That can expose authentication cookies and extension data. If you need this skill, either run it in interactive mode and decline copying, use the explicit --no-copy-data flag, or run it in an isolated environment (clean browser profile or VM) to avoid leaking sensitive profile data.
Additional recommendations: inspect the GitHub repository/release assets referenced in the SKILL.md, verify the binary checksum if available, and prefer installing only after confirming the upstream source. If you plan to let an AI agent invoke this autonomously, consider restricting that agent's ability to request operations that would trigger profile copying or downloads.
Capability Assessment
Purpose & Capability
Name/description align with the files and runtime behavior: this is an npm wrapper that installs and proxies to a browsectl binary and provides WebDriver-based browser automation. Requiring a browsectl binary and providing npm install instructions is coherent.
Instruction Scope
SKILL.md explicitly instructs running `browsectl setup` which will detect installed browsers and auto-download matching WebDriver binaries. The session-create docs describe copying user browser data (cookies and extensions) into the automation profile — and note that in non-interactive/background mode this copy defaults to enabled. That means the tool will access sensitive local browser profile files (Cookies SQLite DB, extensions) without additional environment variables or credentials. The instructions also persist sessions and driver info to ~/.browsectl, and start detached driver processes.
Install Mechanism
The npm package's postinstall (scripts/install.js) downloads a platform-specific prebuilt binary from GitHub Releases (https://github.com/yorelog/browsectl/releases) and extracts it into the package bin directory. Downloading releases from GitHub is common and reasonable, but it does write and chmod an executable on disk and relies on a network fetch at install time — this is moderate-risk behavior (trusted host but arbitrary binary execution).
Credentials
The skill declares no required environment variables, which is fine, but the documented runtime behavior involves reading local browser installations and profiles and (by default in non-interactive/background worker mode) copying cookies and extensions from the user's real browser profile. Access to these local files is not represented in the package metadata and is sensitive. No external API keys are requested, but local data access can still expose secrets (login cookies, extension state).
Persistence & Privilege
The skill is not marked always:true. It persists runtime state and sessions to ~/.browsectl and can spawn detached WebDriver server processes that remain running after CLI exit. Persisting sessions and storing binaries under the package are expected for a CLI tool, but you should be aware it creates files and running processes on install/use.
How to Use
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install browserctl - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/browserctl - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
Version History
v0.1.1
- Adds skills, usage, and command references for all browsectl features in new documentation.
- Details session management, browser control, tab operations, batch execution, and REPL capabilities.
- Outlines required setup, installation steps, and supported platforms.
- Documents all global CLI flags for flexible browser automation.
Metadata
Frequently Asked Questions
What is BrowseCTL?
WebDriver automation CLI for AI-driven browser control. Provides session management, tab control, element interaction, screenshots, batch execution, and an i... It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 91 downloads so far.
How do I install BrowseCTL?
Run "/install browserctl" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is BrowseCTL free?
Yes, BrowseCTL is completely free, licensed under MIT-0. You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does BrowseCTL support?
BrowseCTL is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).
Who created BrowseCTL?
It is built and maintained by yorelog (@yorelog); the current version is v0.1.1.
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