# browser

# `openclaw browser`

Manage browser control servers and enable automated browser interactions.

## Overview

OpenClaw's browser command manages browser control servers and enables automated browser interactions. The system supports two primary browser profiles:

- **openclaw**: Launches a dedicated, isolated Chrome instance managed by OpenClaw
- **chrome**: Controls existing Chrome tabs through a Chrome extension relay

## Key Capabilities

The tool supports standard browser automation tasks including:
- Tab management (list, open, focus, close)
- Navigation
- Screenshots and snapshots
- UI element interaction through reference-based automation

## Usage Patterns

Common operations include:

- Managing tabs (list, open, focus, close)
- Visual capture via snapshots and screenshots
- Programmatic actions like clicking and typing on referenced UI elements
- Remote browser control through node host proxies when browsers run on different machines

## Commands

```bash
openclaw browser status
openclaw browser start
openclaw browser stop
openclaw browser screenshot
openclaw browser snapshot
openclaw browser navigate <url>
openclaw browser click --ref <ref>
openclaw browser type --ref <ref> --text "content"
```

## Configuration

Users can create custom browser profiles with specific names and colors, and specify profiles via the `--browser-profile` flag. Standard options include timeout settings, gateway URLs, and output formatting.

## Extension Integration

The Chrome extension relay allows manual attachment of existing Chrome tabs, requiring installation through the unpacked extension method rather than auto-attachment.

For comprehensive setup details, see additional guides covering remote access, security considerations, and Tailscale integration.
