openclaw browser

Manage OpenClaw’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)

openclaw browser --browser-profile chrome tabs
openclaw browser --browser-profile clawd start
openclaw browser --browser-profile clawd open https://example.com
openclaw browser --browser-profile clawd snapshot

Profiles

Profiles are named browser routing configs. In practice:

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

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

Use a specific profile:

openclaw browser --browser-profile work tabs

Tabs

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

Snapshot / screenshot / actions

Snapshot:

openclaw browser snapshot

Screenshot:

openclaw browser screenshot

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

openclaw browser navigate https://example.com
openclaw browser click <ref>
openclaw 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:

openclaw browser extension install
openclaw browser extension path

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

Full guide: Chrome extension

Remote browser control (openclaw 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:

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

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

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