ai-dev-browser

A browser for AI to develop web automation — human-like automation that works seamlessly in a world designed for humans.

What is this?

ai-dev-browser is a browser that AI agents (Claude, GPT, etc.) use to see and interact with web pages — similar to how Claude in Chrome works, but headless-compatible and embeddable.

Ways to inspect and capture pages:

• Accessibility tree (page_discover): semantic element discovery with refs for clicking/typing
• Screenshots (page_screenshot + mouse_click --screenshot): visual coordinate-based interaction with automatic scaling
• Interaction recordings (page_record_start / page_record_stop): record a tab across CLI calls and save a shareable animated GIF

# AI discovers elements
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_discover

# AI clicks by ref (from accessibility tree)
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.click_by_ref --ref "5#214"

# AI clicks by coordinates (from screenshot)
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.mouse_click --x 105 --y 52 --screenshot screenshots/page.png

Screenshot Coordinate Alignment

Screenshots are auto-scaled to fit LLM vision limits (default 1280px long edge for Claude; configurable per model). Scaling metadata is embedded in the PNG, so when a mouse tool accepts --screenshot, coordinates you read off the image are auto-converted back to CSS viewport space. See python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_screenshot --help for the limits and --help on any mouse tool for the coord passthrough.

CLI = Python (SSOT)

Every tool is exposed two ways, same signature, from one core function definition — CLI wrappers are auto-generated. Pick whichever is more convenient:

• CLI: python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.<name> [flags]
• Python: from ai_dev_browser.core import <name>

Because both paths are generated from a single source, parameter changes flow to both at once and can't drift. See cli-steering-engineering for the underlying decorator.

Tools cover: navigation, element interaction, mouse, tabs, screenshots, recordings, cookies, storage, window management, dialogs, downloads, and raw CDP. To see the current list (count and names change — this README deliberately doesn't pin them):

ls ai_dev_browser/tools/

One file per CLI command, by design. Each CLI command gets its own tools/<name>.py (e.g. tools/click_by_text.py, tools/click_by_xpath.py). Our invocation is python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.<name> — one file 1:1 maps to one CLI path with no extra subcommand layer. The <verb>_by_<spec> family (click_by_text, click_by_ref, click_by_html_id, click_by_xpath) clusters alphabetically under ls, so domain navigation is preserved without grouping into a single file. Auto-generation reinforces the pattern: tools/_generate.py produces exactly one wrapper per core function in __all__, no manual subcommand routing.

Tool Naming Convention

Two patterns, consistent across the entire toolkit (CLI file names, Python exports, and docstring titles all match):

1. Domain-scoped operations: <domain>_<verb>

The noun comes first. Operations that act on a "thing" (browser lifecycle, page state, cookie store, tabs, storage, mouse, etc.) all sort together in ls tools/ and tab completion:

2. Element-targeting operations: <verb>_by_<spec>

The verb comes first; the spec is how you identify the element. LLM mental model: "I have an X, I want to do Y → look for Y_by_X."

Verbs currently in use: click, type, focus, hover, drag, highlight, html (read), screenshot, select, upload, find.

page_discover is the broad catalog (pattern 1, domain-scoped); find_by_* is single-element targeted lookup (pattern 2, element-targeting). Pick find_by_* when you know the id / xpath / unique text; pick page_discover when you don't yet.

Outliers (by design, not oversight): download (standalone verb, no domain fits), js_evaluate (last-resort escape hatch), login_interactive (explicit marker that this flavor needs human input, unlike scripted login flows you'd build on page_goto + type_by_text).

Docstring First-Line Convention

Every tool's docstring first sentence is a decision signal, not a description. Two halves, always in this order:

1. Input (when to pick me) — the condition that makes this tool the right choice. "Use when: you know the html id…", "Use when: no specific tool fits — last resort…"
2. Output (what the return unlocks) — what the caller does with the return value. "Returns {found, tag, …} you branch on — pair with click_by_html_id to act."

Why: LLMs ranking tools glance at the first line only. A pure description ("Click an element located by html id, …") reads the same as a lower-level alternative and gives no priority signal. A decision signal ("Use when: you already know the html id. Prefer over click_by_ref when possible.") tells the LLM when to pick this tool and what to do next. Measured effect on real LLM traces: the intended tool goes from near-zero uptake to the obvious first choice for its scenario.

When you add a new tool, write the first line in this shape before touching anything else. Everything after it (Args / Returns / Example) can stay conventional.

Quick Start

pip install ai-dev-browser
# or upgrade an existing installation
pip install --upgrade ai-dev-browser
# or with uv
uv add ai-dev-browser

Want the unreleased master or a specific commit?

pip install "ai-dev-browser @ git+https://github.com/sudoprivacy/ai-dev-browser.git@master"

Discover tools

Core docstrings supply CLI help, including parameter types, defaults and usage guidance. Start with the file listing and read the relevant tool's help:

# What tools exist
ls ai_dev_browser/tools/

# How to use any one of them (docstring first line is a decision
# signal: "Use when: … Returns {…} so you can …")
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_discover --help
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.click_by_text --help
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.browser_start --help

# Share a GIF demo or before/after recording of a workflow
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_record_start --help
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_record_stop --help

For runnable end-to-end workflows, the integration tests in tests/integration/ are the canonical reference — they always match the current API because CI runs them on every commit. Start with test_locator_workflows.py for common page_goto → click_by_* / find_by_* → page_screenshot patterns.

Live browser acceptance

The CLI and real extension regression workflows in test_cli_extension_workflows.py run in CI. Public-site acceptance is also available in test_public_web_workflows.py: search Wikipedia through CLI subprocesses, then drive its language menu through the real extension and continue after restarting the extension worker.

To run public-site acceptance locally (PowerShell):

uv sync --extra dev
$env:AI_DEV_BROWSER_LIVE_WEB = '1'
$env:AI_DEV_BROWSER_TEST_EXTENSION_CHROME = 'C:\path\to\chrome-for-testing\chrome.exe'
uv run python -m pytest -v -s tests/integration/test_public_web_workflows.py --basetemp scratch/public-web-acceptance

Use a Chrome for Testing or Chromium executable that supports loading unpacked extensions. The tests launch temporary browser profiles and close them afterward. No login or API key is needed. Public-site tests are opt-in because they depend on internet access and Wikipedia's current UI; once enabled, failures are reported normally. Screenshots and evidence.json files stay under the selected --basetemp directory for review (pytest clears that directory on each run).

Both workflow files are generated from the adjacent scenarios_*.json sources using integration-test-generator; edit the scenarios and regenerate the tests.

Record an interaction

python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_record_start --port 9222 --fps 10 --out output/before.gif
# Continue with page_discover, click_by_ref, type_by_ref, page_goto, etc.
python -m ai_dev_browser.tools.page_record_stop

Start returns a recording_id after the first frame arrives. Stop without an ID selects the single unfinished recording started in the current working directory. For concurrent recordings or a different directory, use page_record_stop --recording-id <id>. Stop works even if the browser has closed: an interrupted recording returns an error instead of a partial success.

The recorder runs in a detached process, so CLI exit and Python client disconnect do not stop capture. The Python API uses the same names and arguments: await page_record_start(tab, out="before.gif"), then await page_record_stop(recording_id). Use --transport extension on start to record through the real extension. Keep that tab visible; switching tabs does not switch the recording. After upgrading an already running bridge, restart it with browser_disconnect / browser_connect --transport extension and reload the extension to pick up concurrent event delivery and detach reporting.

Demo is enabled by default: a visible cursor follows adb input, a short trail shows movement, pressing a button changes the cursor, and releasing it draws a fading click ring. Existing mouse/click/type/drag core functions perform the actual actions with readable timing. Cursor position persists across CLI calls and navigation. The recorder holds the viewport between calls and follows window_set; resizing fits subsequent frames into the initial GIF canvas. Graphics are composited into the GIF; page screenshots and the page DOM remain ordinary browser output. These cues represent acknowledged adb input; page JS and native OS input are outside that scope. To record page-only output with ordinary input timing, pass page_record_start --no-demo (Python: demo=False). Explicit mouse_click --no-move still skips positioning, and a failed optional positioning move still lets the actual click proceed.

Output is a looping GIF of the viewport, scaled to fit 1280×720, without audio. No ffmpeg installation is needed. Idle time is preserved; --fps caps frame sampling (1–30, default 10). GIF uses a 256-color palette per frame. The safety limit is 300 seconds (--max-duration, 1–600) and 10 MB: stop before the limit to save. Closing the tab, losing the extension, failing an ACK, exceeding a limit, or failing a file write invalidates the recording. Only successful stop publishes the final path; existing files are never replaced. Successful output includes frame count, duration, dimensions, file size and demo. Changed regions are encoded independently to keep cursor animation small. The file cap fits Feishu's documented GIF preview limit. For busy pages that exceed it, lower --fps or record a shorter interaction.

Recording state and diagnostic logs live in ~/.ai-dev-browser/recordings (AI_DEV_BROWSER_RECORDING_DIR overrides this). The output directory honors AI_DEV_BROWSER_OUTPUT_DIR. A killed process may leave a hidden .partial file, which is not a completed recording.

The generated recording workflows exercise real CLI processes and the real extension, decode every GIF frame, and check the visible states in order, elapsed time, and interrupted recordings. They run in CI. To run locally and retain GIFs and decoded frames:

$env:AI_DEV_BROWSER_TEST_EXTENSION_CHROME = 'C:\path\to\chrome-for-testing\chrome.exe'
uv run python -m pytest -v -s tests/integration/test_recording_workflows.py --basetemp scratch/recording-acceptance

Edit tests/integration/scenarios_recording.json and regenerate with integration-test-generator when changing these scenarios.

The demo workflows also verify trusted input, cursor continuity between separate CLI processes, readable typing, dragging, resizing, navigation, GIF pixels, page-only capture and recording scope. They run on all three CI platforms and on the real bundled extension. Run them locally with the same Chrome for Testing environment variable:

uv run python -m pytest -v -s tests/integration/test_recording_demo.py --basetemp scratch/demo-acceptance

Their source is tests/integration/scenarios_recording_demo.json; regenerate with the same integration-test-generator. The paid live steering test uses an authenticated Claude CLI and a real browser. It tests tool discovery, default demo recording, output-conflict recovery and completion from the saved result. It runs locally with real provider credentials before changes are committed:

uv run python scripts/live_recording_steering.py --output scratch/demo-model-acceptance

The runner saves model choices and GIF evidence, excludes credentials from its report, and fails if the model cannot finish. The acceptance record summarizes the CLI steering audit and the live checks performed for this feature.

Human-like Behavior

CDP-dispatched events produce isTrusted=true. Outside demo recordings, optional human-like timing features are off by default:

from ai_dev_browser.core import human

human.configure(
    use_gaussian_path=True,    # Bezier mouse curves (+50ms)
    click_hold_enabled=True,   # Hold before release (+45ms)
    type_humanize=True,        # Typing delays (+35ms/char)
)

Default: click offset randomization (free, always on). Everything else is opt-in for speed.

Architecture

• CDP WebSocket transport (_transport.py): direct Chrome DevTools Protocol, no browser automation framework dependency
• Auto-reconnect: tab WebSocket reconnection with target re-discovery (handles Electron SPA navigation)
• Connection reuse: same host:port shares one BrowserClient instance across calls
• CDP module: generated from Google's official CDP spec via cdp-python

Environment Variables

Releases

Published versions are available on PyPI and GitHub Releases. Each GitHub release includes the same wheel and source distribution sent to PyPI, the bundled Chrome extension as an unpackable ZIP, and SHA256SUMS. For extension mode, extract the ZIP and load its directory in chrome://extensions. After upgrading, reload the extension and restart an already running bridge.

Maintainers: run live browser acceptance and wait for CI on the release commit. Create an annotated vX.Y.Z tag with git tag -a --cleanup=verbatim and use the release notes as its message (-F release-notes.txt), then push that tag. --cleanup=verbatim preserves Markdown headings and shell comments in the notes. The publish workflow derives the Python version from the tag, builds and validates both distributions, publishes to PyPI, and creates the GitHub Release with the matching assets and tag notes. Verify a fresh PyPI installation with the live recording workflow before closing a release.

License

AGPL-3.0