OpenClaw Browser Extension & Relay

How the OpenClaw browser extension and relay work for automation.

What Is the Browser Relay?

OpenClaw includes a browser relay that lets agents control your browser. Think of it as a separate, agent-only browser that can open tabs, read pages, click, type, and take screenshots.

The browser is isolated from your personal browser profile. It runs in a safe lane for automation and verification.

Two Modes: `openclaw` vs `chrome`

`openclaw` Profile

Managed, isolated browser. No extension required. Creates a separate browser profile named "openclaw" with orange accent.

openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw start

`chrome` Profile

Extension relay to your system browser. Requires the OpenClaw Chrome extension to be attached to a tab.

openclaw browser --browser-profile chrome start

What Can the Browser Do?

• Open tabs — Navigate to URLs automatically
• Read pages — Extract content from websites
• Click & type — Interact with forms and buttons
• Screenshots — Take snapshots of pages
• PDF generation — Export pages as PDF
• Multi-profile — Run multiple isolated profiles

Quick Start

# Check browser status
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw status

# Start the browser
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw start

# Open a website
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw open https://example.com

# Take a snapshot
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw snapshot

If you get "Browser disabled", enable it in config and restart the Gateway.

Configuration

Add to your ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "browser": {
    "enabled": true,
    "defaultProfile": "openclaw",
    "headless": false,
    "profiles": {
      "openclaw": {
        "cdpPort": 18800,
        "color": "#FF4500"
      }
    }
  }
}

• enabled — Enable/disable browser
• defaultProfile — Default profile (openclaw or chrome)
• headless — Run without visible window
• color — Tint color to identify profile

Using Different Browsers

OpenClaw auto-detects Chromium-based browsers. You can specify a different browser:

# macOS - Brave
{
  "browser": {
    "executablePath": "/Applications/Brave Browser.app/Contents/MacOS/Brave Browser"
  }
}

# Linux
{
  "browser": {
    "executablePath": "/usr/bin/brave-browser"
  }
}

Remote Browser (Browserless)

You can also use hosted browser services like Browserless:

{
  "browser": {
    "enabled": true,
    "defaultProfile": "browserless",
    "profiles": {
      "browserless": {
        "cdpUrl": "https://production-sfo.browserless.io?token=YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Considerations

• Browser binds to loopback by default
• SSRF protection blocks navigation to private networks (configurable)
• Each profile is isolated with its own storage
• Review permissions before granting browser access

Common Errors

"Browser disabled"

Enable browser in config and restart Gateway.

"No browser found"

Install Chrome, Brave, or Edge. Or set executablePath.

Extension not attached

Click the OpenClaw toolbar button to attach the extension to a tab.

Ready to automate?

Start using the browser for automation.

Capabilities →Security Tutorial