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- Gate TCP serve commands with safe-by-default policies, per-key allow tokens, per-key rate limiting, and audit labels. - Reuse authenticated encrypted remote sessions and parallelize/caches multi-browser fanout to reduce repeated handshake roundtrips. - Increase paged native-host batch size with extension-side byte budgeting to speed large tab listings safely. - Point install output at public Chrome Web Store / Firefox AMO listings by default, with --dev preserving unpacked workflows. - Share search-engine metadata between CLI and SDK and bump the package/extension version to 0.16.0. - Cover the new security, pooling, paging, install, and fanout behavior with expanded Python and extension tests.
585 lines
27 KiB
Markdown
585 lines
27 KiB
Markdown
# browser-cli
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Control your real, running browser from the terminal, Python SDK, or a trusted remote client — no headless browser, no Playwright, no virtual display. Your actual open tabs, windows, and tab groups respond to your commands.
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---
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## What it does
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You have 40 tabs open. You want to close all the duplicates, group the GitHub ones, save your session before a meeting, and open a few URLs into a specific group — all from a script. That is what browser-cli is for.
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It works by pairing a small browser extension with a Python package that provides both a CLI and SDK. The extension has full access to your browser's tabs, windows, groups, and page DOM. The CLI and SDK talk to it in real time over a local IPC channel, or through the optional authenticated TCP remote bridge.
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---
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## How it works
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```
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terminal / python script / remote client
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│
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│ Local IPC (Unix socket on Linux/macOS, named pipe on Windows)
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│ or TCP remote bridge (Ed25519 auth, optional compression)
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▼
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Native Messaging Host (Python process, launched by the browser)
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│
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│ Native Messaging Protocol (stdin/stdout, 4-byte length prefix + JSON)
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▼
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Browser Extension (background worker/page)
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│
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│ extension APIs
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▼
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Your running browser
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```
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1. The extension calls `chrome.runtime.connectNative('com.browsercli.host')` on startup.
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2. The browser launches the native host Python process (registered in the OS).
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3. The native host opens a local IPC endpoint for the CLI.
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4. CLI commands connect to that socket, send a JSON command, and wait for the result.
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5. The native host relays the command to the extension via stdout, receives the result via stdin, and sends it back to the CLI.
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No local server needs to be running beforehand. The browser manages the native host's lifecycle. For cross-machine control, `browser-cli serve` starts an explicit TCP listener protected by Ed25519 public-key authentication unless you opt out with `--no-auth`.
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**Message format**
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Every command is a JSON object:
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```json
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{ "id": "uuid", "command": "tabs.list", "args": {} }
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```
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Every response:
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```json
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{ "id": "uuid", "success": true, "data": [...] }
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```
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---
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## Installation
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**Requirements:** Python 3.10+, [uv](https://github.com/astral-sh/uv), Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, or Firefox
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browser-cli has two parts: the **CLI / native host** (a Python package) and the **browser extension** (published on the public stores).
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### Install with uv
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Install the CLI from PyPI as a uv tool, then register the native host:
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```sh
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uv tool install real-browser-cli
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browser-cli --version
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browser-cli install brave # or: chrome, chromium, edge, vivaldi, firefox
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```
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The PyPI package is named `real-browser-cli`; the installed command is still `browser-cli`.
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For better remote-response compression, install the optional `fast` extra:
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```sh
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uv tool install "real-browser-cli[fast]"
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```
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To upgrade later:
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```sh
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uv tool upgrade real-browser-cli
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```
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### Add the browser extension
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Install the extension from its public store listing (the `install` command prints the right link for you):
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- Chrome / Chromium / Brave / Edge / Vivaldi — [Chrome Web Store](https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/browser-cli/hekaebjhbhhdbmakimmaklbblbmccahp)
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- Firefox — [Firefox Add-ons](https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/browser-cli/)
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The native host manifest trusts both the published store ID and the unpacked development ID, so the store extension works out of the box. If you are hacking on the extension yourself, run `browser-cli install <browser> --dev` for the unpacked / temporary-add-on load steps instead.
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### Install from source
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```sh
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git clone <repo>
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cd browser-cli
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uv sync
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npm ci && npm run build:extension # build the unpacked extension bundles
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uv run browser-cli install brave --dev # --dev prints unpacked-load steps; or: chrome, chromium, edge, vivaldi, firefox
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```
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Omit `--dev` to be pointed at the public store listing instead of loading the unpacked build.
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The `install` command will:
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1. Write the native messaging manifest to your OS so the browser can find the host
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2. Copy the native host into an internal `libexec` directory and create a small wrapper outside your `PATH`
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3. Print the public store link for installing the extension (or, with `--dev`, the unpacked / temporary-add-on load steps)
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After install, add the extension from the store link above and **fully restart your browser** (Quit and reopen — not just close the window). The extension will connect to the native host automatically on startup.
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Only the `browser-cli` command needs to be on your `PATH`. The browser launches the native host wrapper directly from its absolute path in the native messaging manifest, and that wrapper imports the installed `browser_cli.native.host` entry point. On Windows the install command also registers the host in the current user's Registry for the selected browser.
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---
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## Project structure
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```text
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browser-cli/
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├── browser_cli/
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│ ├── __init__.py # Public sync SDK: BrowserCLI and namespace wiring
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│ ├── async_sdk.py # AsyncBrowserCLI
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│ ├── cli.py # Click root command and native-host entry point
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│ ├── client/ # send_command path, local/remote routing, message helpers
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│ ├── sdk/ # SDK namespaces: nav, tabs, groups, windows, dom, session, ...
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│ ├── commands/ # CLI presentation layer over the SDK namespaces
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│ ├── native/ # Browser-launched Native Messaging host + local IPC server
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│ ├── remote/ # TCP remote client transport and saved endpoint registry
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│ ├── serve/ # Authenticated TCP server runtime
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│ ├── transport/ # JSON/msgpack response encoding and compression helpers
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│ ├── markdown/ # HTML-to-Markdown extraction helpers
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│ ├── auth/ # Ed25519 keys, signing, SSH-agent/YubiKey helpers, PQ KEX
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│ └── models.py # Tab, Group, BrowserCounts dataclasses
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├── extension/
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│ ├── manifest.json # Chromium MV3 manifest
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│ └── src/ # TypeScript WebExtension source
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│ ├── index.ts # Background/service-worker bundle entry
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│ ├── content-dispatch.ts
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│ ├── commands/ # Browser-side command implementations
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│ ├── content/ # DOM/extract/Markdown logic injected into pages
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│ └── core/ # Shared extension helpers
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├── examples/ # Python and shell walkthroughs
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├── scripts/ # Packaging and release helper scripts
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├── tests/ # pytest suite
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├── package.json # Extension build/test/package scripts
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├── pyproject.toml # Python package metadata
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└── uv.lock # locked Python dependencies
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```
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---
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## CLI reference
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During source development, commands are usually run as `uv run browser-cli [--browser ALIAS] <command>`. After tool installation, use `browser-cli ...` directly. Add `--remote HOST[:PORT]` and optionally `--key PATH` to target a browser exposed by `browser-cli serve`.
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If exactly one browser instance is connected, commands auto-target it. Use `--browser ALIAS` when multiple browser instances are connected. `tabs list`, `tabs count`, `groups list`, `groups count`, `windows list`, and `session list` aggregate across all active browsers when `--browser` is omitted; in that mode they show the source browser alias or UUID. When local and saved remote browsers are mixed, tables group rows by source (`local` or the remote endpoint) and indent the browser profile below that group. You can inspect active instances with `browser-cli clients` and assign a persistent profile alias from inside the target browser with `browser-cli clients rename --browser <current-alias> <new-alias>`. Closed browsers are removed from the client registry automatically.
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Important: profile aliases are browser-instance aliases, not window aliases. Window aliases created with `windows rename` are only for targeting windows in commands like `nav open --window work`. If a browser instance has no explicit profile alias set, the native host gives it a generated UUID alias so multiple unaliased browsers stay distinct.
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### Navigation (`nav`)
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```sh
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# Open a URL (no focus stealing by default)
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browser-cli nav open https://example.com
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browser-cli nav open https://example.com --focus # bring opened tab/window forward
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browser-cli nav open https://example.com --window work # into a named window
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browser-cli nav open https://example.com --group research # into a tab group (name or ID)
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# Reload
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browser-cli nav reload # reload active tab
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browser-cli nav reload 1234 # reload tab by ID
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browser-cli nav hard-reload # bypass cache
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# Navigate history
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browser-cli nav back
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browser-cli nav forward 1234 # forward in specific tab
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# Jump to a tab by URL pattern
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browser-cli nav focus github # focuses first tab whose URL contains "github"
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```
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### Search
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Each search command opens the search results in your browser using the same flags as `nav open`.
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```sh
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browser-cli search google openai api
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browser-cli search brave rust iterators
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browser-cli search ddg tab groups --window work
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browser-cli search youtube browser automation
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browser-cli search yt lo fi
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browser-cli search spotify aphex twin
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browser-cli search amazon mechanical keyboard
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browser-cli search ecosia native messaging
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browser-cli search furaffinity dragons
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browser-cli search fa dragons
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browser-cli search bing browser cli
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browser-cli search github browser-cli
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browser-cli search wikipedia native messaging
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browser-cli search wiki native messaging
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browser-cli search reddit chrome extensions
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browser-cli search stackoverflow click choices
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browser-cli search so click choices
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```
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### Tabs
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```sh
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browser-cli tabs list # list all open tabs (all windows)
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browser-cli tabs count # count all tabs
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browser-cli tabs count youtube # count tabs matching URL pattern
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browser-cli tabs filter youtube # list tabs matching URL pattern
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browser-cli tabs query "pull request" # search tabs by URL or title
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browser-cli tabs active 1234 # switch browser focus to tab
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browser-cli tabs html # print full HTML of active tab
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browser-cli tabs html 1234 # print HTML of specific tab
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browser-cli tabs close 1234 # close specific tab
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browser-cli tabs close --inactive # close all inactive tabs
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browser-cli tabs close --duplicates # close duplicate URLs (keep first)
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browser-cli tabs dedupe # same as close --duplicates
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browser-cli tabs move 1234 --window 2 # move tab to another window
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browser-cli tabs move 1234 --group 42 # move tab into a group
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browser-cli tabs sort --by domain # sort tabs within each window
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browser-cli tabs sort --by title
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browser-cli tabs sort --by time
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browser-cli tabs merge-windows # pull all tabs into the current window
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```
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### Tab groups
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```sh
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browser-cli groups list # list all tab groups
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browser-cli groups count # count groups
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browser-cli groups query "work" # search groups by name
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browser-cli groups tabs 42 # list tabs inside group ID 42
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browser-cli groups create "research" # create a new group
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browser-cli groups add-tab research # open a blank tab in the group
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browser-cli groups add-tab research https://example.com # open URL in the group
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browser-cli groups add-tab 42 https://example.com # by group ID
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browser-cli groups close 42 # ungroup the group
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browser-cli groups move research --forward # move group right
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browser-cli groups move research --right # same as --forward
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browser-cli groups move research -r # short right alias
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browser-cli groups move 42 --backward # move group left
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browser-cli groups move 42 --left # same as --backward
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browser-cli groups move 42 -l # short left alias
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```
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### Windows
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```sh
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browser-cli windows list # list all windows
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browser-cli windows open # open a new window
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browser-cli windows open https://example.com # open a new window on a URL
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browser-cli windows rename 1 "work" # give a window a local alias
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browser-cli windows close 1 # close a window
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```
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### DOM
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These commands run on the **active tab**. The tab must be on a regular `http://` or `https://` page — not a browser internal page like `brave://newtab`.
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```sh
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browser-cli dom query "h1" # return elements matching CSS selector
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browser-cli dom text "h1" # get text content of matching elements
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browser-cli dom attr "a" href # get attribute value from elements
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browser-cli dom exists ".modal-banner" # exits 0 if found, 1 if not
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browser-cli dom click ".accept-button" # click an element
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browser-cli dom type "#search" "hello" # type text into an input
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```
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### Extract
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```sh
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browser-cli extract links # all <a href> links on the page
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browser-cli extract images # all <img> tags (src + alt)
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browser-cli extract text # all visible text (innerText)
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browser-cli extract json "#data" # parse JSON inside a CSS selector
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browser-cli extract html # full HTML of the active tab
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browser-cli extract markdown # main page content as Markdown
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browser-cli extract markdown --selector "article" # specific DOM subtree as Markdown
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```
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### Sessions
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A session is a snapshot of all open tab URLs, stored inside the extension via `chrome.storage.local`. Sessions survive browser restarts but are lost if the extension is uninstalled or extension data is cleared.
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```sh
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browser-cli session save before-meeting # save current tabs as a named session
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browser-cli session load before-meeting # reopen all saved tabs
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browser-cli session list # list all saved sessions (name, tab count, date)
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browser-cli session remove before-meeting # delete a saved session
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browser-cli session diff session-a session-b # show which URLs were added / removed
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browser-cli session auto-save on # auto-save after every tab change
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browser-cli session auto-save off
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```
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### Misc
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```sh
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browser-cli clients # show connected browser info from the registry
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browser-cli clients rename --browser abcd1234 work # rename one connected browser instance
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browser-cli --browser abcd1234 clients rename work # equivalent global form
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browser-cli install brave # (re)register the native host
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browser-cli completion zsh # print setup instructions
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browser-cli completion zsh --script # output raw completion script
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```
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### Remote control, auth, and gateways
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```sh
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# On the machine with the browser
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browser-cli auth keygen --output ~/.config/browser-cli/client.key
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PUBKEY=$(browser-cli auth show --key ~/.config/browser-cli/client.key | tail -n1)
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browser-cli auth trust "$PUBKEY"
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browser-cli serve --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8765 --authorized-keys ~/.config/browser-cli/authorized_keys
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# Allow remote browser control (navigation, clicks); safe-only otherwise
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browser-cli serve --authorized-keys ~/.config/browser-cli/authorized_keys --allow-control
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# Per-key authorization (inline in authorized_keys) + a tighter rate limit
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browser-cli auth trust "$PUBKEY" --name ci-bot --allow-read-page --allow-control
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browser-cli serve --authorized-keys ~/.config/browser-cli/authorized_keys --rate-limit 20
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# From another machine
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browser-cli --remote browser-host.example:8765 --key ~/.config/browser-cli/client.key tabs list
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browser-cli remote trust browser-host.example:8765 ~/.config/browser-cli/client.key
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browser-cli --remote browser-host.example:8765 clients
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# Local HTTP JSON gateway for small integrations
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browser-cli serve-http --port 8766
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curl -H "Authorization: Bearer <token>" http://127.0.0.1:8766/tabs
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```
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Remote auth uses Ed25519 challenge/response. `--remote` domains default to port 443; explicit `host:port` endpoints are also supported. Saved remote endpoints participate in aggregate list/count commands, where output is grouped by endpoint.
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#### Security model
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- **`serve` (TCP)** authenticates every connection with an Ed25519 signature over a fresh server nonce and, for modern clients, wraps the transport in an ML-KEM-768 (post-quantum) AEAD channel. Commands are gated by a **safe-only policy by default** — even a trusted key can only run read-only status/listing commands until you open more with `--allow-read-page`, `--allow-control`, `--allow-dangerous`, or `--allow-all` (full control, including `dom.eval`/`storage.*`). `--no-auth` is rejected on non-loopback hosts.
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- **Per-key authorization:** a key in `authorized_keys` can carry an optional `allow:` token (`<pubkey> <name> allow:read-page,control`) listing its categories (`all`, `safe`, `read-page`, `control`, `dangerous`). That key uses its own policy, overriding the server-wide `--allow-*` default; keys without a token fall back to the default. Set it with `auth trust <pubkey> --allow-control …` (works locally and over `--remote`); `auth keys` shows each key's policy.
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- **Rate limiting:** `--rate-limit N` caps commands/second per client key (token bucket, default `100`, `0` disables) so a compromised key can't hammer the browser.
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- **Audit logging:** request logs include the acting key (its name from `authorized_keys` plus a short pubkey), not just the client address.
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- **`serve-http`** is a convenience gateway with the inverse trade-off: commands are gated by the same `--allow-*` policy (safe-only by default), but the bearer token travels in **clear text over plain HTTP**. It binds to loopback by default; `--no-auth` is only permitted there. If you must expose it beyond loopback, put it behind a TLS-terminating reverse proxy — never send the token over an untrusted network unencrypted.
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For low latency, an authenticated encrypted remote connection is kept open and reused for further commands in the same process — so SDK scripts and multi-browser fan-out avoid repeating the TCP/TLS/challenge handshake on every command. Aggregate commands also fan out to remote targets concurrently. Both degrade gracefully against older servers that handle one command per connection.
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---
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## Python SDK
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```python
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from browser_cli import AsyncBrowserCLI, BrowserCLI
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b = BrowserCLI()
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```
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Commands are grouped into namespaces on the client (`b.tabs`, `b.dom`, `b.session`, ...). Each sync call blocks until the browser responds and returns the data directly as a Python object. Create `BrowserCLI(remote="host:8765", key="client.key")` to target a remote server. For asyncio programs, `AsyncBrowserCLI` exposes the same namespaces as native awaitable methods over async Unix/TCP transport.
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```python
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# Navigation ── b.nav
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b.nav.open("https://example.com")
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b.nav.open("https://example.com", background=True)
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b.nav.open("https://example.com", window="work")
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b.nav.reload()
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b.nav.hard_reload()
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b.nav.back()
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b.nav.forward(tab_id=1234)
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b.nav.focus("github")
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b.nav.to(1234, "https://example.com") # navigate a specific tab in place
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b.nav.search("google", "python asyncio")
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# Tabs ── b.tabs
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tabs = b.tabs.list() # list[Tab]; in multi-browser mode each tab.browser is set
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tab = b.tabs.open("https://example.com") # returns a bound Tab object
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tab = b.tabs.open("https://example.com", wait=True, timeout=10)
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active = b.tabs.active() # active Tab object
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tab = b.tabs.get(1234) # tab by ID
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tab = b.tabs.first("github") # first matching tab or None
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b.tabs.activate(1234)
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b.tabs.close(1234)
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b.tabs.close(tab_ids=[1, 2, 3]) # close many in one round-trip (IDs or Tab objects)
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b.tabs.close_inactive()
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b.tabs.close_duplicates()
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b.tabs.filter("youtube") # list of matching tabs
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b.tabs.query("pull request")
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counts = b.tabs.count("github") # int, or BrowserCounts(total=..., by_browser=...) in multi-browser mode
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html = b.tabs.html() # full HTML string of active tab
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b.tabs.sort(by="domain")
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b.tabs.merge_windows()
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b.tabs.dedupe()
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# Bound Tab helpers
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tab = b.tabs.active()
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tab.pin()
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tab.screenshot()
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tab.refresh()
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tab.wait_for_load(timeout=10)
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tab.watch_url(r"/done$")
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# Tab groups ── b.groups
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groups = b.groups.list() # list[Group]; in multi-browser mode each group.browser is set
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b.groups.create("research") # creates group, returns Group
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b.groups.close(42)
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b.groups.tabs(42) # tabs inside a group
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b.groups.add_tab(42, "https://example.com")
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b.groups.count() # int, or BrowserCounts(...) in multi-browser mode
|
|
|
|
# Windows ── b.windows
|
|
windows = b.windows.list() # in multi-browser mode each dict has a "browser" key
|
|
b.windows.rename(1, "work")
|
|
b.windows.open()
|
|
b.windows.open("https://example.com")
|
|
b.windows.close(1)
|
|
|
|
# DOM ── b.dom (active tab must be http/https)
|
|
elements = b.dom.query("h2") # list of { tag, text, attrs }
|
|
texts = b.dom.text(".article p") # list of strings
|
|
attrs = b.dom.attr("a", "href") # list of strings
|
|
exists = b.dom.exists(".modal-banner") # bool
|
|
b.dom.click(".accept-button")
|
|
b.dom.type("#search", "hello world")
|
|
b.dom.wait_for("#results", visible=True, timeout=10)
|
|
b.dom.eval("document.title")
|
|
|
|
# Extract ── b.extract
|
|
links = b.extract.links() # list of { text, href }
|
|
images = b.extract.images() # list of { alt, src }
|
|
text = b.extract.text() # string
|
|
data = b.extract.json("#app-data") # parsed Python object
|
|
md = b.extract.markdown("article")
|
|
|
|
# Page / storage
|
|
info = b.page.info()
|
|
b.storage.set("token", "abc")
|
|
val = b.storage.get("token")
|
|
|
|
# Sessions ── b.session
|
|
b.session.save("before-meeting")
|
|
b.session.load("before-meeting")
|
|
sessions = b.session.list() # [{ name, tabs, savedAt }, ...]
|
|
b.session.remove("before-meeting")
|
|
diff = b.session.diff("session-a", "session-b")
|
|
# diff = { "added": [...urls], "removed": [...urls] }
|
|
b.session.auto_save(True)
|
|
|
|
# Performance + extension
|
|
b.perf.status()
|
|
b.perf.set_profile("gentle")
|
|
b.extension.reload()
|
|
|
|
# Workflow decorators ── b.decorators
|
|
@b.decorators.new_tab("https://example.com", wait=True, close=True)
|
|
def scrape(*, tab):
|
|
return b.extract.markdown("article")
|
|
|
|
@b.decorators.wait_for_selector("#ready", visible=True)
|
|
def run_after_page_ready():
|
|
return b.dom.text("#ready")
|
|
|
|
@b.decorators.performance_profile("ultra")
|
|
def restore_big_session():
|
|
return b.session.load("work", lazy=True)
|
|
|
|
@b.decorators.retry(times=3, delay=1)
|
|
@b.decorators.save_session_before("before-risky-step")
|
|
def risky_workflow():
|
|
b.tabs.close_duplicates()
|
|
|
|
# Async SDK: same namespaces, native awaitable methods
|
|
async def async_example():
|
|
ab = AsyncBrowserCLI()
|
|
tabs = await ab.tabs.list()
|
|
|
|
@ab.decorators.new_tab("https://example.com", wait=True, close=True)
|
|
async def scrape(*, tab):
|
|
return await ab.extract.markdown("article")
|
|
|
|
return tabs, await scrape()
|
|
|
|
# Misc
|
|
clients = b.clients()
|
|
raw = b.command("tabs.count", {"pattern": "github"}) # escape hatch for raw commands
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
**Error handling**
|
|
|
|
```python
|
|
from browser_cli import BrowserCLI, BrowserNotConnected
|
|
|
|
b = BrowserCLI()
|
|
try:
|
|
tabs = b.tabs.list()
|
|
except BrowserNotConnected:
|
|
print("Browser is not running or extension is not loaded")
|
|
except RuntimeError as e:
|
|
print(f"Browser returned an error: {e}")
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
```python
|
|
from browser_cli import BrowserCLI, BrowserCounts
|
|
|
|
b = BrowserCLI()
|
|
|
|
tabs = b.tabs.list()
|
|
for tab in tabs:
|
|
print(tab.browser, tab.title)
|
|
|
|
counts = b.tabs.count()
|
|
if isinstance(counts, BrowserCounts):
|
|
print(counts.total)
|
|
print(counts.by_browser)
|
|
print(counts.browser_groups) # e.g. {"local:work": "local", "remote:work": "remote"}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Example scripts
|
|
|
|
See `examples/demo.py` (Python) and `examples/demo.sh` (Bash) for full walkthroughs covering tabs, groups, DOM extraction, and session management.
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
uv run python examples/demo.py
|
|
bash examples/demo.sh
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Development
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
npm ci
|
|
npm run check:extension # type-check, build extension bundles, syntax-check bundle
|
|
uv run pytest -q
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
On NixOS or hosts without global Node/npm:
|
|
|
|
```sh
|
|
nix-shell # automatically runs npm ci when node_modules is missing/outdated
|
|
npm run check:extension
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
The extension source lives in `extension/src/`. `extension/background.js` and `extension/content-dispatch.js` are generated and ignored by git. Run `npm run build:extension` before loading the unpacked `extension/` directory; `browser-cli install <browser> --dev` prints the per-browser load steps. On NixOS, use `nix-shell` first if npm is not installed globally.
|
|
|
|
Packaging:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
just publish # build to /tmp/dist-browser-cli and publish with .env credentials
|
|
npm run package:extension # testing/unpacked zip, keeps manifest.key for stable Chromium native-messaging ID
|
|
npm run package:extension:webstore # Chrome Web Store zip, strips manifest.key
|
|
npm run package:extension:webstore:verified # Chrome Web Store CRX signed for verified uploads
|
|
npm run package:extension:firefox # Firefox zip, strips manifest.key and Firefox-incompatible permissions
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Chrome Web Store rejects `manifest.key`, so upload the `*-webstore-*` zip from `dist/`. For verified CRX uploads, create a dedicated RSA upload key once and protect it with your GPG key:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
scripts/setup_verified_crx_key.sh --recipient '<your GPG key id or email>'
|
|
# Add the generated public key in Chrome Developer Dashboard -> Package -> Verified uploads.
|
|
npm run package:extension:webstore:verified
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
The verified-upload private key is not a GPG key; Chrome requires an RSA CRX signing key. GPG is used here to encrypt that RSA private key at rest. The signed `*.crx` from `dist/` is the upload artifact after verified uploads are enabled. For Firefox, use the `*-firefox-*` zip.
|
|
|
|
For Firefox temporary testing via `about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox`, run `npm run package:extension:firefox` first and load `dist/extension-package-firefox/manifest.json`. Do **not** load `extension/manifest.json` directly: it is the Chromium MV3 manifest and Firefox currently rejects `background.service_worker` for temporary add-ons.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## Limitations
|
|
|
|
- **Browser internal pages** (`chrome://`, `brave://`, `edge://`, `about:`) cannot be scripted. DOM and extract commands only work on regular `http://` and `https://` pages.
|
|
- **Multiple browser instances can be auto-distinguished, but generated aliases are temporary**. Unaliased browsers get UUID aliases from the native host, which avoids collisions but is less ergonomic than setting a stable alias with `browser-cli clients rename --browser <current-alias> <new-alias>`.
|
|
- **Supported install targets are explicit, not “all Chromium browsers”**. The installer currently supports Chrome, Chromium, Brave, Edge, Vivaldi, and Firefox. Other Chromium-based browsers may use different or shared native messaging manifest locations, so they need browser-specific verification before being added safely.
|
|
- **Firefox support is experimental**. Basic tab/window/navigation/native-messaging support is wired, including tab-group APIs on supported Firefox versions.
|
|
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
## License
|
|
|
|
PolyForm Noncommercial License 1.0.0. See [LICENSE](LICENSE).
|
|
|
|
Commercial use is not permitted under this license. For commercial licensing, contact the project maintainer.
|