Install agent-browser with Homebrew

Project links

• Homepage
• Repository

Commands and aliases

• agent-browser

Project history

The GitHub repository was created in January 2026. The README describes agent-browser as a browser automation CLI for AI agents and a fast native Rust CLI. It provides browser operations such as open, snapshot, click, fill, screenshot, PDF, JavaScript evaluation, and agent-readable text extraction.

The project moved quickly through many 0.x releases in 2026. The changelog shows a shift from basic browser control toward agent-oriented ergonomics: config schemas, doctor diagnostics, stable tab IDs, React and Web Vitals introspection, an MCP server, plugin support, read commands, and restore workflows.

Adoption history

The README documents installation through npm, Homebrew, Cargo, and source builds, with Chrome for Testing as the recommended browser channel. The supplied package metadata records Homebrew, Nix, and Scoop packaging, which matches a cross-platform developer-tool audience.

The docs site exposes GitHub and npm links and presents configuration, sessions, dashboard, network, CDP mode, streaming, recording, React, providers, and engines as first-class documentation sections. That suggests adoption aimed at AI-agent toolchains rather than general-purpose browser scripting alone.

How it is used

The quick-start flow is `agent-browser open`, `snapshot`, then ref-based commands such as `click @e2` and `fill @e3`. The README also documents traditional CSS selectors and semantic locators by role, label, text, placeholder, and test id.

Configuration is documented through `~/.agent-browser/config.json` and project-local `./agent-browser.json`, with environment variables and CLI flags taking precedence. The docs also publish a JSON Schema for editor autocomplete and validation.

Why package nerds care

agent-browser is interesting as a package because it packages browser automation as a standalone native CLI instead of assuming every agent runtime embeds Playwright or Puppeteer directly. The install story spans npm, Homebrew, Cargo, Scoop, Nix, Chrome for Testing, and platform dependency installation.

For package nerds watching AI tooling, it is a good example of a 2026-era CLI where MCP, plugin protocols, restoreable browser state, and agent-readable text are part of the package surface rather than optional integrations.

Timeline

• 2026: GitHub repository created.
• 2026: Early 0.x releases published.
• 2026: v0.26.0 added doctor, stable tab IDs, config schema, and the core skill.
• 2026: v0.28.0 added MCP server and plugin system.
• 2026: v0.30.0 added the read command.
• 2026: v0.31.x releases continued rapid iteration.

Related projects

• Chrome for Testing is the recommended browser channel named by the README.
• MCP is supported by the agent-browser CLI according to the changelog.
• Playwright and Puppeteer are adjacent browser automation tools; the README notes existing installations can be detected but are not required for the daemon.

Sources

• official GitHub repository metadata
• official changelog and GitHub releases API
• official configuration docs
• official docs site
• source_facts.package-manager
• upstream README