Chrome Extension (Browser Relay)

Bridge your browser to OpenClaw for automation and page context. Click the toolbar icon on any tab to attach it to your agent.

The Chrome Extension (Browser Relay) is how OpenClaw sees and controls your browser. It bridges the gap between your agent's capabilities and the web — once installed, you click the toolbar icon on any tab to 'attach' it to your agent. The badge shows ON when a tab is connected, and your agent can then take snapshots, read page content, click elements, fill forms, and navigate — all through the browser tool with profile="chrome". This is fundamentally different from OpenClaw's built-in browser (profile="openclaw"), which runs in an isolated Playwright-managed instance. The Chrome extension lets the agent interact with your actual browser session — your logged-in accounts, cookies, extensions, and browsing context. This is critical for tasks like managing your email, navigating authenticated dashboards, or automating workflows that require your real session state. The relay architecture is straightforward: the extension connects to the Gateway WebSocket, and when you attach a tab, it becomes available as a browser target. The agent uses snapshot to read the page structure (as an accessibility tree), screenshot for visual capture, and act for interactions (click, type, press, navigate). Refs from snapshots let the agent target specific UI elements precisely. One important workflow note: you must explicitly attach each tab you want the agent to access. This is a security feature — the agent can only see tabs you've opted in. The extension doesn't auto-attach or silently monitor your browsing.

Tags: browser, automation, extension, relay

Use Cases

  • Email management — agent reads and triages your Gmail/Outlook inbox using your real logged-in session
  • Web research — attach a tab and let the agent navigate, extract data, and summarize findings across multiple pages
  • Form filling and data entry — agent fills out repetitive web forms using your authenticated session
  • Dashboard monitoring — attach your analytics/monitoring dashboards and let the agent check KPIs on schedule
  • Shopping and price comparison — agent navigates e-commerce sites, compares prices, and reports findings

Tips

  • Always use profile='chrome' when mentioning the Chrome extension to your agent — this routes commands through the relay instead of the isolated browser
  • Pass targetId from snapshot responses into subsequent actions to keep commands on the same tab
  • Use snapshot with refs='aria' for stable, self-resolving refs that work more reliably across multiple calls
  • Attach only the tabs you need — each attached tab is a potential surface area, so be intentional about what you expose
  • The extension works with Chromium-based browsers too (Edge, Brave, Vivaldi) — not just Chrome
  • For complex web automation, combine the relay with cron jobs to run scheduled browser tasks on your authenticated sessions

Known Issues & Gotchas

  • You must explicitly click the toolbar icon to attach each tab — the agent cannot auto-discover or access tabs you haven't opted in
  • The agent may default to profile='openclaw' (isolated browser) instead of profile='chrome' (your real browser) — always specify profile='chrome' in your instructions
  • The extension connects to the Gateway on localhost by default — if your Gateway is remote, you'll need to configure the connection URL in the extension settings
  • Some websites with strict CSP (Content Security Policy) may block the extension's content scripts from injecting properly
  • The extension has been renamed/republished — search for 'OpenClaw Browser Relay' if the old listing URL doesn't work
  • Snapshot refs are session-scoped — refs from a previous snapshot may not be valid after page navigation or significant DOM changes

Community Feedback

Install the OpenClaw Browser Relay chrome extension and it can control the tabs you expose to it. Way better than trying to do browser automation with Selenium or Playwright from scratch.

— Reddit r/LocalLLaMA

After tracing the tool calls, I notice that the agent stubbornly tries to run call the browser with the 'openclaw' profile first, instead of the 'chrome' profile. You have to be explicit in your prompt.

— Reddit r/OpenClawInstall

Chrome OpenClaw Relay Extension wasn't showing up for me initially — turns out it's been renamed/re-published. Search for 'OpenClaw Browser Relay' in the Web Store.

— Reddit r/OpenClawInstall

The relay extension works in Termux with Chromium too. Open a new tab, click the extension button, click OpenClaw Browser Relay, and make sure Chromium pops up the connection dialog.

— Reddit r/OpenClawInstall

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between the Chrome extension and the built-in browser?

The Chrome extension (profile='chrome') uses your real browser with all your logged-in sessions, cookies, and extensions. The built-in browser (profile='openclaw') is an isolated Playwright instance with no existing state. Use the extension for authenticated tasks, and the built-in browser for clean/sandboxed browsing.

Is the extension available for Firefox or Safari?

Currently only Chrome and Chromium-based browsers (Edge, Brave, Vivaldi) are supported. There's no Firefox or Safari extension at this time.

Can the agent see all my tabs?

No — the agent can only see tabs you explicitly attach by clicking the toolbar icon. Unattached tabs are completely invisible to the agent. This is a deliberate security design.

How do I know if a tab is connected?

The extension toolbar icon shows a badge (ON) when the current tab is attached and actively relaying to the Gateway. If there's no badge, click the icon to attach it.

Does the extension work on mobile Chrome?

No — Chrome mobile doesn't support extensions. Use the iOS or Android OpenClaw app for mobile capabilities instead. The extension works with Chromium in Termux on Android as a workaround.

Why does the agent keep using the wrong browser profile?

Agents may default to profile='openclaw' unless explicitly told to use the Chrome relay. Include 'use the Chrome extension' or 'profile=chrome' in your instructions. Some users add this preference to their AGENTS.md or system prompt.