qiaomu-opencli-browser

OpenCLI Browser — Browser Automation for AI Agents

Control Chrome step-by-step via CLI. Reuses existing login sessions — no passwords needed.

Prerequisites

opencli doctor    # Verify extension + daemon connectivity

Requires: Chrome running + OpenCLI Browser Bridge extension installed.

Critical Rules

1. ALWAYS use state to inspect the page, NEVER use screenshot — state returns structured DOM with [N] element indices, is instant and costs zero tokens. screenshot requires vision processing and is slow. Only use screenshot when the user explicitly asks to save a visual.
2. ALWAYS use click/type/select for interaction, NEVER use eval to click or type — eval "el.click()" bypasses scrollIntoView and CDP click pipeline, causing failures on off-screen elements. Use state to find the [N] index, then click <N>.
3. Verify inputs with get value, not screenshots — after type, run get value <index> to confirm.
4. Run state after every page change — after open, click (on links), scroll, always run state to see the new elements and their indices. Never guess indices.
5. Chain commands aggressively with && — combine open + state, multiple type calls, and type + get value into single && chains. Each tool call has overhead; chaining cuts it.
6. eval is read-only — use eval ONLY for data extraction (JSON.stringify(...)), never for clicking, typing, or navigating. Always wrap in IIFE to avoid variable conflicts: eval "(function(){ const x = ...; return JSON.stringify(x); })()".
7. Minimize total tool calls — plan your sequence before acting. A good task completion uses 3-5 tool calls, not 15-20. Combine open + state as one call. Combine type + type + click as one call. Only run state separately when you need to discover new indices.
8. Prefer network to discover APIs — most sites have JSON APIs. API-based adapters are more reliable than DOM scraping.

Command Cost Guide