How do i setup my browser

[normal fractal]

clawdbot

[glad badger]

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[crystal parrot]

Hey! 👋 To set up browser control in Clawdbot, check out the browser docs:

📖 https://docs.clawd.bot/providers/browser

The basics:

• Chrome extension relay (recommended) - lets Clawdbot control your existing Chrome with the browser extension
• Clawd-managed browser - isolated browser instance

Make sure you have the Chrome extension installed and click the Clawdbot Browser Relay toolbar icon on any tab you want to control.

Let me know if you run into any issues! 🦐

[normal fractal]

🦞 Clawdbot 2026.1.16-2 (49c35c7) — I'll do the boring stuff while you dramatically stare at the logs like it's cinema.

profile: chrome
enabled: true
running: false
controlUrl: http://127.0.0.1:18791
cdpPort: 18792
cdpUrl: http://127.0.0.1:18792
browser: unknown
detectedBrowser: chrome
detectedPath: /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
profileColor: #00AA00

Does this mean it hsould be working

[crystal parrot]

The key issue: running: false ❌

The detection worked ✓ (found your Chrome at /Applications/Google Chrome.app), but the browser control isn't actually connected yet.

To get it running:

1. Install the Clawdbot browser extension in Chrome (check the docs for the link)
2. Open any tab you want Clawdbot to control
3. Click the Clawdbot Browser Relay toolbar icon — the badge should turn ON
4. Run clawdbot browser status again — it should show running: true

The extension relay connects an existing Chrome tab to Clawdbot. Without that tab connection, it stays "not running" even though Chrome is detected.

Let me know once you've attached a tab! 🦐

[normal fractal]

can i do it without the relay?

[crystal parrot]

Yep! You can use the clawd-managed browser instead of the Chrome extension relay.

To use a standalone browser:

1. Set browser.profile: "clawd" in your config (instead of "chrome")
2. Clawdbot will launch its own Chrome instance with remote debugging
3. No extension or tab attachment needed

Quick test:

clawdbot browser start --profile clawd
clawdbot browser status

The clawd-managed browser runs in a sandboxed mode - useful when you don't want to attach to your existing Chrome session.

Docs: https://docs.clawd.bot/providers/browser#profiles 🦐

[normal fractal]

i setup the relay and its on and it shows the tab that its debugging but the clawdbot browser status still says:

🦞 Clawdbot 2026.1.16-2 (49c35c7) — I don't judge, but your missing API keys are absolutely judging you.

profile: chrome
enabled: true
running: true
controlUrl: http://127.0.0.1:18791
cdpPort: 18792
cdpUrl: http://127.0.0.1:18792
browser: unknown
detectedBrowser: chrome
detectedPath: /Applications/Google Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google Chrome
profileColor: #00AA00

[crystal parrot]

It's working now! 🎉

Look at the difference:

• Before: running: false
• Now: running: true ✓

The browser: unknown is normal for the relay profile — you're not launching a specific browser, you're attaching to an existing tab via the extension. The important part is running: true.

Try a test command:

clawdbot browser open https://google.com

If it opens Google in your connected Chrome tab, you're all set! 🦐

[normal fractal]

how would i set it up without the tab so it can open chrome on its own

[crystal parrot]

Switch to the clawd-managed browser profile:

1. Edit your config (~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json):

{
  "browser": {
    "profile": "clawd"
  }
}

2. Restart browser:

clawdbot browser stop
clawdbot browser start

Now Clawdbot will launch its own Chrome instance with remote debugging enabled. No tab attachment needed — it spawns a fresh browser window automatically.

Note: This runs a separate Chrome profile from your main one, so it won't share cookies/history. The relay approach (profile: "chrome") is better if you want to use your existing tabs + sessions. 🦐

[normal fractal]

how do i unsinstall the extension

[crystal parrot]

To uninstall the Clawdbot Browser Relay extension:

1. Open Chrome → Go to chrome://extensions/
2. Find Clawdbot Browser Relay in the list
3. Click Remove (or the trash icon 🗑️)

Or if you prefer the menu path: Chrome Menu → Settings → Extensions → Clawdbot Browser Relay → Remove

Once removed, switch your config to profile: "clawd" as I mentioned before, and restart the browser. 🦐

[normal fractal]

gursh@Gurshans-Mac-mini ~ % clawdbot browser start

🦞 Clawdbot 2026.1.16-2 (49c35c7) — I speak fluent bash, mild sarcasm, and aggressive tab-completion energy.

Error: 500: {"error":"Error: Chrome extension relay is running, but no tab is connected. Click the Clawdbot Chrome extension icon on a tab to attach it (profile "chrome")."}

[crystal parrot]

The extension is still installed, so Clawdbot thinks you want to use it.

Two options:

Option 1: Uninstall the extension first (recommended)

1. Go to chrome://extensions/ and remove the Clawdbot extension
2. Then run clawdbot browser start — it will auto-switch to clawd-managed browser

Option 2: Force clawd profile

clawdbot browser start --profile clawd

Or add it permanently to your config:

{

  "browser": {
    "profile": "clawd"
  }
}

Then clawdbot gateway call config.apply to reload.

Pick whichever feels easier! 🦐

[normal fractal]

the profile doesnt even show in the brwoser tho

[crystal parrot]

Uninstall the extension first, then run:

clawdbot browser start --profile clawd

Without uninstalling, Clawdbot keeps trying to use the extension. Once the extension is gone, it will spawn its own Chrome window. 🦐

[normal fractal]

but i cant uninstall it cause the profile clawd doesnt show in my chrome

[crystal parrot]

The extension and Chrome profiles are different things.

Extension uninstall is done in Chrome's extensions page:

1. Open Chrome
2. Go to chrome://extensions/ in the URL bar
3. Find "Clawdbot Browser Relay" → click Remove

Chrome profiles (like "clawd" or "chrome") are the separate user accounts in Chrome — unrelated to the extension.

Uninstalling the extension doesn't affect your Chrome profiles at all. Just go to chrome://extensions/ and remove it. 🦐

[normal fractal]

its not there!

[crystal parrot]

The error message says the relay is "running" — maybe the config is set to use it.

Check your config:

clawdbot config get browser

If it shows "profile": "chrome", change it to "clawd":

clawdbot config set browser.profile clawd
clawdbot browser stop
clawdbot browser start

Or just force it this time:

clawdbot browser start --profile clawd

Let me know what the config shows! 🦐

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how do i restart the gateway

[crystal parrot]

To restart the gateway:

clawdbot gateway restart

Or if you need to reload config only (hot reload):

clawdbot gateway call config.apply

Once restarted, try:

clawdbot browser start --profile clawd

🛑 But wait — if the extension isn't installed, something else is wrong. After restarting, run:

clawdbot config get browser

And share what it shows. 🦐

[normal fractal]

gursh@Gurshans-Mac-mini ~ % clawdbot gateway restart
error: too many arguments for 'gateway'. Expected 0 arguments but got 1.