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Clawdbot Browser Relay not connecting via remote Gateway (AWS EC2)
Problem description
I am trying to use Clawdbot Browser tools together with the Chrome Browser Relay extension while running the Clawdbot Gateway on a remote AWS EC2 instance (Ubuntu 24.04).
The gateway starts successfully and logs show that the browser control server is running:
[browser/server] Browser control listening on http://127.0.0.1:18791/
The port is confirmed to be listening on the server using ss -lntp.
However, running the following command always fails:
clawdbot browser --browser-profile clawd start
with the error:
Error: Can't reach the clawd browser control server at http://127.0.0.1:18791/start?profile=clawd (timed out after 15000ms)
What I have tried
- Running Clawdbot Gateway normally and via xvfb-run
- Verifying that ports 18789 (gateway) and 18791 (browser control) are listening on the EC2 instance
- Confirming gateway logs show the browser server starting successfully
- Installing Chromium and Google Chrome
- Installing the Clawdbot Browser Relay Chrome extension
- Creating an SSH tunnel from my local machine to the EC2 instance using:
ssh -L 18791:127.0.0.1:18791 ubuntu:<EC2-IP> - Accessing http://127.0.0.1:18791 locally through the tunnel
- Verifying that the Chrome extension reports the relay endpoint as reachable (green status text)
- Attempting to attach the extension to a browser tab (icon turns red when clicked)
Current status
- Clawdbot Gateway is running on the EC2 instance
- Browser control server appears to be running and listening
- SSH tunnel is active and functional
- Chrome extension can reach the relay endpoint
- The browser fails to start or attach, and the browser start command always times out
Question
Is the setup of a remote Clawdbot Gateway (AWS EC2) combined with a local Chrome browser via SSH port forwarding officially supported for the Browser tools?
If so, what is the correct and recommended configuration for this setup?