#is it possible to have your bot (vps) control over the system browser?

1 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

vernal meteorBOT
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Hi! Yep, but it depends what you mean by “system browser”.

1) Control a browser on the VPS

OpenClaw can run its own Playwright/Chromium browser on the gateway host (your VPS). This is usually headless on a VPS, and it won’t be your personal Chrome profile/cookies unless you do extra work to wire that up.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/browser (see also FAQ “Can the OpenClaw browser run headless?”)

2) Control your existing desktop Chrome/Brave (the “real system browser”)

That’s the Chrome extension browser takeover flow. Key detail: the extension must run on the machine that has the browser, and you manually “attach” the tab by clicking the extension button.

Quick commands:

  • openclaw browser extension install
  • openclaw browser extension path

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/chrome-extension (also in the FAQ under “How do I install the Chrome extension for browser takeover?”)

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Which setup are you aiming for: controlling a headless browser on the VPS, or taking over your already-logged-in Chrome on your laptop/desktop?

meager bobcat
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by browser i mean the chrome installed on our system

vernal meteorBOT
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If you mean the Chrome you already use (your normal Chrome window/profile): yes — that’s exactly what the Chrome extension “browser relay” is for.

Key detail: the browser can only be driven on the machine where Chrome is running.

If your Gateway is on a VPS, but Chrome is on your PC/Mac

  1. On the Chrome machine, install + load the extension:
    • openclaw browser extension install
    • openclaw browser extension path → Chrome → chrome://extensions → Developer mode → “Load unpacked” → pick that folder
  2. In the extension Options, set:
    • Gateway token = your gateway.auth.token
    • Port = relay port (default is 18792; also: relay port = gateway port + 3 if you changed gateway.port)
  3. Because your Gateway is remote (VPS): you typically need a node host running on the Chrome machine so the VPS can proxy browser actions to it. (Then approve the node on the Gateway.)

After that: open the tab you want controlled and click the extension icon (badge shows ON). Only attached tabs are controllable.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/chrome-extension

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Quick clarifier

Is the Chrome you want to control running on your local computer, or is it Chrome installed on the VPS itself? The setup differs slightly.

meager bobcat
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Chrome installed on the VPS itself? is this possible and if yes? how its different from Is the Chrome you want to control running on your local computer

vernal meteorBOT
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Yes — Chrome installed on the VPS can be driven, but in practice you usually do it via the OpenClaw-managed browser (profile openclaw), not via the extension.

How controlling Chrome on the VPS works

  • The Gateway starts a local browser control service and launches a dedicated automation browser/profile on that VPS.
  • You interact with it via the normal browser tool (snapshot / act / screenshot), and you “see” what’s happening via snapshots/screenshots (and PDFs), not a live window (unless you set up a GUI/VNC).

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/browser
(“Profiles: openclaw vs chrome”, and “Can the OpenClaw browser run headless”)

How it differs from controlling Chrome on your local computer

Local computer Chrome takeover = the Chrome extension relay:

  • It controls your existing Chrome tab(s) that you manually attach (toolbar badge “ON”).
  • Typically used when you want to automate in your already-logged-in, daily-driver browser.
  • If the Gateway is remote (VPS), you generally run a node host on the machine that runs Chrome to proxy actions.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/chrome-extension

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Practical recommendation

  • If Chrome is on the VPS: use openclaw (managed) profile, usually with browser.headless: true.
  • If Chrome is on your desktop and you want that exact browser session: use the extension relay (chrome profile).

Do you need the VPS browser to be headless automation (most common), or do you actually need a visible desktop Chrome window on the VPS?

meager bobcat
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ok give me step by step method installation for bot (vps) to have control over my chrome browser

vernal meteorBOT
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Here’s the clean step-by-step for: Gateway on VPS → control Chrome on your computer (your normal Chrome install) using the Chrome extension (browser relay).

Important: the VPS can’t “reach into” your laptop browser by itself — you run a node host on the laptop/desktop that has Chrome, and the VPS routes browser actions to it.

Docs (full): https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/chrome-extension

Step 0 — Prereqs

  • You have OpenClaw Gateway running on the VPS.
  • Your local computer (the one with Chrome) can reach the VPS Gateway port (18789 by default) via Tailscale or SSH tunnel.
  • You know your Gateway token: gateway.auth.token.

Step 1 — Make sure the VPS Gateway is reachable (and has a token)

On the VPS:

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  1. Confirm Gateway is running:
openclaw gateway status
  1. Get your token (or set one) and keep it handy:
openclaw config get gateway.auth.token

If your Gateway is only bound to 127.0.0.1, your local machine won’t be able to connect unless you use an SSH tunnel or Tailscale/bind tailnet. (If you tell me your setup—Tailscale vs SSH—I’ll point you at the exact best option.)

Step 2 — On your local computer, install OpenClaw (for node host + extension)

You need the openclaw CLI locally because it:

  • installs the extension files
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  • runs the node host that proxies browser actions

Install OpenClaw on your local machine (same method you used on VPS is fine), then continue.

Step 3 — Start a node host on your local computer (the Chrome machine)

On your local computer:

  1. Export the Gateway token (same token as the VPS):
export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="<your-gateway-token>"
  1. Run the node host and point it at the VPS:
# 
openclaw node run --host <VPS_HOSTNAME_OR_TAILSCALE_NAME> --port 18789 --display-name "Chrome Node"

Leave this running.

Step 4 — Approve the node on the VPS (pairing)

Back on the VPS:

openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve <requestId>
openclaw nodes status

Once approved, the VPS can route browser tool calls to that node.

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Step 5 — Install + load the Chrome extension on your local computer

On your local computer:

  1. Install extension files:
openclaw browser extension install
  1. Print the extension path:
openclaw browser extension path
  1. In Chrome:
  • go to chrome://extensions
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  • enable Developer mode
  • Load unpacked → select that folder
  • pin the extension

Step 6 — Configure the extension Options (token + port)

Open the extension Options and set:

  • Gateway token: same gateway.auth.token
  • Port: default is 18792
    (rule: relay port = gateway port + 3)

If the badge shows !, it usually means the relay/node side isn’t reachable/running yet.

Step 7 — Attach a tab (this is required)

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  • Open the tab you want controlled
  • Click the extension icon
  • Badge should show ON

Only tabs you explicitly attach are controllable.

Step 8 — Use it from chat

Now tell your bot to do browser actions. If it opens the separate “orange” OpenClaw-managed browser instead, tell it explicitly to use the chrome browser profile (that’s the extension relay profile).

Two quick questions so I can tailor the exact networking step:

  1. What OS is your “Chrome machine” (Windows/macOS/Linux)?
  2. How are you connecting local ↔ VPS (Tailscale already, or SSH only)?
meager bobcat
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but i dont want to install open claw on my system

vernal meteorBOT
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That’s the catch: to control your local Chrome from a VPS, you must have something running on your machine. There’s no way around it.

Reason (by design): the Chrome extension talks to a local loopback relay at http://127.0.0.1:<port> (default 18792). That means:

  • the relay server has to run on the same computer as Chrome
  • your VPS cannot “reach into” your Chrome without a local helper (node host / app) to proxy commands

So you have two real options:

Option A (no local install at all): control a browser on the VPS

  • Use the OpenClaw-managed browser on the VPS (usually headless) and get screenshots/snapshots back in chat.
  • This does not control your personal Chrome session/cookies.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/browser

Option B (control your local Chrome): install a minimal local component

You don’t need to run a full Gateway locally, but you do need at least:

  • the Chrome extension, and
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  • a node host / relay process on your machine (OpenClaw provides this)

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/tools/chrome-extension

If you tell me what OS your machine is (Windows/macOS/Linux) and whether you can use Tailscale or only SSH, I can give you the minimal local setup (node-only, no channels, no gateway) — but it still involves installing/running that small piece locally.

meager bobcat
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what if we just install the CLI tool in the mac

vernal meteorBOT
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Yep — installing just the CLI on the Mac is enough (you don’t need to run a full Gateway/bot on the Mac). The Mac will act as a node host + local browser relay so your VPS Gateway can drive Chrome.

Minimal “VPS bot controls Mac Chrome” setup

1) Install the OpenClaw CLI on the Mac

On the Mac:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

(That installs the CLI; you can skip onboarding.)

2) Start a node host on the Mac (connect it to the VPS Gateway)

On the Mac:

export OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN="<your-vps-gateway-token>"
openclaw node run --host <your-vps-hostname-or-tailnet-name> --port 18789 --display-name "Mac Chrome Node"
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Leave it running.

If your VPS Gateway only binds to 127.0.0.1, you’ll need Tailscale or an SSH tunnel for this to work.

3) Approve/pair the Mac node on the VPS

On the VPS:

openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve <requestId>
openclaw nodes status

4) Install + load the Chrome extension on the Mac

On the Mac:

openclaw browser extension install