Browser Use Terminal is separate from the lower-level
browser-use CLI. Use
browser for the Terminal TUI, browser-use-terminal for Terminal task
commands, and browser-use for direct browser-control commands.Terms
- TUI: terminal user interface. This is the interactive app you open with
browser. - CLI: command-line interface. These are scriptable commands such as
browser-use-terminal run-openai. - Headless browser: a browser that runs without a visible window.
- CDP: Chrome DevTools Protocol. This lets Browser Use connect to an existing Chrome instance.
- MCP: Model Context Protocol. This lets the agent use tools from external MCP servers.
- TOTP: time-based one-time password. This is the six-digit code generated by authenticator apps for 2FA.
Install
Install Browser Use Terminal:PATH.
Verify the two terminal executables:
TUI Commands
In the TUI, type/ to open the command palette. These are the main commands:
Run Browser Tasks
TUI
The TUI is the main Browser Use Terminal experience:CLI
Use one-shot commands for scripts, automation, and quick tasks:Python
Usebrowser_use.beta.Agent to run Python code on top of the Rust terminal runtime:
Use From Coding Assistants
Browser Use Terminal plugs into any coding assistant that can run shell commands. A skill teaches the assistant the CLI, and the CLI gives it the full browser runtime: page interaction through Python helpers, screenshots saved as files, profiles, and more. The fastest setup is to paste this URL into your assistant and let it bootstrap everything (install, skill registration, browser setup, verification):skill install writes the skill into every detected assistant home: ~/.claude/skills/ (Claude Code, also read by OpenCode), ~/.codex/skills/ (Codex), ~/.config/opencode/skills/, and ~/.agents/skills/. For other assistants, persist the output of browser-use-terminal skill show wherever that assistant reads instructions.
The assistant then drives the browser with commands:
- The browser auto-connects per the remembered preference (
browser-use-terminal browser preference use local|cloud|managed-headless) and persists across invocations; Python variables do not. - Screenshots are saved as files and the absolute path is printed, so assistants view them with their native file tools: Claude Code
Read, Codexview_image, OpenCoderead, Gemini CLIread_file. --session <name>gives parallel workstreams isolated artifact dirs, event logs, and managed browsers.- Stop persistent browsers with
browser-use-terminal browser recover stop-owned-browser(managed) orbrowser-use-terminal browser recover stop-owned-remote(cloud). - Everything is recorded in the same event log as the TUI:
browser-use-terminal events browser-cli-<session>.
Configure Models
TUI
Use/auth to sign in and configure credentials, then /model to choose the model:
CLI
For one-shot commands and CI, set the provider key for the provider command you are using:Python
Pass a supported browser-use model class toAgent:
Choose A Browser
TUI
Use/browser to choose how the agent should run the browser:
/profile to choose the default Chrome profile:
CLI
Use terminal config or one-off config overrides for browser settings:Python
Managed local browser:BROWSER_USE_API_KEY, pass use_cloud=True, and the terminal runtime handles the cloud browser session.
Use Secrets And Login
Secrets let the agent fill credentials without exposing raw values to the model.TUI
Use/auth for Browser Use account and model-provider authentication:
/secrets to save website login secrets and 2FA setup keys:
/secrets, press Ctrl-O to import logins from 1Password. You can also run:
otp and paste the authenticator setup key, not the current six-digit code.
CLI
Store a password:op CLI. secrets list prints metadata only, never secret values.
Python
Python runs use the same terminal runtime and terminal state. Configure website secrets with the terminal commands above, then run the Python agent against the matching domain.Restrict Domains
Domain policy controls where the browser can navigate.TUI
Use/domains to allow or block sites from the TUI:
CLI
Python
Pass domain policy throughBrowserProfile:
Use MCP Servers
MCP servers add external tools to the agent.TUI
Add MCP servers to terminal config, then run the TUI normally:CLI
Create an MCP config:Python
Python terminal-backed runs can use terminal MCP configuration through the same terminal runtime. Configure MCP servers in terminal config before starting the Python run.Use Profiles And Config
Profiles let you keep separate terminal settings for different accounts, browsers, models, or workflows.TUI
Use/profile to choose the default Chrome profile:
CLI
The terminal reads config from:BROWSER_USE_TERMINAL_HOME is not set, it uses:
$BROWSER_USE_TERMINAL_HOME/<name>.config.toml on top of the base config:
--state-dir for an isolated run:
Python
Point Python at a terminal state directory:Troubleshooting Setup
browser Or browser-use-terminal Not Found
Restart your terminal, then check whether the install location is on your PATH:
PATH instructions it prints:
Which Command Should I Use?
Python Cannot Find browser_use.beta
Install or upgrade the Python package in the same environment you are running:
Forwarded Python Settings
When you usebrowser_use.beta.Agent, these Python settings are forwarded to the Rust terminal SDK:
The same Python
Agent instance can continue a terminal-backed session across follow-up runs.
Cloud Browser Setup
SetBROWSER_USE_API_KEY and pass the cloud profile or proxy settings through BrowserSession.
1Password Import Setup
Install and sign in to the 1Password CLI:TOTP Setup
Store the base32 TOTP seed with--totp, not the current six-digit code: