Back to Kilocode

Browser Use

packages/kilo-docs/pages/code-with-ai/features/browser-use.md

7.4.183.7 KB
Original Source

Browser Use

Kilo Code provides browser automation capabilities that let you interact with websites directly from your coding workflow. This feature supports testing web applications, automating browser tasks, and capturing screenshots without leaving your editor.

{% callout type="info" title="Model Support Required" %} Browser Use requires an advanced agentic model. It is typically most reliable with recent high-capability models (for example Claude Sonnet 4 class models). {% /callout %}

How Browser Use Works

{% tabs %} {% tab label="VSCode" %}

Browser automation is built into the extension and requires no manual setup. Enable it from Settings → Browser and Kilo handles the rest automatically.

{% /tab %} {% tab label="CLI" %}

Kilo Code uses Playwright for browser automation. Add it to your kilo.jsonc configuration:

json
{
  "mcp": {
    "playwright": {
      "type": "local",
      "command": ["npx", "-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Playwright downloads Chromium automatically on first use.

{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}

Using Browser Use

A typical browser interaction follows this pattern:

  1. Ask Kilo to visit a website
  2. Kilo launches the browser and shows you a screenshot
  3. Request additional actions (clicking, typing, scrolling)
  4. Kilo closes the browser when finished

For example:

  • Open the browser and view our site.
  • Can you check if my website at https://kilocode.ai is displaying correctly?
  • Browse http://localhost:3000, scroll down to the bottom of the page and check if the footer information is displaying correctly.

How Browser Actions Work

{% tabs %} {% tab label="VSCode" %}

Kilo launches a browser automatically when asked and returns screenshots after each action so you can see what's happening. It can navigate to URLs, click elements, fill in forms, scroll, hover, select from dropdowns, and drag and drop — all driven by natural language instructions in chat.

{% /tab %} {% tab label="CLI" %}

The Playwright MCP server provides a set of browser tools for interacting with web pages. These tools return screenshots and accessibility snapshots after each action.

Key characteristics:

  • The browser launches automatically when a browser tool is invoked
  • Multiple browser tools can be used in sequence
  • Screenshots are captured after each action for visual feedback

Available Browser Tools

ToolDescriptionWhen to Use
browser_navigateNavigates to a URLOpening a web page
browser_clickClicks an element on the pageInteracting with buttons, links, etc.
browser_typeTypes text into an input elementFilling forms, search boxes
browser_screenshotCaptures a screenshot of the pageInspecting visual state
browser_scrollScrolls the page or a specific areaViewing content above or below
browser_hoverHovers over an elementRevealing tooltips or menus
browser_selectSelects an option from a dropdownChoosing from select elements
browser_dragDrags an element to a targetDrag-and-drop interactions

{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}

Browser Use Settings

{% tabs %} {% tab label="VSCode" %}

Browser automation settings are available under Settings → Browser:

  • Enable browser automation: Toggle to enable or disable browser automation
  • Headless mode: Run the browser without a visible window (default: disabled)
  • Use system Chrome: Enabled by default — uses your installed Chrome. Disable to have Playwright download and use Chromium instead.

{% /tab %} {% tab label="CLI" %}

Browser automation is configured in your kilo.jsonc file. No additional settings are required — Playwright manages the browser lifecycle automatically.

{% /tab %} {% /tabs %}