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Browser Use

Roo Code provides sophisticated browser automation capabilities that let you interact with websites directly from VS Code. This feature enables testing web applications, automating browser tasks, and capturing screenshots without leaving your development environment.

<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SJae206swxA" style={{ position: 'absolute', top: 0, left: 0, width: '100%', height: '100%', }} frameBorder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowFullScreen ></iframe>

:::caution Model Support Required Browser Use within Roo Code requires the use of Claude Sonnet 3.5 or 3.7 :::

How Browser Use Works

By default, Roo Code uses a built-in browser that:

  • Launches automatically when you ask Roo to visit a website
  • Captures screenshots of web pages
  • Allows Roo to interact with web elements
  • Runs invisibly in the background

All of this happens directly within VS Code, with no setup required.

Using Browser Use

A typical browser interaction follows this pattern:

Important: Browser Use requires Claude Sonnet 3.5 or 3.7 model.

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

For example:

Open the browser and view our site.

Can you check if my website at https://roocode.com is displaying correctly?

Browse http://localhost:3000, scroll down to the bottom of the page and check if the footer information is displaying correctly.

Browser use example

How Browser Actions Work

The browser_action tool controls a browser instance that returns screenshots and console logs after each action, allowing you to see the results of interactions.

Key characteristics:

  • Each browser session must start with launch and end with close
  • Only one browser action can be used per message
  • While the browser is active, no other tools can be used
  • You must wait for the response (screenshot and logs) before performing the next action

Available Browser Actions

Action Description When to Use
launch Opens a browser at a URL Starting a new browser session
click Clicks at specific coordinates Interacting with buttons, links, etc.
type Types text into active element Filling forms, search boxes
scroll_down Scrolls down by one page Viewing content below the fold
scroll_up Scrolls up by one page Returning to previous content
close Closes the browser Ending a browser session

Browser Use Configuration/Settings

:::info Default Browser Settings

  • Enable browser tool: Enabled
  • Viewport size: Small Desktop (900x600)
  • Screenshot quality: 75%
  • Use remote browser connection: Disabled :::

Accessing Settings

To change Browser / Computer Use settings in Roo:

  1. Open Settings by clicking the gear icon → Browser / Computer Use

    Browser settings menu

Enable/Disable Browser Use

Purpose: Master toggle that enables Roo to interact with websites using a Puppeteer-controlled browser.

To change this setting:

  1. Check or uncheck the "Enable browser tool" checkbox within your Browser / Computer Use settings

    Enable browser tool setting

Viewport Size

Purpose: Determines the resolution of the browser session Roo Code uses.

Tradeoff: Higher values provide a larger viewport but increase token usage.

To change this setting:

  1. Click the dropdown menu under "Viewport size" within your Browser / Computer Use settings

  2. Select one of the available options:

    • Large Desktop (1280x800)
    • Small Desktop (900x600) - Default
    • Tablet (768x1024)
    • Mobile (360x640)

  3. Select your desired resolution.

    Viewport size setting

Screenshot Quality

Purpose: Controls the WebP compression quality of browser screenshots.

Tradeoff: Higher values provide clearer screenshots but increase token usage.

To change this setting:

  1. Adjust the slider under "Screenshot quality" within your Browser / Computer Use settings

  2. Set a value between 1-100% (default is 75%)

  3. Higher values provide clearer screenshots but increase token usage:

    • 40-50%: Good for basic text-based websites
    • 60-70%: Balanced for most general browsing
    • 80%+: Use when fine visual details are critical
    Screenshot quality setting

Remote Browser Connection

Purpose: Connect Roo to an existing Chrome browser instead of using the built-in browser.

Benefits:

  • Works in containerized environments and remote development workflows
  • Maintains authenticated sessions between browser uses
  • Eliminates repetitive login steps
  • Allows use of custom browser profiles with specific extensions

Requirements: Chrome must be running with remote debugging enabled.

To enable this feature:

  1. Check the "Use remote browser connection" box in Browser / Computer Use settings

  2. Click "Test Connection" to verify

    Remote browser connection setting

Common Use Cases

  • DevContainers: Connect from containerized VS Code to host Chrome browser
  • Remote Development: Use local Chrome with remote VS Code server
  • Custom Chrome Profiles: Use profiles with specific extensions and settings

Connecting to a Visible Chrome Window

Connect to a visible Chrome window to observe Roo's interactions in real-time:

macOS

/Applications/Google\ Chrome.app/Contents/MacOS/Google\ Chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/chrome-debug --no-first-run

Windows

"C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=C:\chrome-debug --no-first-run

Linux

google-chrome --remote-debugging-port=9222 --user-data-dir=/tmp/chrome-debug --no-first-run