agent-browser-lab

Public research lab for agent browser control planes: CDP, Playwright, agent CLIs, and extension bridges.

This is not a Quicker product browser. Production automation that needs the user's real Chrome cookies still goes through Quicker Connector / sys:chromecontrol. Findings here may later inform product code; the lab stays thin.

Goals

• Compare CDP, Playwright (connectOverCDP vs launched Chromium), and agent-oriented CLIs (e.g. agent-browser).
• Standardize a token-friendly observation protocol: accessibility-tree snapshots with stable @eN refs.
• Document when to use a dedicated CDP profile vs a user-browser extension bridge.

Non-goals

• Full browser engine / Rust CDP daemon from scratch.
• Forking or publishing Quicker Connector.
• Docker browser farms, cloud browsers, or browser-use-style autonomous agents as a product.

Decision tree

Need the user's already-logged-in tabs / cookies?
  yes → extension bridge (Quicker Connector / qkrpc chrome tools)
  no  → dedicated Chrome profile + CDP (this lab)
         Prefer high-level Playwright / agent-browser CLI for navigate-click-fill
         Prefer raw CDP when measuring AX tree / network / debugger APIs

Details: docs/architecture.md · docs/matrix.md · docs/boundaries.md

Quick start (Windows)

# 1) Start Chrome with an isolated profile + remote debugging (keeps your main Chrome alone)
pwsh ./scripts/start-cdp.ps1

# 2) Smoke: connect, open a page, interactive AX-style snapshot notes
pwsh ./scripts/smoke.ps1

Default profile directory:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\QuickerOrg\agent-browser-lab\chrome-profile

Default CDP port: 9222 (override with $env:AGENT_BROWSER_CDP_PORT).

Do not commit the profile directory, cookies, HARs with credentials, or screenshots of private pages.

Layout

docs/           Architecture, observation protocol, comparison matrix, product boundaries
scripts/        start-cdp.ps1, smoke.ps1
experiments/    Narrow harnesses + notes (01 CDP AX, 02 Playwright, 03 agent-browser CLI)

Related

Repo / surface	Role
QuickerOrg/QuickerConnector	Product MV3 extension (private)
QuickerHub / qkrpc	qkrpc_chrome_*, action sys:chromecontrol
quicker-workspace	Consumes findings; does not host this lab under apps/

License

MIT — see LICENSE.