<img src="assets/banner.svg" alt="chrome-cdp" height="70">

# chrome-cdp

Use Chrome from Pi when browser work needs a real page, such as checking a UI, reproducing a flow, or capturing a screenshot.
Enable `codemode` or `tool_search`, then ask Pi to open, inspect, navigate, or capture a page.

[Installation](../../README.md#install)

## First use

Use `tool_search` to discover Chrome.
Chrome starts only when Pi first uses it.
It uses a disposable profile by default, so it does not use your everyday Chrome profile.

```text
Use tool_search to find chrome_cdp, then open http://localhost:3000 and take a full-page screenshot.
```

Run `/chrome` when you want to declare Chrome directly to Pi instead of discovering it.
Run `/chrome close` when finished to stop Chrome and remove its direct declaration; later scripts can still launch it.
Run `/chrome` again to remove that declaration while leaving any running Chrome process alone.
Start Pi with `--chrome` or set `chrome-cdp.enable` to `true` for that direct declaration at startup.

## What Pi can do

Pi can drive pages, wait for browser events, inspect responses, and save screenshots, video, or traces.
Chrome is headless unless Pi starts it with a visible window.
Captured files go to your Downloads folder unless `chrome-cdp.artifactDir` changes that destination.
Set `chrome-cdp.executablePath` if Pi cannot find Chrome.
Set `chrome-cdp.profile` only when you deliberately want a reusable extension-owned profile.
Video capture needs `ffmpeg`.

## Privacy and control

Pi sends raw Chrome DevTools Protocol commands to the Chrome process it starts.
Those commands can reach local sites, browser data in a chosen reusable profile, and download settings.
Page content, events, traces, and captures can contain sensitive data.
Use a disposable profile for work you do not want retained.

## Reference

<!-- config:start -->
### Commands

| Command | Purpose |
| --- | --- |
| `/chrome` | Toggle chrome_cdp direct declaration; /chrome close stops owned Chrome |

### Setting names

| Setting | CLI flag |
| --- | --- |
| `chrome-cdp.artifactDir` |   |
| `chrome-cdp.enable` | `--chrome` |
| `chrome-cdp.executablePath` |   |
| `chrome-cdp.flags` |   |
| `chrome-cdp.profile` |   |
<!-- config:end -->