OpenClaw Browser Relay

About

OpenClaw Browser Relay is a lightweight Chrome extension that connects your browser to the OpenClaw automation gateway running on your machine. With a single click on any Chrome tab, you attach a local CDP (Chrome DevTools Protocol) relay, which lets OpenClaw drive and observe the tab programmatically. Key benefits:

• Local-first automation: all traffic to the relay stays on your device; no data leaves your machine.
• Seamless tab attachment/detachment: attach to the active tab, detach when needed, and automatically reattach after navigation.
• Robust reliability: built-in reconnect logic, per-tab operation locks, and fallbacks to keep your automation running through browser/workspace restarts.
• Developer-friendly: designed to work with OpenClaw’s workflow tools (CRM, scripts, dashboards) to accelerate capital/operational automation without manual clicks.
• Safe by design: uses token-based authentication for the relay, with clear guidance on permissions and privacy.

What it does (in simple terms)

• Installs a local relay server (on your machine) that exposes a controlled WebSocket API to communicate with Chrome.
• The extension attaches to a Chrome tab and forwards CDP commands to the relay, enabling automated testing, scraping, or browser automation.
• Handles navigation, tab lifecycle, and detach/reattach events to keep automation resilient across typical browser usage.

Core features

• One-click attach/detach per tab
• Persistent state across restarts
• Automated reconnects with exponential backoff
• Session management for multiple tabs and child sessions
• Token-based security to validate the local relay
• Easy configuration via a compact options UI (port and gateway token)

Ideal for

• Teams building automated workflows that interact with web interfaces locally
• Developers testing extension interactions or automation scripts
• Power users who want repeatable, scriptable browser actions without external servers

Requirements

• OpenClaw Gateway (local server) running and reachable on localhost
• Browser Relay extension installed in Chrome
• Gateway token configured in the extension for secure access