use-my-browser

Overview of use-my-browser skill

What the use-my-browser skill actually does

use-my-browser is a browser automation strategy skill for agents that need to decide how to work with the web before touching a page. Its real value is not just “open a browser,” but choosing between public web tools, the user’s live Chrome session, raw fetches, or a separate clean browser context based on the task.

Who should install use-my-browser

This skill is best for people who regularly handle:

• signed-in websites
• dynamic apps that hide data behind client-side rendering
• DevTools-led debugging
• source verification on pages where screenshots are not enough
• browser automation tasks where session state matters

If your work is mostly reading public docs or static pages, a simpler web-reading skill may be enough.

Best-fit jobs to be done

The strongest fit for use-my-browser is when you need an agent to:

• continue from a page you already have open
• inspect the current DOM, console, or network traffic
• use your existing cookies or login state
• extract evidence from rendered pages
• avoid wasting time on browser automation when cheaper tools already solve the task

That routing judgment is the main differentiator of the use-my-browser skill.

Why this use-my-browser guide matters before install

A quick repo skim may make use-my-browser sound like a normal browser-control prompt. It is more useful than that because it teaches:

• when not to attach to the browser
• how to keep live-session work minimally disruptive
• how to treat DevTools state as evidence
• when a clean automation browser is safer than your current tab
• how to fall back when the live session is unavailable

What makes it different from generic browser prompts

Generic prompts often jump straight into clicking around. use-my-browser for Browser Automation is better when tool choice affects accuracy, safety, or speed. It explicitly prefers:

• goal definition before tool use
• evidence before guessing
• primary sources over recycled summaries
• tab hygiene and non-destructive behavior
• live-session reuse only when it materially helps

How to Use use-my-browser skill

Install context for use-my-browser

Install from the main skills repository:

npx skills add https://github.com/xixu-me/skills --skill use-my-browser

This use-my-browser install is most valuable in environments that support the tools named in the skill metadata: chrome-devtools, web, playwright, shell_command, and multi_tool_use.parallel.

Read these files first

For fastest adoption, start here:

1. skills/use-my-browser/SKILL.md
2. skills/use-my-browser/references/tool-matrix.md
3. skills/use-my-browser/references/session-playbook.md
4. skills/use-my-browser/references/browser-recipes.md
5. skills/use-my-browser/references/site-patterns/README.md

That order helps because the repo is less about syntax and more about decision quality.

What inputs the skill needs from you

The use-my-browser skill works best when your prompt includes:

• the exact goal
• whether the page is public, dynamic, or signed in
• whether the relevant tab is already open
• whether DevTools already has the right element or request selected
• what evidence you need back: text, DOM state, network call, screenshot, URL, media source, or reproduction steps

Without that context, the agent may pick the wrong layer.

Turn a rough request into a strong use-my-browser prompt

Weak:

• “Check this site and tell me what’s wrong.”

Stronger:

• “Use use-my-browser to inspect the logged-in dashboard I already have open in Chrome. Start by checking open tabs, then reuse the current session instead of opening a fresh one. I need the failing XHR request, response status, and any console errors causing the widget to stay blank. Do not reload the page unless necessary.”

Why it is better:

• it specifies session dependence
• it protects current state
• it names the evidence needed
• it prevents destructive retries

Choose the right browsing layer first

A practical use-my-browser usage pattern is:

• Use web.search_query or web.open for public discovery and simple reading.
• Use raw fetch via shell_command when headers, source HTML, JSON-LD, or direct assets matter.
• Use chrome-devtools when current DOM, cookies, console, network, or selected DevTools targets matter.
• Use playwright when you need a clean, reproducible browser context rather than the user’s active session.

This routing logic is the core of the use-my-browser skill.

Reuse the live browser session deliberately

From the session playbook, live Chrome is the right choice when the task depends on:

• signed-in state
• current cookies
• existing app context
• an already selected Network or Elements target
• state that would be expensive to recreate

In practice, begin with:

• list_pages
• select_page
• take_snapshot

That sequence reduces accidental disruption and reveals whether the needed page is already available.

Avoid intrusive browser behavior

One of the most useful parts of the use-my-browser guide is its tab-hygiene advice:

• do not close tabs you did not open
• do not reload the user’s page just because it is convenient
• do not front-run the current tab unless required
• open your own working page when experimenting might be risky

This matters more than it sounds. Many browser tasks fail socially before they fail technically.

Use evidence-first inspection

use-my-browser for Browser Automation is strongest when you ask for evidence, not vague conclusions. Prefer requests like:

• “capture the exact request and response”
• “read the rendered DOM for the missing element”
• “check console errors before retrying”
• “extract the media URL from the page source or network activity”

That follows the repo’s pattern of using snapshots, DOM reads, console output, network inspection, and direct extraction before relying on screenshots or repeated UI clicking.

Know when raw fetch beats full browser control

A common adoption blocker is assuming every web task needs a browser. In this skill, raw fetch is often better when you need:

• source HTML instead of rendered text
• headers or redirects
• JSON or JSON-LD
• direct asset URLs
• quieter outputs saved to file

If the answer is in the response itself, opening DevTools first is usually unnecessary overhead.

Use site patterns when the domain is tricky

The references/site-patterns/README.md file shows how to keep domain-specific notes. Read existing notes first if the target domain is known to be brittle, logged-in, or anti-automation-heavy. These notes are meant to store validated access patterns, extraction tactics, and traps, not guesses.

Practical workflow for a first real task

A good first-run workflow for the use-my-browser skill:

1. Define success in one sentence.
2. Decide whether public web, raw fetch, live Chrome, or Playwright is the lowest-cost path.
3. If using live Chrome, inspect current pages before opening anything new.
4. Gather evidence from DOM, console, network, or direct media extraction.
5. Only then perform interaction steps.
6. Report findings with proof, not just interpretation.

This sequence is what separates the skill from a generic “browse and see” prompt.

use-my-browser skill FAQ

Is use-my-browser only for the current browser tab

No. Despite the name, the use-my-browser skill covers a broader browsing strategy. It includes using the current Chrome session when that matters, but it also teaches when to stay on public-web tools, when to use raw fetch, and when to move to a separate clean browser context.

Is this beginner-friendly

Yes, if you already understand the task you want done. The repo is readable, and the reference files are practical. The main beginner challenge is not installation but choosing the right tool layer. Reading tool-matrix.md first usually solves that.

When is use-my-browser not the right fit

Skip use-my-browser when:

• the task is only static public reading
• no browser state or rendering is relevant
• you just need a normal search-and-summarize workflow
• your environment does not expose browser and fetch tools

It is also a poor fit if you expect one-click automation recipes for every site. This skill is more about decision rules than site-specific scripts.

How is it different from an ordinary browser prompt

An ordinary prompt usually says “open the page and interact.” use-my-browser usage is more structured: define success, choose the cheapest valid layer, preserve user state, collect evidence, and escalate only when needed. That usually gives more trustworthy outputs and fewer unnecessary browser actions.

Does it require Chrome DevTools access

To get the full value of use-my-browser install, yes, your environment should expose live browser tooling such as chrome-devtools. But parts of the skill still help without it because the routing logic also covers web, shell_command, and playwright.

Is it good for debugging modern web apps

Yes. This is one of the best reasons to use the skill. It explicitly supports DOM inspection, console checks, network inspection, performance-oriented page work, and carrying forward an existing DevTools target instead of reproducing the issue from scratch.

How to Improve use-my-browser skill

Start every use-my-browser task with a sharper success target

The biggest quality improvement is to state exactly what “done” means. Better:

• “Find the request returning 403 and explain whether auth, CSRF, or origin is the cause.”
  Less useful:
• “Debug this app.”

Narrow success criteria produce better tool choices and less wandering.

Tell the agent what browser state must be preserved

A strong use-my-browser guide prompt says whether the agent should:

• reuse your current tab
• avoid reloads
• avoid closing tabs
• keep work in a separate page
• rely on your signed-in state

These constraints materially change execution quality.

Ask for the evidence format you need

If you want reliable output from the use-my-browser skill, specify the deliverable:

• list of failing requests
• selector and text from a rendered element
• console error messages
• media URLs
• reproduction steps
• screenshot only if visual proof is truly needed

This avoids broad summaries when you really need artifacts.

Common failure mode: choosing live browser too early

A frequent mistake is attaching to the browser for content that web.open or raw fetch could handle faster. Improve results by asking the agent to justify the layer choice first:

• “First decide whether this needs public web, raw fetch, live Chrome, or Playwright, and explain why.”

That simple instruction often prevents unnecessary complexity.

Common failure mode: under-specifying the page context

“Check the site” is weak. Better context includes:

• exact URL
• whether you are logged in
• tab already open or not
• the failing feature
• whether DevTools already shows the relevant request or element

The skill gets much better when it can inherit real session context instead of reconstructing it.

Iterate after the first pass

If the first output is too shallow, do not just say “go deeper.” Ask for the next evidence layer:

• “Now inspect the Network panel and isolate the first failing request.”
• “Compare rendered DOM with source HTML.”
• “Open a clean Playwright session and test whether the issue reproduces without my cookies.”

That kind of iteration fits the structure of use-my-browser for Browser Automation.

Build reusable domain notes when patterns repeat

If you use the skill often on the same sites, adopt the repo’s site-patterns approach. Save only validated facts:

• known login requirements
• repeatable navigation paths
• stable extraction methods
• misleading error states

That turns future browser work from trial-and-error into a repeatable playbook.

Improve trust by reporting decisions, not just actions

The best use-my-browser outputs briefly explain:

• why this tool layer was chosen
• what evidence was gathered
• what was avoided to protect user state
• what remains uncertain

That makes the skill more auditable and easier to refine over time.