Skip to main content

Let agents use a browser

You end with an agent that checks a local page in a tab beside its thread, which you can watch, take over and screenshot.

  • SpecWithCode
  • 1:10
  • Codex
  • Narrated, with captions

Recorded on SpecWithCode 1.0.47, 18 October 2026, added 18 October 2026. The current release is SpecWithCode 1.0.44.

Before you start: SpecWithCode for Mac; a signed-in coding agent (Codex in this video); a project with a web page served locally.

Length 1:10Captions

Steps

  1. Open Settings, Integrations and turn on Agent browser access. Projects can override it, and the change applies when an agent session next starts.
  2. Serve your page locally (greet-app's demo page runs on port 5173 in this video).
  3. Ask the coordinator to check the page in the browser beside the thread, and say you want to watch; it starts a worker thread for the check.
  4. Open the thread. Its agent opens an isolated tab with the preview_* tools; dock the floating tab to keep it beside the thread while the agent types and clicks.
  5. Click Take over to drive the same tab yourself while the agent waits, then Hand back.
  6. Ask for a screenshot: the agent captures the tab as you left it and shows it in the chat.

Transcript

Built from the caption file of the narration.

0:00 What you will see

Let agents use a browser, right beside the thread.

0:04 Turn on Agent browser access

Open Settings, Integrations, and turn on Agent browser access. Projects can override it, and it applies when an agent session next starts.

0:14 Ask for a browser check

greet-app serves its demo page locally, on port 5173. Ask the coordinator to check it in the browser beside the thread, so you can watch.

0:26 Watch the agent drive

Open the new thread. Its agent opens an isolated tab with the preview_* tools. Dock the tab beside the thread and watch it type Ada and press Greet. The page says Hello, Ada.

0:42 Take over the tab

To try something yourself, click Take over. It's the same tab, and the agent waits while you drive. Type Grace, press Enter, then Hand back.

0:53 A screenshot in the chat

Now ask for a screenshot. The agent captures the tab as you left it and shows it in the chat.

1:03 Next: your real Chrome

To use your real Chrome instead, see the SpecWithCode Browser extension docs.

Download SpecWithCode for MacRead the reference

Learning path

Run SpecWithCode

Understand the setup, run a project through its coordinator, then add plans, memory and a second provider.

  1. See how SpecWithCode runs your agents

    2:54, SpecWithCode

  2. Start SpecWithCode with a coordinator and two workers

    1:48, SpecWithCode

  3. Run a project with a coordinator and workers

    1:29, SpecWithCode

  4. Plan, verify and schedule project work

    1:35, SpecWithCode

  5. Keep project memory and read honest usage

    1:06, SpecWithCode

  6. Continue a thread on Codex at a usage limit

    1:01, SpecWithCode

  7. Keep working when a provider runs out

    1:39, SpecWithCode

  8. Add a second machine

    1:13, SpecWithCode

  9. Finish a thread with a pull request and auto-merge

    1:19, SpecWithCode

  10. Let agents use a browser (this guide)

    1:10, SpecWithCode

One more guide is planned for this path.

All tutorials