hive.browser-automation

hive.browser-automation is an open-source workflow skill for Claude Code and compatible agents, published by aden-hive. Its author describes it as: “Required before any hive-browser CLI command. The browser is driven from the terminal by running `hive-browser <command> ... --json` via terminal_exec — not via MCP tools. Teaches the browser lifecycle rules (the brid…”. The project has 11k stars on GitHub and is available under the Apache-2.0 license. Add it to your setup with `git clone https://github.com/aden-hive/hive ~/.claude/skills/browser-automation`.

What hive.browser-automation does

All GCU browser automation drives a real Chrome instance through the Beeline extension and Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP). You drive it **from the terminal**: every command is `hive-browser ... --json`, run through `terminal_exec`. Always pass `--json` so the result is machine-readable. That means clicks, keystrokes, and screenshots are processed by the actual browser's native hit testing, focus, and layout engines — **not** a synthetic event layer. Understanding this unlocks strategies that make hard sites easy.

Installation

Add hive.browser-automation to your agent with:

git clone https://github.com/aden-hive/hive ~/.claude/skills/browser-automation

Always review a skill's source before installing it. This command comes from the skill's public repository; the linked repo is the source of truth for exact setup steps.

What's inside

The SKILL.md for hive.browser-automation is organised into these sections:

• Browser lifecycle & recovery — read this before "fixing" anything
• Targeting a specific Chrome profile / account
• Working on LinkedIn?
• Coordinates
• Screenshot + coordinates is shadow-agnostic — prefer it on shadow-heavy sites
• Recommended workflow on shadow-heavy sites
• The click→type loop (canonical pattern)
• Empirically verified (2026-04-11)
• Shadow-piercing selectors
• Navigation and waiting
• The basics
• Timing expectations (measured against real sites)

When to use it

Reach for hive.browser-automation when you want workflow help from your agent without writing the same instructions every session. Load the skill and the agent picks it up automatically for relevant tasks.

Strengths

• Clear Apache-2.0 license — safe to read and adapt
• Ships in aden-hive/hive, an established project with 10,923 GitHub stars
• Actively maintained (recent commits)

Topics

Frequently asked questions

What does hive.browser-automation do?

Required before any hive-browser CLI command. The browser is driven from the terminal by running `hive-browser <command> ... --json` via terminal_exec — not via MCP tools. Teaches the browser lifecycle rules (the bridge attaches to the USER'S running Chrome — never kill or launch browser processes; timeouts are transport issues, not crashes), the screenshot + coordinate workflow (hive-browser interact with a fractional coordinate) that reaches shadow-DOM inputs selectors can't see, the viewport-fraction coordinate rule (not pixels), rich-text editor quirks ("send button stays disabled" failures), and CSP gotchas. Covers Chrome via CDP through the GCU Beeline extension.

How do I install hive.browser-automation?

Run git clone https://github.com/aden-hive/hive ~/.claude/skills/browser-automation in your agent, then reload your skills. Review the source at https://github.com/aden-hive/hive before installing.

Is hive.browser-automation free to use?

Yes. hive.browser-automation is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license, so you can read, run, and adapt it within that license's terms.

Where does hive.browser-automation come from?

hive.browser-automation ships inside aden-hive/hive, a repository that contains 25 catalogued skills in total. The repository's 10,923 GitHub stars apply to that whole collection, not to this skill on its own.