Browser Relay (Chrome Extension)

What the Browser Relay Does

The Browser Relay Chrome extension connects your browser to your ClawHosters instance so your AI agent can control browser tabs. Navigate pages, click buttons, fill forms, take screenshots, and extract data from any website.

Without this extension, your agent can only interact through messaging apps. With it, your agent gets a pair of eyes and hands for the web.

How It Works

The extension creates a secure WebSocket bridge between your Chrome browser and the OpenClaw relay server running on your instance:

1. You attach a browser tab by clicking the extension icon
2. The extension connects to your instance's relay endpoint over an encrypted connection (wss://)
3. Your AI agent sends Chrome DevTools Protocol commands through the relay
4. The extension executes those commands on the attached tab and returns the results

Your agent can only see and control tabs you explicitly attach. Nothing happens automatically.

Installation

Chrome Web Store (Coming Soon)

The extension is currently under review for the Chrome Web Store. Once approved, you can install it directly from there.

Manual Installation (Available Now)

1. Download or clone the extension from GitHub
2. Open chrome://extensions/ in your browser
3. Enable Developer mode (toggle in the top-right corner)
4. Click Load unpacked
5. Select the clawhosters-relay folder

The extension icon appears in your toolbar.

Setup

1. Right-click the extension icon and select Options (or click the gear icon)
2. Select Remote (ClawHosters) as the connection mode
3. Enter your instance URL (e.g. https://mybot.clawhosters.com)
4. Enter your Gateway token (found in your instance dashboard under Credentials)
5. Click Save

A green "Connected" message confirms the relay is reachable.

Using Browser Control

Attaching a Tab

Click the extension icon on any tab. The badge turns green, meaning that tab is now visible to your agent.

Giving Commands

Message your agent through Telegram, WhatsApp, or any connected channel:

• "Go to wikipedia.org"
• "Search for 'OpenClaw hosting' on Google"
• "Fill in the contact form with my details"
• "Take a screenshot of this page"
• "Click the Sign Up button"

Your agent uses the attached tab to carry out these actions.

Detaching a Tab

Click the extension icon again to detach. The badge disappears and your agent can no longer see or control that tab.

Connection Modes

Mode	When to Use	Connection
Remote (ClawHosters)	Your instance runs on ClawHosters	wss:// encrypted connection
Local	OpenClaw runs on your own machine	ws://127.0.0.1 loopback

Remote mode is the default for ClawHosters users. Local mode works identically to the official OpenClaw Chrome extension.

Security

The relay uses multiple layers of protection:

• TLS encryption — All remote connections use wss:// (WebSocket over HTTPS)
• HMAC token authentication — The relay validates a cryptographic token derived from your gateway token
• Explicit tab attachment — Only tabs you manually attach are accessible
• No data collection — The extension collects no analytics, telemetry, or browsing data
• Open source — Full source code available on GitHub

Troubleshooting

Red "!" Badge on the Extension Icon

The relay server is not reachable. Check that: - Your instance is running (not stopped or paused) - The instance URL is correct in the extension options - The gateway token matches your instance credentials

"Cannot reach relay" in Options

• Verify your instance status in the ClawHosters dashboard
• Make sure you entered the full URL including https://
• Try refreshing the options page and clicking Save again

Tab Doesn't Respond to Agent Commands

• Check the extension badge is green (tab is attached)
• Try detaching and re-attaching the tab
• Some pages block automation (banking sites, Chrome internal pages like chrome://)

Extension Disconnects Frequently

The extension automatically reconnects when the connection drops. If disconnects are frequent: - Check your internet connection stability - Cloudflare's WebSocket idle timeout is 100 seconds — the extension sends keepalive pings to prevent this

Privacy

The extension communicates only between your browser and your ClawHosters instance. No data is sent to third parties. No browsing history, page content, or credentials leave the secure relay connection.

Full privacy policy: PRIVACY.md