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Chrome Devtools

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einverne
chrome-devtools

Browser automation, debugging, and performance analysis using Puppeteer CLI scripts. Use for automating browsers, taking screenshots, analyzing performance, monitoring network traffic, web scraping, form automation, and JavaScript debugging.

Overview

Publishereinverne
Repositorydotfiles
Skill namechrome-devtools
Stars
121
Forks
24
Bundled files
17
LicenseApache-2.0
Links
  • Markdown instructions

    A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.

  • Works with any LLM

    AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.

  • 17 bundled files

    Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.

  • Open source

    Published by einverne on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Chrome Devtools AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

1

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

  1. Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
  2. Choose "Install from GitHub".
  3. Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
  4. Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.
Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.
2

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills
git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/einverne/dotfiles.git /tmp/dotfiles
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/dotfiles/claude/skills/chrome-devtools .claude/skills/chrome-devtools
Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Chrome Devtools in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Chrome Devtools on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Chrome Devtools is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

  • Loaded only when it is needed

    The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.

  • Switch models mid-chat

    Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Chrome DevTools Agent Skill

Browser automation via executable Puppeteer scripts. All scripts output JSON for easy parsing.

Quick Start

Installation

Step 1: Install System Dependencies (Linux/WSL only)

On Linux/WSL, Chrome requires system libraries. Install them first:

bash
cd .claude/skills/chrome-devtools/scripts
./install-deps.sh  # Auto-detects OS and installs required libs

Supports: Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, RHEL, CentOS, Arch, Manjaro

macOS/Windows: Skip this step (dependencies bundled with Chrome)

Step 2: Install Node Dependencies
bash
npm install  # Installs puppeteer, debug, yargs

Test

bash
node navigate.js --url https://example.com
# Output: {"success": true, "url": "https://example.com", "title": "Example Domain"}

Available Scripts

All scripts are in .claude/skills/chrome-devtools/scripts/

Script Usage

  • ./scripts/README.md

Core Automation

  • navigate.js - Navigate to URLs
  • screenshot.js - Capture screenshots (full page or element)
  • click.js - Click elements
  • fill.js - Fill form fields
  • evaluate.js - Execute JavaScript in page context

Analysis & Monitoring

  • snapshot.js - Extract interactive elements with metadata
  • console.js - Monitor console messages/errors
  • network.js - Track HTTP requests/responses
  • performance.js - Measure Core Web Vitals + record traces

Usage Patterns

Single Command

bash
cd .claude/skills/chrome-devtools/scripts
node screenshot.js --url https://example.com --output ./docs/screenshots/page.png

Important: Always save screenshots to ./docs/screenshots directory.

Chain Commands (reuse browser)

bash
# Keep browser open with --close false
node navigate.js --url https://example.com/login --close false
node fill.js --selector "#email" --value "user@example.com" --close false
node fill.js --selector "#password" --value "secret" --close false
node click.js --selector "button[type=submit]"

Parse JSON Output

bash
# Extract specific fields with jq
node performance.js --url https://example.com | jq '.vitals.LCP'

# Save to file
node network.js --url https://example.com --output /tmp/requests.json

Common Workflows

Web Scraping

bash
node evaluate.js --url https://example.com --script "
  Array.from(document.querySelectorAll('.item')).map(el => ({
    title: el.querySelector('h2')?.textContent,
    link: el.querySelector('a')?.href
  }))
" | jq '.result'

Performance Testing

bash
PERF=$(node performance.js --url https://example.com)
LCP=$(echo $PERF | jq '.vitals.LCP')
if (( $(echo "$LCP < 2500" | bc -l) )); then
  echo "✓ LCP passed: ${LCP}ms"
else
  echo "✗ LCP failed: ${LCP}ms"
fi

Form Automation

bash
node fill.js --url https://example.com --selector "#search" --value "query" --close false
node click.js --selector "button[type=submit]"

Error Monitoring

bash
node console.js --url https://example.com --types error,warn --duration 5000 | jq '.messageCount'

Script Options

All scripts support:

  • --headless false - Show browser window
  • --close false - Keep browser open for chaining
  • --timeout 30000 - Set timeout (milliseconds)
  • --wait-until networkidle2 - Wait strategy

See ./scripts/README.md for complete options.

Output Format

All scripts output JSON to stdout:

json
{
  "success": true,
  "url": "https://example.com",
  ... // script-specific data
}

Errors go to stderr:

json
{
  "success": false,
  "error": "Error message"
}

Finding Elements

Use snapshot.js to discover selectors:

bash
node snapshot.js --url https://example.com | jq '.elements[] | {tagName, text, selector}'

Troubleshooting

Common Errors

"Cannot find package 'puppeteer'"

  • Run: npm install in the scripts directory

"error while loading shared libraries: libnss3.so" (Linux/WSL)

  • Missing system dependencies
  • Fix: Run ./install-deps.sh in scripts directory
  • Manual install: sudo apt-get install -y libnss3 libnspr4 libasound2t64 libatk1.0-0 libatk-bridge2.0-0 libcups2 libdrm2 libxkbcommon0 libxcomposite1 libxdamage1 libxfixes3 libxrandr2 libgbm1

"Failed to launch the browser process"

  • Check system dependencies installed (Linux/WSL)
  • Verify Chrome downloaded: ls ~/.cache/puppeteer
  • Try: npm rebuild then npm install

Chrome not found

  • Puppeteer auto-downloads Chrome during npm install
  • If failed, manually trigger: npx puppeteer browsers install chrome

Script Issues

Element not found

  • Get snapshot first to find correct selector: node snapshot.js --url <url>

Script hangs

  • Increase timeout: --timeout 60000
  • Change wait strategy: --wait-until load or --wait-until domcontentloaded

Blank screenshot

  • Wait for page load: --wait-until networkidle2
  • Increase timeout: --timeout 30000

Permission denied on scripts

  • Make executable: chmod +x *.sh

Reference Documentation

Detailed guides available in ./references/:

Advanced Usage

Custom Scripts

Create custom scripts using shared library:

javascript
import { getBrowser, getPage, closeBrowser, outputJSON } from './lib/browser.js';
// Your automation logic

Direct CDP Access

javascript
const client = await page.createCDPSession();
await client.send('Emulation.setCPUThrottlingRate', { rate: 4 });

See reference documentation for advanced patterns and complete API coverage.

External Resources

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Chrome Devtools AI skill do?

Browser automation, debugging, and performance analysis using Puppeteer CLI scripts. Use for automating browsers, taking screenshots, analyzing performance, monitoring network traffic, web scraping, form automation, and JavaScript debugging.

Why use Chrome Devtools on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Chrome Devtools is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Chrome Devtools in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/einverne/dotfiles/tree/master/claude/skills/chrome-devtools. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Chrome Devtools?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Chrome Devtools?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Chrome Devtools with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Chrome Devtools AI skill free?

Yes. It is published on GitHub by einverne under the Apache-2.0 license. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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