Chrome's --remote-debugging-port shows a persistent automation infobar
that agents cannot dismiss, interrupting users mid-workflow. Playwriter
runs silently with no blocking dialogs, enabling fully autonomous agent
operation without user intervention.
Added to both README.md (markdown table + blockquote) and
website/src/content/index.mdx (ComparisonTable component).
Bundle the extension into the CLI so fresh AVPS and local source checkouts can start a Playwriter-ready Chrome for Testing or Chromium without separate installation steps. Also disable the packaged welcome tab, reuse Playwright\s managed Chromium fallback, surface searched browser paths on discovery failures, and document that managed browser launches already enable the tab-capture flags needed for recording on normal web pages.
All `-e` arguments in bash examples now use single quotes instead of double
quotes. This prevents bash from interpreting `$`, backticks, and backslashes
inside JS code — a major pain point for agents that construct playwriter
commands programmatically.
Changes across skill docs, README, and website copies:
- **Single quotes for one-liners**: `playwriter -s 1 -e 'await page.goto("...")'`
- **Heredoc preferred for multiline**: `<<'EOF'` disables all bash expansion
- **Quoting rules summary**: explains when to use single quotes vs heredoc vs `$'...'`
- **Rewrote mistake #6**: now explains *why* double quotes break (bash `$` expansion
silently corrupts regex like `/\$[\d.]+/` and template literals)
- **Added locator-scoped snapshot section**: shows `snapshot({ locator: page.locator("main") })`
which dramatically reduces output size from ~150 lines to ~20 lines by snapshotting
only a subtree instead of the full page
- **Added single-quote tip** to README quick start and SKILL.md stub
The locator-scoped snapshot feature already existed but wasn't documented.
Discovered during real-world Cloudflare dashboard automation where full page
snapshots were dominated by 60+ sidebar navigation links.
Closes#57
Highlights key differences: Playwriter uses your existing Chrome
(logins, extensions, cookies), can bypass captchas by disconnecting
the extension, lets you collaborate in the same browser window,
and gives full Playwright API + raw CDP access instead of a limited
shell command set.
The main selling point — using your actual Chrome session instead of
spawning a fresh browser — was buried in comparison tables halfway down.
Rewrote the tagline to highlight this upfront, added a short hero
paragraph explaining why fresh Chrome is a problem, and moved the
vs Playwright MCP comparison table to the top of the page.
The function is now exposed as `snapshot()` in the executor sandbox scope.
`accessibilitySnapshot` remains as a backward-compatible alias pointing to
the same function, so existing agents and saved commands continue to work.
Updated all code examples across skill.md, README, PLAYWRITER_AGENTS,
docs, tests, and the extension welcome page to use the shorter name.
PLAYWRITER_HOST now accepts full URLs like `https://x-tunnel.traforo.dev`
in addition to plain hostnames. Previously it always constructed
`http://${host}:19988` which broke when using traforo tunnels (HTTPS on
port 443).
Added `parseRelayHost()` utility that detects URL protocols and returns
correct HTTP/WebSocket base URLs. Updated all consumers:
- cli.ts: getServerUrl()
- mcp.ts: getLogServerUrl(), checkRemoteServer()
- executor.ts: checkExtensionStatus()
- utils.ts: getCdpUrl() (ws:// → wss:// for HTTPS hosts)
Plain hostnames still work as before (appends :19988).
Added docs/remote-access.md covering:
- Architecture: playwriter serve + traforo tunnel through Cloudflare
- Host and remote machine setup with env vars
- Use cases: remote Mac mini, user support, multi-machine, VM/devcontainer
- Security model: non-guessable URLs, token auth, localhost-only extension
endpoint, no open ports, visible automation, instant revocation
Standard Chrome DevTools Protocol HTTP discovery endpoints that allow
tools like Playwright to connect using just the HTTP URL without needing
to call getCdpUrl() first.
- /json/version returns browser info and webSocketDebuggerUrl
- /json/list returns array of connected targets
- Supports GET/PUT methods and trailing slashes for compatibility
- Functions available in execute tool context
- Auto-hide labels after 5 seconds to prevent stale overlays
- Updated README with MCP usage example
- Example saves screenshot to /tmp
Tommy D. Rossi