# Browser Automation

## OpenClaw: Built-in CDP/Playwright

OpenClaw ships with browser control built in. It manages multiple browser
instances, supports profiles, and exposes `act` commands that combine
navigation, interaction, and extraction in one step. No setup required.

## Claude Code: Playwright MCP server

Claude Code uses the `@playwright/mcp` server. Same underlying engine
(Playwright), different integration model: the browser runs in a separate
process, and Claude communicates with it over MCP.

**Tradeoff:** The decoupled approach means the browser can be swapped or
updated independently. The cost is one extra setup step.

## Comparison

| Property            | OpenClaw              | Claude Code           |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
| Engine              | CDP/Playwright        | Playwright            |
| Setup               | Zero                  | Enable in .mcp.json   |
| Multi-instance      | Yes                   | One per MCP server    |
| Browser profiles    | Yes                   | Via Playwright config |
| `act` shorthand     | Yes                   | No (compose manually) |

For setup, see `playwright-mcp-setup.md`.