Browser Automation Router

Choose the narrowest reliable browser surface before acting.

Route Order

1. Prefer a purpose-built connector, API, or CLI when it fully supports the requested read or write action.
2. Use Codex's in-app Browser for public pages, localhost, visual review, annotations, downloads, and isolated sign-in state.
3. Use the Codex Chrome extension when the task requires the user's existing Chrome profile, signed-in session, open tabs, or extensions.
4. Use $playwright for deterministic terminal/CI runs, repeatable regression suites, tracing, or unattended batch execution.
5. Use a platform-specific automation script only when it exposes a tested batch/export contract that the native browser surface does not replace.
6. Use Computer Use only for browser-external desktop UI or a browser flow unsupported by the Browser/Chrome surfaces.

Native Browser Rule

• Do not maintain custom JavaScript snippets, selectors, browser launchers, cookie importers, or profile-path logic for ordinary interactive browser work.
• Follow the installed Browser or Chrome plugin skill and its live documentation. Do not copy its internal bootstrap code into this repository.
• Prefer visible page state, snapshots, semantic locators, normal clicks/fills, and screenshots.
• Use page evaluation only when a high-level read-only operation cannot obtain the evidence. Never use it to inspect cookies, local storage, passwords, tokens, or profile files.
• Reuse the current browser binding or claimed tab during the task; do not create duplicate sessions without a reason.

Fail-Closed Capability Gate

The native route requires Codex Desktop with the Browser or Chrome plugin available in the current task.

• Capability floor: Codex Desktop release dated 2026-06-11 or later for the Browser/Chrome Developer mode used by this routing policy.
• OpenAI does not publish a stable numeric desktop build floor for this feature. Treat the release date plus live plugin availability as the minimum contract.
• The in-app Browser has its own browser state. It does not inherit the user's Chrome profile.
• Chrome profile reuse requires the Codex Chrome extension and user-approved access to the intended tab/account.
• Plan, workspace policy, region, and rollout state may still disable a surface on a nominally new enough app.
• If the required plugin is absent or disabled, report the missing capability and select an explicit Playwright/platform-script fallback. Do not pretend the native route ran.

Write Gates

• Keep navigation and read-only extraction separate from publish, comment, follow, like, bookmark, delete, account-switch, or settings changes.
• Confirm the active account and exact write action immediately before execution.
• Stop on captcha, unexpected login, wrong account, permission prompts, ambiguous targets, or changed page state.
• Never commit credentials, cookies, login state, QR payloads, or local Chrome profile paths.

Evidence

Return the selected surface, capability check, target account boundary, actions performed, screenshots or output artifacts, blocked steps, and fallback used. Do not claim success from planned actions alone.