OpenClaw Removed the Browser Relay Extension — Here's What to Do Now

OpenClaw now ships a native browser tool that uses a headless Chromium instance controlled directly by the agent — no extension required. It's more capable than the old relay for most tasks because it runs server-side and doesn't require your local machine to be open.

How to enable it:

// In openclaw.json, under tools:
{
  "tools": {
    "browser": {
      "enabled": true,
      "headless": true,
      "profile": "default"
    }
  }
}

You'll need Chromium installed on your server: sudo apt install chromium-browser (Ubuntu/Debian) or brew install chromium (Mac).

Limitation: Headless mode can't handle sites that detect and block headless browsers (some banking sites, Cloudflare-protected pages). For those, use Option 2.

If you need a real (non-headless) browser — because the site detects headless or you need an existing logged-in session — OpenClaw's node architecture lets you route browser control through your local machine while keeping the agent on the server.

Set up an OpenClaw node on your local machine (the one with the real browser), then in your agent config point browser actions to that node:

// In openclaw.json:
{
  "tools": {
    "browser": {
      "enabled": true,
      "target": "node",
      "node": "your-local-node-name",
      "headless": false,
      "profile": "user"
    }
  }
}

This requires your local machine to be running and the OpenClaw node to be connected. Works best for scheduled tasks where you're okay with your machine being on.

For any service that has an official API, the right long-term answer is to stop scraping the web UI and call the API directly. It's faster, more reliable, and immune to UI changes.

Common replacements for browser-based workflows:

• Google Workspace (Gmail, Calendar, Sheets) → Google APIs via MCP or direct HTTP tool
• Stripe, QuickBooks, HubSpot → official APIs, all have OpenClaw-compatible MCP servers
• LinkedIn, Twitter/X → use official API (rate-limited but stable)
• Custom web apps → if you own it, add an API endpoint; if you don't, use Option 1 or 2

This takes more upfront work but gives you automation that doesn't break when someone redesigns their website.