browserbase_stagehand_observe
Identifies interactive elements like buttons, links, and form fields on web pages to prepare for automated actions. Use specific instructions to locate elements before performing clicks, typing, or form submissions.
Instructions
Observes and identifies specific interactive elements on the current web page that can be used for subsequent actions. This tool is specifically designed for finding actionable (interactable) elements such as buttons, links, form fields, dropdowns, checkboxes, and other UI components that you can interact with. Use this tool when you need to locate elements before performing actions with the act tool. DO NOT use this tool for extracting text content or data - use the extract tool instead for that purpose. The observe tool returns detailed information about the identified elements including their properties, location, and interaction capabilities. This information can then be used to craft precise actions. The more specific your observation instruction, the more accurate the element identification will be. Think of this as your 'eyes' on the page to find exactly what you need to interact with.
Input Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| instruction | Yes | Detailed instruction for what specific elements or components to observe on the web page. This instruction must be extremely specific and descriptive. For example: 'Find the red login button in the top right corner', 'Locate the search input field with placeholder text', or 'Identify all clickable product cards on the page'. The more specific and detailed your instruction, the better the observation results will be. Avoid generic instructions like 'find buttons' or 'see elements'. Instead, describe the visual characteristics, location, text content, or functionality of the elements you want to observe. This tool is designed to help you identify interactive elements that you can later use with the act tool for performing actions like clicking, typing, or form submission. | |
| returnAction | No | Whether to return the action to perform on the element. If true, the action will be returned as a string. If false, the action will not be returned. |
Implementation Reference
- src/tools/observe.ts:44-75 (handler)The handleObserve function is the core handler for the 'browserbase_stagehand_observe' tool. It retrieves the stagehand instance from context, calls stagehand.page.observe with the instruction and optional returnAction, formats the observations as JSON text, and returns it as ToolResult.async function handleObserve( context: Context, params: ObserveInput, ): Promise<ToolResult> { const action = async (): Promise<ToolActionResult> => { try { const stagehand = await context.getStagehand(); const observations = await stagehand.page.observe({ instruction: params.instruction, returnAction: params.returnAction, }); return { content: [ { type: "text", text: `Observations: ${JSON.stringify(observations)}`, }, ], }; } catch (error) { const errorMsg = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error); throw new Error(`Failed to observe: ${errorMsg}`); } }; return { action, waitForNetwork: false, }; }
- src/tools/observe.ts:6-42 (schema)The Zod schema definitions for the tool input (ObserveInputSchema) and the overall tool schema (observeSchema), including the tool name 'browserbase_stagehand_observe', detailed description, and input validation for 'instruction' and optional 'returnAction'.const ObserveInputSchema = z.object({ instruction: z .string() .describe( "Detailed instruction for what specific elements or components to observe on the web page. " + "This instruction must be extremely specific and descriptive. For example: 'Find the red login button " + "in the top right corner', 'Locate the search input field with placeholder text', or 'Identify all " + "clickable product cards on the page'. The more specific and detailed your instruction, the better " + "the observation results will be. Avoid generic instructions like 'find buttons' or 'see elements'. " + "Instead, describe the visual characteristics, location, text content, or functionality of the elements " + "you want to observe. This tool is designed to help you identify interactive elements that you can " + "later use with the act tool for performing actions like clicking, typing, or form submission.", ), returnAction: z .boolean() .optional() .describe( "Whether to return the action to perform on the element. If true, the action will be returned as a string. " + "If false, the action will not be returned.", ), }); type ObserveInput = z.infer<typeof ObserveInputSchema>; const observeSchema: ToolSchema<typeof ObserveInputSchema> = { name: "browserbase_stagehand_observe", description: "Observes and identifies specific interactive elements on the current web page that can be used for subsequent actions. " + "This tool is specifically designed for finding actionable (interactable) elements such as buttons, links, form fields, " + "dropdowns, checkboxes, and other UI components that you can interact with. Use this tool when you need to locate " + "elements before performing actions with the act tool. DO NOT use this tool for extracting text content or data - " + "use the extract tool instead for that purpose. The observe tool returns detailed information about the identified " + "elements including their properties, location, and interaction capabilities. This information can then be used " + "to craft precise actions. The more specific your observation instruction, the more accurate the element identification " + "will be. Think of this as your 'eyes' on the page to find exactly what you need to interact with.", inputSchema: ObserveInputSchema, };
- src/tools/observe.ts:77-81 (registration)The observeTool object that combines the schema and handler, exported as default for use in tool registration.const observeTool: Tool<typeof ObserveInputSchema> = { capability: "core", schema: observeSchema, handle: handleObserve, };
- src/tools/index.ts:37-45 (registration)The TOOLS array in tools/index.ts includes the observeTool, making it available for registration in the MCP server.export const TOOLS = [ ...multiSessionTools, ...sessionTools, navigateTool, actTool, extractTool, observeTool, screenshotTool, ];
- src/index.ts:191-218 (registration)The registration loop in src/index.ts that iterates over all TOOLS (including observeTool) and calls server.tool() with the tool's schema.name ('browserbase_stagehand_observe'), description, input schema, and a wrapper handler that invokes context.run(tool, params).tools.forEach((tool) => { if (tool.schema.inputSchema instanceof z.ZodObject) { server.tool( tool.schema.name, tool.schema.description, tool.schema.inputSchema.shape, async (params: z.infer<typeof tool.schema.inputSchema>) => { try { const result = await context.run(tool, params); return result; } catch (error) { const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error); process.stderr.write( `[Smithery Error] ${new Date().toISOString()} Error running tool ${tool.schema.name}: ${errorMessage}\n`, ); throw new Error( `Failed to run tool '${tool.schema.name}': ${errorMessage}`, ); } }, ); } else { console.warn( `Tool "${tool.schema.name}" has an input schema that is not a ZodObject. Schema type: ${tool.schema.inputSchema.constructor.name}`, ); } });