tabora-browser

Let your AI agent work in your browser, with the model you choose.

Tabora connects local AI agents to Chrome, Edge or a managed Chromium profile through MCP. The extension reads pages and executes browser actions; a small local host connects the agent, profiles and optional encrypted vault.

Use your connected Codex or Claude agent directly, or let Tabora's internal controller use a selected decision provider. The everyday controls stay simple: mode, provider, model and vault.

What you can do

Coverage depends on the page and operation. See the capability matrix and contracts and limits.

Related MCP server: hronaut

Get started

Source installation: Windows 10/11, Git and Node.js 22.13+. No administrator rights required. Keep the checkout in a permanent directory.

Standalone preview: Windows x64 ZIP packages include their own runtime and tabora.exe install; end users do not need Git or Node. Check preview releases for available packages. Their release manifests are signed with the public Ed25519 root embedded in Tabora. See packaged installation, updates and release operations. Chrome Web Store publishing and the stable Windows installer remain separate publisher gates.

Download the Windows x64 ZIP, extract it and run this from the extracted folder to receive future preview updates automatically:

.\tabora.exe install --channel preview --auto-update

In your Chrome/Edge profile, enable Developer mode and use Load unpacked once, selecting the installed extension-unpacked directory printed by setup. Updates verify signed releases and wait for idle tasks before replacing the host and unpacked extension. Reconnect your MCP client when requested; Chrome may require consent if permissions change. Without --auto-update, Tabora only notifies about updates. See update behavior and existing installations.

Recommended: a dedicated browser profile

git clone https://github.com/halatao/tabora-browser.git
cd tabora-browser
powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/setup.ps1 -Managed -Client auto

Setup installs dependencies, builds Tabora, registers its local host and available Codex/Claude MCP clients, and opens a dedicated Chromium profile with the extension loaded. Restart your MCP client afterward.

Verify the connection:

npm run doctor -- --require-profile

Model API keys are not required when the connected agent chooses actions through MCP.

Run setup without -Managed:

powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/setup.ps1 -Client auto

1. Open chrome://extensions or edge://extensions in the intended profile.

2. Enable Developer mode, choose Load unpacked, and select dist/extension from this checkout.

3. Open Tabora's side panel. The host connects automatically; new profiles start in Safe mode with MCP enabled and the vault off.

4. Run npm run doctor -- --require-profile.

Chrome handles installation/update permission consent. Profile names are detected from local metadata; if several profiles match, the panel asks you to choose once. Explicit MCP revocation is preserved.

powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File scripts/setup.ps1 -Managed -Client codex -Profile work -AllowOrigin https://example.com -Headless

Use -Client claude, both or none for explicit registration. auto registers available clients. -AllowOrigin restricts the managed copy to selected sites; the default extension requests HTTP(S), debugger and downloads access during installation.

Full installation and permissions reference

Choose your mode

Safe shares the profile's cookies and website logins; it is not incognito. Read only prevents Tabora writes, while the website's own JavaScript can still run. Changing modes invalidates prepared actions.

Choose who decides

Choose a provider and a model from its catalog — no free-text model IDs. Missing login or credentials appear inline. The first decision validates actual model access.

Agents can also configure the decision model through MCP. Model configuration is shared across profiles using the same host; active provider selection is per profile.

Vault, when you need it

Off by default. Enable and explicitly unlock it in the panel.

• Save credentials per profile, or explicitly share them across profiles.

• Each profile has its own unlock grant and timeout.

• Login uses a credential ID and the exact bound HTTPS origin. Passwords and provider keys are not returned through MCP or sent to decision models.

Storage uses AES-256-GCM with a Windows DPAPI-protected key. It is local to the Windows user, with no cloud sync or cross-machine recovery. Profile scoping is not a security boundary against arbitrary processes running as that same user.

Measured results

The latest compatibility pilot used The Internet in normal Chrome, with nine valid goals covering tables, dropdowns, checkboxes, dynamic controls, element tracking and shadow DOM.

Full comparison and timings · Recorded data · Methodology

The original failed pilot remains available. This is not an independent WebArena score. A full WebArena-Verified comparison has preparation notes and blockers, but no completed score yet.

How the pieces fit

Your AI agent              Local host                 Browser extension
Codex / Claude / MCP  ──►  Profiles + routing     ──►  Read + execute + verify
                          Optional vault             Owned tabs and groups
                          Decision providers

Models choose bounded operations; the extension executes them against the observed document. Sessions own their tabs, prepared actions are single-use, and uncertain writes are not replayed automatically.

Architecture · Background execution · Decision runtime

Everyday commands

npm run browser -- start --profile work
npm run browser -- status --profile work
npm run browser -- stop --profile work
npm run doctor -- --require-profile

To update, stop managed profiles, run git pull --ff-only and rerun setup. Reload unpacked extensions in ordinary Chrome/Edge profiles. Keep the installed checkout at its original path.

Tabora checks for new versions during MCP use and gives your agent an update notice for the current chat. Ask it to run browser_update_check for the installed channel and safe next step. Standalone packages add verified prepare/apply/status tools; source checkouts retain the manual workflow. Update instructions · Standalone distribution · Background execution and diagnostics · Validation and timings.

Data locations, removal and troubleshooting

For developers

npm ci
npm run check

Browser integration tests also require native-host registration and Playwright Chromium. See development commands and test scope.

CAPTCHA/MFA and OS dialogs require handoff. Jev image support remains unverified; native WebMCP is experimental and opt-in. Check the capability documents before relying on a particular workflow.

MIT licensed · Built for local agents · Chrome, Edge and managed Chromium