Files
microsoft--webwright/README.md
T
2026-07-13 12:28:42 +08:00

411 lines
19 KiB
Markdown
Raw Blame History

This file contains ambiguous Unicode characters
This file contains Unicode characters that might be confused with other characters. If you think that this is intentional, you can safely ignore this warning. Use the Escape button to reveal them.
# Webwright
<p align="center">
<img src="assets/webwright_logo.svg" alt="Webwright logo" width="320">
</p>
<p align="center"><b>Turn Your Coding Models to Be State-of-the-art Browser Agents</b></p>
<p align="center">
<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/python-%E2%89%A53.10-blue?logo=python&logoColor=white" alt="Python">
<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/playwright-chromium-green" alt="Playwright">
<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/backends-OpenAI%20%7C%20Anthropic%20%7C%20OpenRouter-orange" alt="Backends">
<img src="https://img.shields.io/badge/footprint-%E2%89%A4~1.5k%20LoC-brightgreen" alt="Footprint">
</p>
- 📝 **Blog:** [Webwright: A Terminal Is All You Need For Web Agents](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/articles/webwright-a-terminal-is-all-you-need-for-web-agents/)
- 🌐 **Project Page:** [microsoft.github.io/Webwright](https://microsoft.github.io/Webwright/)
Webwright gives LLM a terminal where it can launch multiple browser sessions to inspect the page and complete a web task. It captures and inspects page screenshots/states only when needed. It enforces each web task to be completed end-to-end within a re-runnable Python script, i.e. your web agent browsing history is a single code file. No multi-agent system, no graph engine, no plugin layer, no hidden orchestration — just a terminal, a browser, and a model.
Already got your favorite agents, and wonder how to make Claude Code, Codex, Hermes, OpenClaw more capable in browser tasks? Consider adding [Webwright plugin/skills](#-use-as-a-claude-code-skill)!
---
## 📰 News
- **2026-05-11** — Support Task2UI mode: Webwright completes the task and renders task results into an HTML-based web app you can easily view and reuse.
- **2026-05-06** — Codex and Claude Code plugin manifests added; install via `/plugin install webwright@webwright`. OpenClaw and Hermes Agent integrations shipped; the same `skills/webwright/` folder now loads across Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw, and Hermes.
- **2026-05-04** — Initial public release: ~1.5k LoC, OpenAI / Anthropic / OpenRouter backends, Playwright environment.
---
<details>
<summary><strong>💡 Motivation: Beyond Step-by-Step Web Interaction in a Stateful Browser</strong></summary>
Most web agents today treat the browser session itself as the workspace: at each step the model receives the current page state and predicts a single next operation — a click, a type, a DOM selector, or a short tool call. Whatever the format, the agent is locked into predicting one web action at a time inside a predefined interaction loop. That harness was useful when LLMs were weaker. As models get stronger at writing and debugging code, the same harness becomes a bottleneck.
Webwright takes a different stance: **separate the agent from the browser**, and treat the browser as something the agent can launch, inspect, and discard while developing a program. The persistent artifact is not the browser session — it's the **code and logs in the local workspace**.
- 🧱 **Robust, reusable interaction with web environments** — instead of fragile pixel-level actions, a coding agent with a terminal queries elements, waits for conditions, and handles dynamic behaviors like lazy loading or re-rendering. The resulting scripts can be rerun, adapted, and shared across tasks rather than rediscovered from scratch.
-**Efficient composition of complex workflows** — multi-step interactions like selecting a date or filling a form become a compact program. Loops, functions, and abstractions let the agent generalize across similar tasks (e.g. different dates) without re-predicting the same low-level sequences. Fewer interaction rounds, faster execution, less error accumulation on long horizons.
- 🧪 **Workspace-as-state, not browser-as-state** — the agent can write exploratory scripts, spawn fresh browser sessions, and decide for itself when to capture screenshots and inspect failures, much like a human engineer iterating on an RPA script.
- 🪄 **Surprisingly effective despite being minimal** — this stripped-down setup turns out to handle complex and especially long-horizon web tasks well (see [Performance](#-performance)).
</details>
---
<details>
<summary><strong>🌟 Why Webwright</strong></summary>
Most web agent frameworks bury the actual agent loop under layers of abstractions. Webwright takes the opposite stance:
- 🪶 **Lightweight by design** — core agent loop in a single ~450-line file, Playwright environment in ~570 lines, CLI in ~150 lines.
- 🧩 **Pluggable model backends** — OpenAI, Anthropic, and OpenRouter, each ~150200 lines.
- 🔍 **Zero hidden frameworks** — just `httpx`, `pydantic`, `playwright`, and `typer`.
- 🔁 **Flat prompt → observe → execute script loop** — readable end-to-end, easy to debug, easy to fork.
- 🧪 **Run-artifact first** — every run writes trajectories and screenshots to disk for inspection.
If you want a minimal, easy-to-debug starting point for browser-using agents instead of another heavyweight platform, this is it.
</details>
---
<details>
<summary><strong>🆚 How Webwright Differs From Other Browser-Agent Repos</strong></summary>
How they differ at the architectural level:
| | **Stagehand (Browserbase)** | **agent-browser (Vercel)** | **browser-use** | **Webwright** |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Paradigm** | Hybrid: code + NL primitives (`act` / `extract` / `agent`) | CLI tool that *another* agent (Claude Code, Codex, etc.) calls | Autonomous LLM agent loop over DOM/AX snapshots | **Coding agent with a terminal**; browser is just an environment it spawns |
| **Action space** | Playwright code, or NL → LLM-translated Playwright | Discrete subcommands (`open`, `click @e2`, `snapshot`, `eval`) | Indexed click/type actions selected by the LLM | **Free-form Python (writes Playwright scripts itself)** |
| **What is "state"?**| The browser session | The browser session (held by daemon across CLI calls) | The browser session | **The local workspace — code, screenshots, logs.** Browser is disposable. |
| **Loop shape** | Imperative; `agent()` does multi-step when needed | One CLI invocation per micro-step | observe → predict next action → execute → repeat | write code → execute → inspect screenshots → repair (code-as-action) |
</details>
---
## 🎥 Demo
https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/4ed94cd5-11be-4daa-b2d7-1260a803baca
---
## 📊 Performance
State-of-the-art on two real-website benchmarks with a 100-step budget — see the [blog post](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/articles/webwright-a-terminal-is-all-you-need-for-web-agents/) for full details.
- 🏆 **Online-Mind2Web (300 tasks):** **86.7%** with GPT-5.4 — highest among open-sourced harnesses in the AutoEval category. Claude Opus 4.7 reaches **84.7%**, and is stronger on the hard split (**80.5%** vs. 76.6% for GPT-5.4 at N=100).
- 🚀 **Odysseys (200 long-horizon tasks):** **60.1%** with GPT-5.4 (avg. 76.1 steps) — **+15.6 points** over the prior SOTA (Opus 4.6 at 44.5%, using vision based approach and persistent browser) and **+26.6 points** over base GPT-5.4 (33.5% using xy-coordinate prediction and persistent browser).
- 🧠 **Code-as-action beats coordinate prediction:** Webwright substantially outperforms a reproduced GPT-5.4 screenshot+xy-coordinate baseline across all difficulty splits.
- 🧰 **Small models + reusable tools:** generated scripts can be packaged as parameterized CLI tools — even **Qwen-3.5-9B** completes tasks well on Online-Mind2Web sites with 5+ tools available.
<p align="center">
<img src="assets/odysseys_eval_step100.png" alt="Odysseys long-horizon eval @ 100 steps" width="49%">
<img src="assets/om2w_autoeval_step100.png" alt="Online-Mind2Web AutoEval @ 100 steps" width="49%">
</p>
---
## 🗺️ Project Map
```
webwright/
├── pyproject.toml # package: webwright
├── src/webwright/
│ ├── run/cli.py # CLI entrypoint (`webwright`)
│ ├── agents/default.py # core agent loop
│ ├── environments/ # Playwright browser workspace
│ ├── tools/ # image_qa, self_reflection
│ ├── models/ # openai_model, anthropic_model, base
│ ├── config/ # base.yaml, model_openai.yaml, model_claude.yaml
│ └── utils/
├── assets/
│ └── task_showcase/ # tiny Flask dashboard for repeatable runs
│ ├── app.py
│ ├── templates/ # dashboard.html, task.html
│ └── tasks/<short_id>/ # task.json + report.json per task
├── tests/
└── outputs/ # run artifacts (trajectories, screenshots)
```
---
## 📰 Task Showcase (repeatable runs as a dashboard)
A tiny Flask app under [`assets/task_showcase/`](assets/task_showcase/README.md) consolidates
Webwright runs for **repeatable** odyssey tasks (deals, inventory, listings,
job boards, weather, etc.) into a single dashboard. Each task ships only two
files — `task.json` (metadata) and `report.json` (curated, structured output:
sources + result sections like tables, lists, summaries) — and the templates
render them generically, so adding a new task is just dropping a new folder
in `assets/task_showcase/tasks/`.
```bash
pip install flask
python assets/task_showcase/app.py # http://127.0.0.1:5005
```
To have Webwright produce a renderer-ready task folder at runtime, stack the
Task Showcase overlay:
```bash
python -m webwright.run.cli \
-c base.yaml -c model_openai.yaml -c task_showcase.yaml \
-t "<repeatable web task>" \
--task-id my_repeatable_task \
-o outputs/default
```
> **Note:** `report.json` is only generated when `-c task_showcase.yaml` is
> included. A plain `base.yaml` run produces `trajectory.json` and debug
> artifacts but no `report.json`.
The run writes `task_showcase/tasks/<short_id>/task.json` and `report.json`
inside the output workspace. Render those generated files without copying them
back into the repo:
```bash
python assets/task_showcase/app.py \
--tasks-dir outputs/default/<run>/task_showcase/tasks
```
---
## 🚀 Quick Start
### Prerequisites
- Python 3.10+
- Chromium installed through Playwright
- An API key for your chosen backend (OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter)
### Install
```bash
pip install -e .
playwright install chromium
```
### Run
Export credentials for the configured backend (for example, `OPENAI_API_KEY`
with `model_openai.yaml` or `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` with `model_claude.yaml`). The
`image_qa` and `self_reflection` tools use the same configured model by default,
so an Anthropic run does not require an OpenAI key. Then:
```bash
python -m webwright.run.cli \
-c base.yaml -c model_openai.yaml \
-t "Search for flights from SEA to JFK on 2026-08-15 to 2026-08-20" \
--start-url https://www.google.com/flights \
--task-id demo_openai \
-o outputs/default
```
### 🚩 Flags
| Flag | Description |
|------|-------------|
| `-c` | Config file(s) from `src/webwright/config/` (stackable). |
| `-t` | Task instruction. |
| `--start-url` | Initial page. |
| `--task-id` | Output subfolder name. |
| `-o` | Output directory. |
---
## 🔌 Use as a Plugin
Webwright ships plugin manifests for both [Claude Code](https://docs.claude.com/en/docs/claude-code/plugins) ([`.claude-plugin/plugin.json`](.claude-plugin/plugin.json)) and [OpenAI Codex](https://developers.openai.com/codex/plugins) ([`.codex-plugin/plugin.json`](.codex-plugin/plugin.json)), with the shared skill at [`skills/webwright/`](skills/webwright/) and slash commands at [`skills/webwright/commands/`](skills/webwright/commands/). The host agent drives the Webwright loop natively — no extra LLM API key or cost beyond your host subscription. Hosts that read PNG screenshots natively skip the `image_qa` / `self_reflection` tools.
Common runtime deps (install once after either path):
```bash
pip install -e .
playwright install chromium
```
<details>
<summary><b>Claude Code</b></summary>
### Install
Install through the bundled marketplace inside Claude Code:
```text
# 1. Add this repo as a Claude Code plugin marketplace
/plugin marketplace add microsoft/Webwright
# 2. Install the plugin from that marketplace
/plugin install webwright@webwright
```
Prefer a local checkout? Point the marketplace command at the cloned repo instead:
```text
/plugin marketplace add /absolute/path/to/Webwright
/plugin install webwright@webwright
```
### Use
**Start a new Claude Code session** after installing — plugins are loaded at session start and won't appear until you restart.
You can either ask Claude Code in plain English (the skill auto-activates from its description), or use one of the slash commands:
```
/webwright:run search Google Flights for flights from SEA to JFK on 2026-08-15 to 2026-08-20
/webwright:craft search a ticket on Google Flights from LAX to SFO depart June 7 return June 14
```
- `/webwright:run` (or any plain prompt) produces a **one-shot** `final_script.py` for the literal task values.
- `/webwright:craft` produces a **reusable CLI tool**: `final_script.py` becomes one parameterized function with a Google-style `Args:` docstring and an `argparse` wrapper whose flags default to the concrete task values, so you can rerun it later with different arguments — e.g. `python final_script.py --origin JFK --destination LAX --depart-date 2026-07-01`.
In both modes Claude Code scaffolds a workspace with `plan.md`, runs instrumented Playwright scripts under `final_runs/run_<id>/`, and visually self-verifies each critical point against the saved screenshots.
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>OpenAI Codex</b></summary>
### Install
Codex reads Claude-style marketplaces, so the same repo works as a Codex plugin marketplace. From the Codex CLI:
```bash
# 1. Add this repo as a Codex plugin marketplace
codex plugin marketplace add microsoft/Webwright
# 2. Open the plugin browser and install Webwright
codex
/plugins
```
Prefer a local checkout?
```bash
codex plugin marketplace add /absolute/path/to/Webwright
```
Then restart Codex so the new marketplace and plugin are picked up.
### Use
In a new Codex thread, either ask in plain English (the skill auto-activates from its description) or invoke the bundled skill explicitly with `@webwright`:
```
@webwright search Google Flights for flights from SEA to JFK on 2026-08-15 to 2026-08-20
```
Codex scaffolds a workspace with `plan.md`, runs instrumented Playwright scripts under `final_runs/run_<id>/`, and visually self-verifies each critical point against the saved screenshots.
To turn the plugin off without uninstalling, set its entry in `~/.codex/config.toml` to `enabled = false` and restart Codex.
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>🦞 OpenClaw</b></summary>
### Install
Install directly from a local checkout (path, archive, npm spec, git repo, or `clawhub:` spec all work):
```bash
openclaw plugins install /absolute/path/to/Webwright
openclaw gateway restart # reload so the plugin and skill are picked up
```
Verify:
```bash
openclaw plugins list | grep webwright
openclaw skills list | grep webwright # should show "✓ ready"
```
### Use
The `webwright` skill is now available to any OpenClaw agent surface (CLI, Telegram, etc.) — invoke it by asking the agent in natural language, or via the slash commands shipped under [`skills/webwright/commands/`](skills/webwright/commands/), e.g. `/webwright run <task>`.
To uninstall: `openclaw plugins uninstall webwright`.
</details>
<details>
<summary><b>Hermes Agent</b></summary>
### Install
[Hermes Agent](https://github.com/NousResearch/hermes-agent) is a [skills-compatible client](https://agentskills.io), so the same `skills/webwright/` folder loads as a Hermes skill. Symlink it into your Hermes user-skills directory:
```bash
mkdir -p ~/.hermes/skills
ln -sfn /absolute/path/to/Webwright/skills/webwright ~/.hermes/skills/webwright
```
No Hermes-specific manifest is needed; only `SKILL.md` is loaded.
### Use
Start Hermes (`hermes`) and ask it to drive a web task in natural language — the skill auto-activates from its description. You can also invoke it explicitly with `/webwright`.
Note: the named subcommands shipped under [`skills/webwright/commands/`](skills/webwright/commands/) (`/webwright:run`, `/webwright:craft`) are a Claude Code / Codex convention and are inert in Hermes; the skill itself still works end-to-end.
</details>
## 📃 Trajectory Comparison & Viewer
You can run the same tasks using the Webwright harness and its Codex / GitHub Copilot skill variant, and see how token usage and trajectories stack up between different harnesses. The trajectory viewer supports Codex, GitHub Copilot and Webwright harness traces.
![Trajectory comparison](assets/trajectory-compare.png)
### How to use
```bash
cd assets/compare_trajectory/
python3 -m http.server
```
Open the webpage in your browser and upload the Webwright `raw_responses.jsonl` and attach `trajectory.json` to view. Then on the other side you can upload your Codex or GitHub Copilot trace.
### Obtaining Codex traces:
```
ls ~/.codex/sessions/2026/MONTH/DAY/SESSION_ID.jsonl
```
### Obtaining GitHub Copilot traces:
```
/export file session
-> session.md is the uploadable trace
```
### Quick Comparison
#### "Find the cheapest used 8-cylinder bmw made between 2005-2015 and priced from 25,000 to 50,000 dollars with mileage less than 50,000 miles or less."
| Tokens | Webwright Harness (Local Browser Mode) | Codex Webwright Skill |
| --- | ---: | ---: |
| Input | 420,433 | 3,271,143 |
| Output | 3,593 | 20,040 |
| Reasoning | 0 | 4,410 |
| Cached | 217,216 | 3,081,3440 |
| Total | 424,026 | 3,291,183 |
Individual runs and results may vary.
---
## Credits
- [SWE-agent/mini-swe-agent](https://github.com/SWE-agent/mini-swe-agent/tree/main) — design inspiration for the minimal agent loop.
- [Playwright](https://playwright.dev/) — browser automation.
## Citation
If you use Webwright in your research or build on it, please cite this repository:
```bibtex
@misc{webwright2026,
title = {Webwright: A terminal is all you need for web agents},
author = {Lu, Yadong and Xu, Lingrui and Huang, Chao and Awadallah, Ahmed},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://github.com/microsoft/Webwright}},
note = {GitHub repository}
}
```