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OpenClaw browser-control errors do not all have the same cause: the fix depends on whether the request targets OpenClaw’s isolated browser, a signed-in Chrome session, the Chrome extension relay, or a remote CDP browser. First identify the selected profile and route. Then check the matching credential or connection, run doctor, start, and tabs, and only investigate navigation policy if those checks work but opening a page fails.
First identify which browser OpenClaw is trying to control
OpenClaw has separate browser profiles with different session and authentication behavior. A website login, such as being signed in to a site in Chrome, is not the same thing as authentication between your OpenClaw client, Gateway, browser, and extension. Changing a Gateway secret will not sign you into a website; installing an extension will not necessarily connect it to the intended Gateway.
| Your situation | Profile or path | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| You do not need your personal browser’s existing website logins | openclaw managed profile |
A separate, isolated browser. It does not inherit your personal Chrome cookies and does not need the extension. |
| You need signed-in Chrome and someone can approve access at the computer | user / Chrome DevTools MCP |
Chrome requires an initial remote-debugging approval prompt. |
| You need signed-in Chrome through the extension relay | chrome / OpenClaw extension |
The extension relays access to Chrome tabs without the remote-debugging approval prompt. |
| The browser or hosted CDP service runs on another host | Custom remote profile | Check endpoint reachability, routing, TLS/WSS, and secret handling. |
The official OpenClaw Browser profiles documentation says the openclaw profile “never touches your personal browser profile.” If you need existing sign-ins, choose a path that attaches to Chrome rather than expecting the managed profile to reuse them. Do not copy an entire cookie jar as a shortcut; imported or synchronized sessions can be constrained, and device-bound sessions may still require re-authentication.
The configured browser.defaultProfile controls the default selection. To eliminate ambiguity while diagnosing, specify a profile on each command with --browser-profile <name>.
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Fix authentication for the standalone loopback browser API
If a client is calling the standalone loopback browser HTTP API, it needs the configured Gateway shared secret in a supported form. OpenClaw’s official Browser security documentation states: “The standalone loopback browser HTTP API uses shared-secret auth only: gateway token bearer auth, x-openclaw-password, or HTTP Basic auth with the configured gateway password.”
Check the Gateway configuration for gateway.auth.token or gateway.auth.password, then use the corresponding credential and authentication method:
- For a configured token, send bearer authentication using that token.
- For a configured password, send it as
x-openclaw-passwordor use HTTP Basic authentication with the Gateway password.
Do not assume a Tailscale Serve identity header or gateway.auth.mode: "trusted-proxy" will authenticate this standalone API; the official security guidance says they do not. If no shared secret was explicitly configured, OpenClaw documents startup generation and persistence of a browser-control credential for relevant auth modes. Use the supported local configuration or state path to locate it. If operators need a stable credential, configure one explicitly instead of guessing or inventing a token.
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Treat tokens and passwords as secrets. Do not paste them into public issues, support posts, shell transcripts, or logs. When sharing a failed request, redact the authorization header and any credential-bearing configuration.
Reconnect signed-in Chrome through the extension
For the chrome profile, installation, discovery, pairing, and a live connection are distinct checks. An installation message or a visible Chrome tab does not prove that the relay is currently authenticated and connected to the Gateway you intend to use.
- Select the extension profile explicitly:
openclaw browser --browser-profile chrome tabs. - Check the extension’s status in Chrome and confirm that it reports connected, not merely installed or enabled.
- Verify that the extension is paired with the intended Gateway and that the selected browser profile, relay port, and key match the setup you are diagnosing.
- If pairing manually, treat the entire pairing string like a password. Do not post it in logs or troubleshooting threads.
- Confirm the Gateway and extension are compatible and current. OpenClaw’s extension relay authentication and CLI behavior are version-sensitive; follow the official setup guidance for the versions in use.
A stale or mismatched profile, port, key, or stricter authentication policy can make the relay fail closed. The extension documentation prefers v2 relay authentication. Its warned legacy bearer-compatibility path requires explicit legacy-auth configuration and reveals a credential on request; do not enable it casually or expose that credential.
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Run the readiness checks in order
Run these commands from the environment where the OpenClaw CLI is configured. Substitute user, chrome, or your custom profile name if that is the path you selected.
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- Check readiness:
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw doctor - Start the browser:
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw start - List tabs:
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw tabs - Try a harmless allowed page:
openclaw browser --browser-profile openclaw open https://example.com
doctor is the documented readiness check. A start error such as not reachable after start points to CDP readiness: the control plane has not successfully reached the browser endpoint. Check the browser process, CDP endpoint, and host routing before changing credentials that may already be correct.
If start and tabs both work but open or navigate fails, the CLI documentation indicates that the control plane is healthy and a navigation SSRF policy block is a likely cause. Check the destination against the configured navigation rules. Use a known allowed URL as a control; do not broadly permit private-network destinations merely to silence an error without understanding where the request could go.
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Check remote CDP and Gateway routing safely
With remote CDP, a correct secret cannot compensate for a browser endpoint that the relevant host cannot reach. Map the route before changing configuration: which host runs the Gateway, which host runs the browser or node, and from which host the CDP URL must be reachable?
- Confirm the configured CDP URL is reachable from the host that needs to connect, and that it points to the intended browser.
- Prefer HTTPS/WSS endpoints and short-lived tokens. Avoid storing long-lived tokens directly in configuration.
- Keep Gateway and node hosts on a private network where possible; do not expose Gateway or CDP publicly as a generic troubleshooting step.
- Treat remote CDP URLs and tokens as secrets, and redact both when sharing configuration or diagnostics.
The exact endpoint, available authentication modes, and connection behavior depend on the deployment. Use the OpenClaw remote-browser configuration appropriate to your version rather than assuming local loopback rules or extension pairing apply to a hosted CDP service.
Match common error messages to the layer that can fix them
| Symptom | Likely layer | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| “no valid credentials available” or “token missing” | Standalone API or Gateway authentication | Confirm the selected route, then provide the configured token or password in its supported form. Do not substitute trusted-proxy or Tailscale headers for standalone API shared-secret authentication. |
| “pairing required” | Extension relay pairing | Check the intended Gateway/profile pairing and complete pairing through the supported setup. Keep the pairing string private. |
| “browser relay disconnected” | Extension relay connection | Check that the extension is connected and its Gateway, profile, relay port, and key match. An enabled extension can still be disconnected. |
start says “not reachable after start” |
CDP readiness or routing | Check that the browser endpoint is live and reachable from the Gateway or relevant host. |
start and tabs work, but navigation fails |
Navigation policy | Try a harmless allowed URL and inspect SSRF/navigation rules for the requested destination. |
These phrases describe symptoms, not a universal root cause. Trace the request path and test each layer instead of treating every failure as a request to “log in to OpenClaw.”
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Or skip the browser setup
ScreenshotNeo is a separate website screenshot API and MCP server, not an OpenClaw authentication fix. If your actual goal is to capture a web page rather than control an OpenClaw browser, it can return a screenshot or PDF from one GET request. Its capture flow removes cookie/consent banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed. Its MCP server provides screenshot tools for AI agents.
cURL:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython:
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js:
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options and response details. ScreenshotNeo offers 1,000 screenshots per month free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for the free ScreenshotNeo plan.
Keep the diagnosis version-aware
OpenClaw’s CLI, browser profiles, extension relay protocol, and defaults can change. The current official documentation checked on September 29, 2026 does not establish a particular pinned software release for these instructions. If the documented command or connection state differs in your installation, update compatible Gateway and extension components and consult the official documentation for the versions you run before changing security settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the managed OpenClaw browser use my Chrome website logins?
No. The managed openclaw profile is separate from your personal Chrome profile. Use a Chrome-attaching profile when existing website sessions are required.
Does successful authentication mean a website is signed in?
No. Browser-control authentication authorizes the control path; a website’s own login state is separate.
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