Agent skill

Computer Use Agents

by davila7 in davila7/claude-code-templates

Build AI agents that interact with computers like humans do - viewing screens, moving cursors, clicking buttons, and typing text.

MITAuto-check passedProductivity & Automation

Install Computer Use Agents

skills CLI
$ npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill computer-use-agents -a claude-code

Project install by default; add -g for ~/.claude/skills/.

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install davila7/claude-code-templates computer-use-agents --agent claude-code

Project scope by default; add --scope user for a personal install. Needs GitHub CLI 2.90.0 or later (public preview).

Manual copy
$ git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/davila7/claude-code-templates.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/computer-use-agents .claude/skills/computer-use-agents && rm -rf skills-src

Use ~/.claude/skills/ instead of .claude/skills for a personal install. The folder must contain SKILL.md.

Claude Code skills documentation · loads skills from .claude/skills/

Facts

Skill name
computer-use-agents
GitHub stars
32k
Used in
6 other repos
Token cost
~2.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
369 words
Files
1
Skills in repo
477
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Build AI agents that interact with computers like humans do - viewing screens, moving cursors, clicking buttons, and typing text.

  • Works in 4 steps: PERCEPTION: Screenshot captures current… → REASONING: Vision-language model… → ACTION: Execute mouse/keyboard operations → …
  • Desktop automation agent
  • SKILL.md covers Patterns and ⚠️ Sharp Edges
  • Instructions only: no scripts, shell commands, URLs or credentials in SKILL.md

What it does

Computer Use Agents is an agent skill from davila7/claude-code-templates. Build AI agents that interact with computers like humans do - viewing screens, moving cursors, clicking buttons, and typing text. Covers Anthropic's Computer Use, OpenAI's Operator/CUA, and open-source alternatives. Critical focus on sandboxing, security, and handling the unique challenges of vision-based control. Use when: computer use, desktop automation agent, screen control AI, vision-based agent, GUI automation.

Its SKILL.md is about 2.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. It is a single SKILL.md file with no bundled scripts.

It sits in Productivity & Automation, covering Desktop control. It works with OpenAI. The repository describes itself as: CLI tool for configuring and monitoring Claude Code. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Desktop automation agent
  • Screen control AI
  • Vision-based agent

Example prompts

  • “s Computer Use, OpenAI”
  • “/computer-use-agents”

Requirements

  • Python 3
  • Docker

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the first numbered list in SKILL.md.

  1. PERCEPTION: Screenshot captures current screen state
  2. REASONING: Vision-language model analyzes and plans
  3. ACTION: Execute mouse/keyboard operations
  4. FEEDBACK: Observe result, continue or correct

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 14680ec. It shows what the files ask for, not the result of running them.

  • Tool permissions

    Pre-approves nothing: there is no allowed-tools line, so your agent's usual permission prompts apply.

    From allowed-tools in the SKILL.md frontmatter.

  • Runs code

    No scripts in the folder and no shell commands in SKILL.md (its code samples are python).

    From the folder's file list and the shell code blocks in SKILL.md.

  • Network

    No URLs in SKILL.md.

    From URLs in SKILL.md, links to its own repository left out.

  • Credentials

    Names no API keys, tokens, secrets or passwords.

    From names ending in _API_KEY, _TOKEN, _SECRET, _KEY or _PASSWORD in SKILL.md.

Context cost

Computer Use Agents loads about 2.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 110 tokens; SKILL.md has 369 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~110
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~2.4k

Estimates: characters ÷ 4, the usual rule of thumb; real counts depend on the model's tokenizer. Scripts and assets cost tokens only if the agent reads them.

Safety

Auto-check passed

The automated check found no risky patterns in SKILL.md.

Automated static check — not a guarantee. Review scripts before installing. It scans the text of SKILL.md for risky patterns (piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files, hidden Unicode, destructive commands); files beside SKILL.md are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from davila7/claude-code-templates at commit 14680ec, republished under its MIT licence (© davila7). 369 words, ~2,356 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/computer-use-agents/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder).
name
computer-use-agents
description
Build AI agents that interact with computers like humans do - viewing screens, moving cursors, clicking buttons, and typing text. Covers Anthropic's Computer Use, OpenAI's Operator/CUA, and open-source alternatives. Critical focus on sandboxing, security, and handling the unique challenges of vision-based control. Use when: computer use, desktop automation agent, screen control AI, vision-based agent, GUI automation.
source
vibeship-spawner-skills (Apache 2.0)

Computer Use Agents

Patterns

Perception-Reasoning-Action Loop

The fundamental architecture of computer use agents: observe screen, reason about next action, execute action, repeat. This loop integrates vision models with action execution through an iterative pipeline.

Key components:

  1. PERCEPTION: Screenshot captures current screen state
  2. REASONING: Vision-language model analyzes and plans
  3. ACTION: Execute mouse/keyboard operations
  4. FEEDBACK: Observe result, continue or correct

Critical insight: Vision agents are completely still during "thinking" phase (1-5 seconds), creating a detectable pause pattern.

When to use: ['Building any computer use agent from scratch', 'Integrating vision models with desktop control', 'Understanding agent behavior patterns']

python
from anthropic import Anthropic
from PIL import Image
import base64
import pyautogui
import time

class ComputerUseAgent:
    """
    Perception-Reasoning-Action loop implementation.
    Based on Anthropic Computer Use patterns.
    """

    def __init__(self, client: Anthropic, model: str = "claude-sonnet-4-20250514"):
        self.client = client
        self.model = model
        self.max_steps = 50  # Prevent runaway loops
        self.action_delay = 0.5  # Seconds between actions

    def capture_screenshot(self) -> str:
        """Capture screen and return base64 encoded image."""
        screenshot = pyautogui.screenshot()
        # Resize for token efficiency (1280x800 is good balance)
        screenshot = screenshot.resize((1280, 800), Image.LANCZOS)

        import io
        buffer = io.BytesIO()
        screenshot.save(buffer, format="PNG")
        return base64.b64encode(buffer.getvalue()).decode()

    def execute_action(self, action: dict) -> dict:
        """Execute mouse/keyboard action on the computer."""
        action_type = action.get("type")

        if action_type == "click":
            x, y = action["x"], action["y"]
            button = action.get("button", "left")
            pyautogui.click(x, y, button=button)
            return {"success": True, "action": f"clicked at ({x}, {y})"}

        elif action_type == "type":
            text = action["text"]
            pyautogui.typewrite(text, interval=0.02)
            return {"success": True, "action": f"typed {len(text)} chars"}

        elif action_type == "key":
            key = action["key"]
            pyautogui.press(key)
            return {"success": True, "action": f"pressed {key}"}

        elif action_type == "scroll":
            direction = action.get("direction", "down")
            amount = action.get("amount", 3)
            scroll = -amount if direction == "down" else amount
            pyautogui.scroll(scroll)
            return {"success": True, "action": f"scrolled {dir
Sandboxed Environment Pattern

Computer use agents MUST run in isolated, sandboxed environments. Never give agents direct access to your main system - the security risks are too high. Use Docker containers with virtual desktops.

Key isolation requirements:

  1. NETWORK: Restrict to necessary endpoints only
  2. FILESYSTEM: Read-only or scoped to temp directories
  3. CREDENTIALS: No access to host credentials
  4. SYSCALLS: Filter dangerous system calls
  5. RESOURCES: Limit CPU, memory, time

The goal is "blast radius minimization" - if the agent goes wrong, damage is contained to the sandbox.

When to use: ['Deploying any computer use agent', 'Testing agent behavior safely', 'Running untrusted automation tasks']

python
# Dockerfile for sandboxed computer use environment
# Based on Anthropic's reference implementation pattern

FROM ubuntu:22.04

# Install desktop environment
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    xvfb \
    x11vnc \
    fluxbox \
    xterm \
    firefox \
    python3 \
    python3-pip \
    supervisor

# Security: Create non-root user
RUN useradd -m -s /bin/bash agent && \
    mkdir -p /home/agent/.vnc

# Install Python dependencies
COPY requirements.txt /tmp/
RUN pip3 install -r /tmp/requirements.txt

# Security: Drop capabilities
RUN apt-get install -y --no-install-recommends libcap2-bin && \
    setcap -r /usr/bin/python3 || true

# Copy agent code
COPY --chown=agent:agent . /app
WORKDIR /app

# Supervisor config for virtual display + VNC
COPY supervisord.conf /etc/supervisor/conf.d/

# Expose VNC port only (not desktop directly)
EXPOSE 5900

# Run as non-root
USER agent

CMD ["/usr/bin/supervisord", "-c", "/etc/supervisor/conf.d/supervisord.conf"]

---

# docker-compose.yml with security constraints
version: '3.8'

services:
  computer-use-agent:
    build: .
    ports:
      - "5900:5900"  # VNC for observation
      - "8080:8080"  # API for control

    # Security constraints
    security_opt:
      - no-new-privileges:true
      - seccomp:seccomp-profile.json

    # Resource limits
    deploy:
      resources:
        limits:
          cpus: '2'
          memory: 4G
        reservations:
          cpus: '0.5'
          memory: 1G

    # Network isolation
    networks:
      - agent-network

    # No access to host filesystem
    volumes:
      - agent-tmp:/tmp

    # Read-only root filesystem
    read_only: true
    tmpfs:
      - /run
      - /var/run

    # Environment
    environment:
      - DISPLAY=:99
      - NO_PROXY=localhost

networks:
  agent-network:
    driver: bridge
    internal: true  # No internet by default

volumes:
  agent-tmp:

---

# Python wrapper with additional runtime sandboxing
import subprocess
import os
from dataclasses im
Show full SKILL.md (167 more words)Show less
Anthropic Computer Use Implementation

Official implementation pattern using Claude's computer use capability. Claude 3.5 Sonnet was the first frontier model to offer computer use. Claude Opus 4.5 is now the "best model in the world for computer use."

Key capabilities:

  • screenshot: Capture current screen state
  • mouse: Click, move, drag operations
  • keyboard: Type text, press keys
  • bash: Run shell commands
  • text_editor: View and edit files

Tool versions:

  • computer_20251124 (Opus 4.5): Adds zoom action for detailed inspection
  • computer_20250124 (All other models): Standard capabilities

Critical limitation: "Some UI elements (like dropdowns and scrollbars) might be tricky for Claude to manipulate" - Anthropic docs

When to use: ['Building production computer use agents', 'Need highest quality vision understanding', 'Full desktop control (not just browser)']

python
from anthropic import Anthropic
from anthropic.types.beta import (
    BetaToolComputerUse20241022,
    BetaToolBash20241022,
    BetaToolTextEditor20241022,
)
import subprocess
import base64
from PIL import Image
import io

class AnthropicComputerUse:
    """
    Official Anthropic Computer Use implementation.

    Requires:
    - Docker container with virtual display
    - VNC for viewing agent actions
    - Proper tool implementations
    """

    def __init__(self):
        self.client = Anthropic()
        self.model = "claude-sonnet-4-6"  # Best for computer use
        self.screen_size = (1280, 800)

    def get_tools(self) -> list:
        """Define computer use tools."""
        return [
            BetaToolComputerUse20241022(
                type="computer_20241022",
                name="computer",
                display_width_px=self.screen_size[0],
                display_height_px=self.screen_size[1],
            ),
            BetaToolBash20241022(
                type="bash_20241022",
                name="bash",
            ),
            BetaToolTextEditor20241022(
                type="text_editor_20241022",
                name="str_replace_editor",
            ),
        ]

    def execute_tool(self, name: str, input: dict) -> dict:
        """Execute a tool and return result."""

        if name == "computer":
            return self._handle_computer_action(input)
        elif name == "bash":
            return self._handle_bash(input)
        elif name == "str_replace_editor":
            return self._handle_editor(input)
        else:
            return {"error": f"Unknown tool: {name}"}

    def _handle_computer_action(self, input: dict) -> dict:
        """Handle computer control actions."""
        action = input.get("action")

        if action == "screenshot":
            # Capture via xdotool/scrot
            subprocess.run(["scrot", "/tmp/screenshot.png"])

            with open("/tmp/screenshot.png", "rb") as f:
            

⚠️ Sharp Edges

IssueSeveritySolution
Issuecritical## Defense in depth - no single solution works
Issuemedium## Add human-like variance to actions
Issuehigh## Use keyboard alternatives when possible
Issuemedium## Accept the tradeoff
Issuehigh## Implement context management
Issuehigh## Monitor and limit costs
Issuecritical## ALWAYS use sandboxing

© davila7, MIT. Rendered from Markdown: HTML in the file is shown as text, images as links, and headings moved down two levels. Raw file

Files

Just SKILL.md in cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/computer-use-agents of davila7/claude-code-templates.

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 14680ec

Used in 6 other repositories

We found 12 copies of this SKILL.md (exact, near-identical or edited) in other folders, from 6 other GitHub owners. This page covers the copy in davila7/claude-code-templates, which our catalogue first saw on October 7, 2026.

Compare with similar skills

Computer Use Agents next to the 5 skills that share the most tags, products or categories with it. Stars are the repository's; “used in” counts other GitHub owners with a copy.

Computer Use Agents compared with similar skills
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Computer Use Agents this skilldavila7/claude-code-templates32k6 repos~2.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
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Chatgpt Web Researchbear2u/my-skills933—~3.3kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Yichen Chatgpt Web Researchmcncarl/yichen-skills4.3k—~3.4kAutomated safety check: PassCustom licence
Vision SkillsAnionex/agent-vision-toolkit1.2k1 repos~4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT

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Works with

Questions about Computer Use Agents

What does Computer Use Agents do?

Build AI agents that interact with computers like humans do - viewing screens, moving cursors, clicking buttons, and typing text. Computer Use Agents is an agent skill from davila7/claude-code-templates. Build AI agents that interact with computers like humans do - viewing screens, moving cursors, clicking buttons, and typing text.

When should I use Computer Use Agents?

Computer Use Agents fits situations like: desktop automation agent; screen control AI; vision-based agent.

How do I install Computer Use Agents in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill computer-use-agents -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/computer-use-agents in davila7/claude-code-templates) into .claude/skills/computer-use-agents in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Computer Use Agents in Codex?

Run `npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill computer-use-agents -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (cli-tool/components/skills/ai-research/computer-use-agents in davila7/claude-code-templates) into .agents/skills/computer-use-agents in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Computer Use Agents in Cursor, Gemini CLI or GitHub Copilot?

Cursor, Gemini CLI, GitHub Copilot and OpenCode also load SKILL.md folders. With the skills CLI, run `npx skills add davila7/claude-code-templates --skill computer-use-agents -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/computer-use-agents, .gemini/skills/computer-use-agents, .github/skills/computer-use-agents and .opencode/skills/computer-use-agents in your project.

What does Computer Use Agents need to run?

SKILL.md names no scripts, command-line tools or credentials: Computer Use Agents is instructions for the agent only. Our summary lists: Python 3; Docker.

Does Computer Use Agents access the network?

SKILL.md contains no URLs. Any network use would come from the scripts or tools the agent runs. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Computer Use Agents safe to install?

Our automated static check of SKILL.md found no risky patterns, such as piping downloads into a shell, reading credential files or hidden Unicode. It is not a guarantee. Review the folder before installing.

What licence does Computer Use Agents use?

Computer Use Agents is published under the MIT licence (the repository's licence). It allows redistribution, so the full SKILL.md is shown on this page.

How many tokens does Computer Use Agents use?

About 2.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 9.4k characters). Agents keep only the skill's name and description in context until a task matches; then they load SKILL.md in full.

What are the alternatives to Computer Use Agents?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Computer Use Agents: Computer Use Agents (sickn33/agentic-awesome-skills, 47k stars), Yichen Codex Chatgpt (mcncarl/yichen-skills, 4.3k stars), Chatgpt Web Research (bear2u/my-skills, 933 stars) and Yichen Chatgpt Web Research (mcncarl/yichen-skills, 4.3k stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Computer Use Agents?

davila7 (a GitHub user) maintains it in davila7/claude-code-templates, which has 32,463 GitHub stars. The repository holds 477 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 8, 2026.

Source: davila7/claude-code-templates on GitHub. Facts on this page come from the repository at the commit we read; the author's words are quoted as theirs.