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Agent skill

Using Webctl

by oaustegard in oaustegard/claude-skills

Browser automation via webctl CLI in Claude.ai containers with authenticated proxy support.

MITAuto-check passedProductivity & Automation

Install Using Webctl

skills CLI
$ npx skills add oaustegard/claude-skills --skill using-webctl -a claude-code

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

GitHub CLI
$ gh skill install oaustegard/claude-skills using-webctl --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/oaustegard/claude-skills.git skills-src && mkdir -p .claude/skills && cp -r skills-src/using-webctl .claude/skills/using-webctl && 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
using-webctl
GitHub stars
150
Token cost
~1.4k tokens
SKILL.md length
310 words
Files
5 (incl. scripts)
Skills in repo
93
Repo updated
First seen
Licence
MIT

At a glance

Browser automation via webctl CLI in Claude.ai containers with authenticated proxy support.

  • Works in 4 steps: Install webctl → Deploy Auth Proxy Module → Patch Session Manager → …
  • Users mention webctl
  • SKILL.md covers When This Skill Applies, Core Problem, Solution and Setup Procedure, plus 5 more sections
  • Runs Python scripts from its folder; calls pip; reaches github.com

What it does

Using Webctl is an agent skill from oaustegard/claude-skills. Browser automation via webctl CLI in Claude.ai containers with authenticated proxy support. Use when users mention webctl, browser automation, Playwright browsing, web scraping, or headless Chrome in container environments.

Its SKILL.md is about 1.4k tokens, which your agent loads only when the skill is triggered. The skill folder holds 5 other files, including scripts (for example `CHANGELOG.md`, `README.md` and `scripts/auth_proxy.py`).

It sits in Productivity & Automation, covering Browser automation, Web scraping and Browser testing. It works with Playwright. The repository describes itself as: My collection of Claude skills. The licence is MIT.

When your agent uses it

  • Users mention webctl
  • Browser automation
  • Playwright browsing
  • Headless Chrome in container environments

Example prompts

  • “/using-webctl”

Requirements

  • Python 3

Workflow steps

4 steps, taken from the step headings in SKILL.md.

  1. Install webctl
  2. Deploy Auth Proxy Module
  3. Patch Session Manager
  4. Verify

What it can do on your machine

Read from SKILL.md and the folder at commit 559a6cd. 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

    Ships 2 files in scripts/ (Python), which the agent can run.

    Shell commands in SKILL.md call:

    • pip

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

  • Network

    Hosts in commands or code, which the agent is likely to contact:

    • github.com

    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

Using Webctl loads about 1.4k tokens when it runs. Until then it costs about 59 tokens; SKILL.md has 310 words of instructions outside code blocks.

Always · name and description, kept in context so the agent knows when to use it
~59
When it runs · the whole SKILL.md, loaded when a task matches
~1.4k

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); the scripts in this folder are not scanned.

SKILL.md

The full file from oaustegard/claude-skills at commit 559a6cd, republished under its MIT licence (© oaustegard). 310 words, ~1,394 tokens.

Download SKILL.mdSave it as .claude/skills/using-webctl/SKILL.md (or your agent's skills folder). This skill also uses 4 other files; get the full folder from GitHub.
name
using-webctl
description
Browser automation via webctl CLI in Claude.ai containers with authenticated proxy support. Use when users mention webctl, browser automation, Playwright browsing, web scraping, or headless Chrome in container environments.
metadata.version
0.0.2

Using webctl in Claude.ai Containers

Browser automation using webctl CLI with automatic proxy authentication handling for Claude.ai's egress-controlled environment.

When This Skill Applies

  • User requests browser automation, web scraping, or page interaction
  • webctl commands fail with ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED
  • Playwright/Chromium needs to work through authenticated HTTP proxy

Core Problem

Claude.ai containers route traffic through an authenticated egress proxy (HTTP_PROXY env var with JWT credentials). Chromium doesn't properly handle proxy authentication for HTTPS CONNECT tunnels, causing all HTTPS navigation to fail even though curl works.

Solution

A local forwarding proxy (port 18080) intercepts Chromium connections and injects Proxy-Authorization headers before forwarding to the real egress proxy.

Setup Procedure

1. Install webctl
bash
pip install webctl --break-system-packages
webctl setup  # Downloads Chromium if needed
2. Deploy Auth Proxy Module

Copy scripts/auth_proxy.py to webctl's daemon directory:

bash
cp /mnt/skills/user/using-webctl/scripts/auth_proxy.py \
   /usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/webctl/daemon/
3. Patch Session Manager

Apply this patch to /usr/local/lib/python3.12/dist-packages/webctl/daemon/session_manager.py.

Recent webctl versions split context creation into two branches (mobile emulation vs desktop). Both must receive the proxy config. Find the block (search for cfg = WebctlConfig.load() followed by the if mode == "unattended" and cfg.mobile_emulation: branch — around line 190):

python
cfg = WebctlConfig.load()
if mode == "unattended" and cfg.mobile_emulation:
    # Mobile emulation: cleaner pages, fewer ads, simpler layouts
    device = self._playwright.devices["Pixel 7"]
    context = await browser.new_context(
        storage_state=storage_state,
        **device,
    )
else:
    context = await browser.new_context(
        storage_state=storage_state, viewport={"width": 1280, "height": 720}
    )

Replace with:

python
cfg = WebctlConfig.load()
from .auth_proxy import get_local_proxy_url
proxy_url = get_local_proxy_url()
proxy_config = {"server": proxy_url} if proxy_url else None
if mode == "unattended" and cfg.mobile_emulation:
    # Mobile emulation: cleaner pages, fewer ads, simpler layouts
    device = self._playwright.devices["Pixel 7"]
    context = await browser.new_context(
        storage_state=storage_state,
        proxy=proxy_config,
        **device,
    )
else:
    context = await browser.new_context(
        storage_state=storage_state, viewport={"width": 1280, "height": 720},
        proxy=proxy_config
    )

If the file only has a single new_context call (older webctl), inject proxy=proxy_config into that one and place the three proxy_url lines just above it.

4. Verify
bash
webctl start --mode unattended
webctl --quiet navigate "https://github.com"
webctl snapshot --interactive-only --limit 10
webctl stop

Quick Reference

Session Management
bash
webctl start --mode unattended    # Headless browser
webctl stop                       # Full shutdown (use --keep-daemon to leave daemon running)
webctl status                     # Current state + console error counts
Navigation
bash
webctl navigate "https://..."
webctl back / webctl forward / webctl reload
Observation
bash
webctl snapshot --interactive-only --limit 30   # Buttons, links, inputs
webctl snapshot --within "role=main"            # Scope to container
webctl query "role=button name~=Submit"         # Debug queries
webctl screenshot --path shot.png
Interaction
bash
webctl click 'role=button name~="Submit"'
webctl type 'role=textbox name~="Email"' "user@example.com"
webctl type 'role=textbox name~="Search"' "query" --submit
webctl select 'role=combobox name~="Country"' --label "Germany"
Query Syntax
  • role=button — By ARIA role
  • name~="partial" — Contains (preferred, more robust)
  • name="exact" — Exact match
  • nth=0 — Select first when multiple matches
Wait Conditions
bash
webctl wait network-idle
webctl wait 'exists:role=button name~="Continue"'
webctl wait 'url-contains:"/dashboard"'

Troubleshooting

ERR_TUNNEL_CONNECTION_FAILED

Auth proxy not loaded. Verify:

  1. auth_proxy.py exists in webctl daemon directory
  2. Session manager is patched
  3. Restart daemon: webctl stop && webctl start --mode unattended
Multiple matches error

Add specificity or use nth=0:

bash
webctl click 'role=link name="Sign in" nth=0'
Verify proxy is running
bash
netstat -tlnp | grep 18080

Limitations

  • Patch is session-local (container resets clear it)
  • Only allowed domains in network config are accessible
  • No Firefox support (download blocked by egress policy)

Domain Restrictions

Check <network_configuration> in system prompt for allowed domains. Common allowed: *.github.com, *.bsky.app, allowed API endpoints.

Output Filtering

Reduce context consumption:

bash
webctl snapshot --interactive-only --limit 30    # Cap elements
webctl snapshot | grep -i "submit"               # Unix filtering
webctl --quiet navigate "..."                    # Suppress events

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

Files

SKILL.md and 4 other files (scripts) in using-webctl of oaustegard/claude-skills.

  • SKILL.md
  • CHANGELOG.md
  • README.md
  • scripts/auth_proxy.py
  • scripts/setup_webctl.py

Open the folder on GitHubat commit 559a6cd

Compare with similar skills

Using Webctl 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.

Using Webctl compared with similar skills
SkillStarsUsed inTokensAuto-checkLicenceRepo updated
Using Webctl this skilloaustegard/claude-skills150—~1.4kAutomated safety check: PassMIT
Playwright Bowserdisler/bowser265—~1.1kAutomated safety check: NotesNone
Anti Detect Browserantibrow/anti-detect-browser-skills914—~9.8kAutomated safety check: WarnMIT
Browser Automationynulihao/AgentSkillOS617—~2.2kAutomated safety check: PassNone
Cloudflare Browser Renderingeinverne/dotfiles121—~4.9kAutomated safety check: PassGPL-3.0
Browser Useaiskillstore/marketplace430—~1.1kAutomated safety check: PassNone

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Works with

Categories

Questions about Using Webctl

What does Using Webctl do?

Browser automation via webctl CLI in Claude.ai containers with authenticated proxy support. Using Webctl is an agent skill from oaustegard/claude-skills.ai containers with authenticated proxy support.

When should I use Using Webctl?

Using Webctl fits situations like: users mention webctl; browser automation; playwright browsing; headless Chrome in container environments.

How do I install Using Webctl in Claude Code?

Run `npx skills add oaustegard/claude-skills --skill using-webctl -a claude-code`. Or copy the skill folder (using-webctl in oaustegard/claude-skills) into .claude/skills/using-webctl in your project. Claude Code loads it when a task matches its description.

How do I install Using Webctl in Codex?

Run `npx skills add oaustegard/claude-skills --skill using-webctl -a codex`. Or copy the skill folder (using-webctl in oaustegard/claude-skills) into .agents/skills/using-webctl in your project. Codex loads it when a task matches its description.

Can I use Using Webctl 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 oaustegard/claude-skills --skill using-webctl -a cursor` (or -a gemini-cli, github-copilot or opencode for the others). To copy it by hand, put the folder in .cursor/skills/using-webctl, .gemini/skills/using-webctl, .github/skills/using-webctl and .opencode/skills/using-webctl in your project.

What does Using Webctl need to run?

Going by SKILL.md and its folder, Using Webctl needs Python for the scripts in its folder and the command-line tools its instructions call (pip). Our summary lists: Python 3.

Does Using Webctl access the network?

SKILL.md names 1 domain. In commands or code: github.com; the agent is likely to contact it when it follows the instructions. This is read from the text; nothing was executed.

Is Using Webctl 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. The check reads SKILL.md only: the scripts in the folder are not scanned, so read them before running anything.

What licence does Using Webctl use?

Using Webctl 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 Using Webctl use?

About 1.4k tokens (SKILL.md is roughly 5.6k 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 Using Webctl?

Skills that share tags, products or a category with Using Webctl: Playwright Bowser (disler/bowser, 265 stars), Anti Detect Browser (antibrow/anti-detect-browser-skills, 914 stars), Browser Automation (ynulihao/AgentSkillOS, 617 stars) and Cloudflare Browser Rendering (einverne/dotfiles, 121 stars). The comparison table on this page puts their stars, adoption, token cost, safety result and licence side by side.

Who maintains Using Webctl?

oaustegard (a GitHub user) maintains it in oaustegard/claude-skills, which has 150 GitHub stars. The repository holds 93 skills in this directory. The repository was last updated on October 2, 2026.

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