steel-browser: an open-source browser API for AI agents with built-in session management and anti-detection

What it solves

Steel provides a specialized browser API designed for AI agents and automation tools. It removes the need for developers to build and manage complex browser automation infrastructure from scratch, handling the heavy lifting of session management, proxy rotation, and anti-detection measures that often hinder web-interacting AI.

How it works

Steel manages Chrome instances using Puppeteer and the Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP), exposing these as a REST API. This allows developers to connect via Puppeteer, Playwright, or Selenium. It provides two primary interaction modes: stateful "Sessions" for complex workflows and "Quick Actions" for one-off tasks like scraping or taking screenshots.

Who it’s for

Developers building AI agents, web scrapers, and browser automation tools who need a scalable, managed browser environment with built-in support for session persistence and stealth.

Highlights

• Full Browser Control: Supports Puppeteer, Playwright, and Selenium integrations.
• Session Management: Maintains cookies, local storage, and browser state across requests.
• Anti-Detection: Includes fingerprint management and stealth plugins to avoid being blocked.
• Proxy Support: Built-in management for IP rotation via proxy chains.
• Browser Tools: APIs to quickly convert pages to markdown, readability format, screenshots, or PDFs.
• Extension Support: Ability to load custom Chrome extensions.