Configuration sources
BrowserWire merges configuration from four sources. When the same option is set in multiple places, the source with the highest precedence wins:
| Precedence | Source |
|---|
| 1 (highest) | CLI flags |
| 2 | Environment variables / .env file |
| 3 | Config file (~/.browserwire/config.json) |
| 4 (lowest) | Built-in defaults |
Environment variables
Place these in your shell environment or in a .env file in your working directory.
| Variable | Description | Default |
|---|
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_PROVIDER | LLM provider to use (openai, anthropic, gemini, ollama) | — |
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_API_KEY | API key for the chosen provider | — |
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_MODEL | Override the provider’s default model | Provider default |
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_BASE_URL | Custom API endpoint (useful for Ollama or proxies) | Provider default |
BROWSERWIRE_HOST | Address the server listens on | 127.0.0.1 |
BROWSERWIRE_PORT | Port the server listens on | 8787 |
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_API_KEY is required for all providers except ollama.
Config file
You can store persistent settings in ~/.browserwire/config.json. BrowserWire creates the directory automatically if it does not exist.
{
"llmProvider": "openai",
"llmApiKey": "sk-...",
"llmModel": "gpt-4o",
"llmBaseUrl": "https://api.openai.com/v1",
"host": "127.0.0.1",
"port": 8787
}
.env file
BrowserWire automatically loads a .env file from the directory where you run the browserwire command. This is convenient for per-project configuration without touching your shell profile.
# .env
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_PROVIDER=anthropic
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
BROWSERWIRE_PORT=9000
.env values do not override variables that are already set in your shell environment.
CLI flags
CLI flags take precedence over all other sources.
| Flag | Description |
|---|
--host <address> | Address the server listens on |
--port <number> | Port the server listens on |
--debug | Enable verbose debug logging |
--llm-provider <name> | LLM provider |
--llm-api-key <key> | API key for the provider |
--help | Print usage information |
# Start on a custom host and port
browserwire --host 0.0.0.0 --port 3000
# Pass LLM credentials directly
browserwire --llm-provider anthropic --llm-api-key sk-ant-...
# Enable debug logging
browserwire --debug
Passing secrets like --llm-api-key as CLI flags may expose them in shell history. Prefer environment variables or the config file for sensitive values.
