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System requirements

  • Node.js >=18
  • Google Chrome (any recent version)

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Install the CLI

npm install -g browserwire
After installing globally, the browserwire command is available in your terminal. If you use npx, replace browserwire with npx browserwire throughout this documentation.

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Load the Chrome extension

The BrowserWire Chrome extension is bundled with the CLI. You load it as an unpacked extension in developer mode.
The Chrome Web Store release is in progress. Until then, you must load the extension manually using the steps below.
1

Get the extension path

Run this command to print the path to the bundled extension directory:
npx browserwire --extension-path
Copy the path that’s printed — you’ll need it in the next step.
2

Open Chrome extensions

In Chrome, navigate to chrome://extensions.
3

Enable developer mode

Toggle Developer mode on using the switch in the top-right corner of the page.
4

Load the extension

Click Load unpacked, then select the directory path from step 1.The BrowserWire extension will appear in your extensions list and its icon will appear in the Chrome toolbar.

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Verify the server starts

Start the BrowserWire server: 
browserwire
You should see output like: 
BrowserWire server running on http://127.0.0.1:8787
API docs: http://127.0.0.1:8787/api/docs
Open http://127.0.0.1:8787/api/docs in your browser to confirm the server is running. If the page loads, you’re ready to start discovering sites.
BrowserWire requires a configured LLM provider before discovery can run. If you start the server without BROWSERWIRE_LLM_PROVIDER and BROWSERWIRE_LLM_API_KEY set, the server will start but discovery sessions will fail. See Quick Start for setup instructions.

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Desktop app (alternative)

If you prefer not to run the CLI manually, BrowserWire also ships as an Electron desktop application. The desktop app bundles the server and extension management into a native window — no terminal required. Download the latest release from the BrowserWire GitHub releases page.

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Configuration options

You can configure the server through environment variables, a .env file in your working directory, or a config file at ~/.browserwire/config.json. CLI flags take highest precedence.

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Environment variables

VariableDescriptionRequired
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_PROVIDERLLM provider: openai, anthropic, gemini, or ollamaYes
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_API_KEYAPI key for your chosen providerYes (except ollama)
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_MODELOverride the default model for your providerNo
BROWSERWIRE_LLM_BASE_URLCustom endpoint URL (for Ollama or API proxies)No
BROWSERWIRE_HOSTListen address (default: 127.0.0.1)No
BROWSERWIRE_PORTListen port (default: 8787)No

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Config file

Create ~/.browserwire/config.json to persist settings across sessions: 
{
  "llmProvider": "openai",
  "llmApiKey": "sk-...",
  "llmModel": "gpt-4o"
}

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CLI flags

browserwire --host 0.0.0.0 --port 3000
browserwire --llm-provider anthropic --llm-api-key sk-ant-...
browserwire --help
Precedence order (highest wins): CLI flags > environment variables / .env > config file > defaults.