BrowserSkill for DeepSeek Harness
Use BrowserSkill in
DeepSeek Harness (dsh) to browse
websites, fill forms, and capture screenshots through native bsk_* tools.
Browser tasks run in Agent Windows, with a live view in the dsh Web UI.
Installation
Before installing the plugin:
- Install DeepSeek Harness and
pnpm, which dsh uses to manage plugins.
- Install the
bsk CLI and connect the BrowserSkill extension in Chrome or Edge.
Follow the BrowserSkill setup guide.
- Make sure
bsk is on the PATH used to start dsh, or set bskPath in the plugin configuration.
Install the plugin into the web profile, then start it:
dsh plugin --profile web add @wxg-prc-cpg/browser-skill-dsh-plugin
dsh --profile web
Replace web with your profile name if you use a different profile. The plugin
includes the complete browser-skill package; no separate bsk install-skill step is needed.
Its compact entry point loads first; references ship with the plugin and are read only
when needed. Relative paths resolve from the packaged skill directory, not your project.
In a conversation, try:
/browser-skill open example.com and summarize the page.
By default, the browser tools become available when the skill is invoked.
The plugin declares support for DSH ^0.1.5-rc.3 || ^0.2.0-rc.1.
DSH 0.2 checks these peer requirements before loading the plugin; versions outside
this range are not declared compatible. The range preserves the existing 0.1.x
baseline and admits 0.2.x without opting into future 0.3.x hosts.
Updating
Installed plugins do not update automatically. To upgrade this plugin to npm's
latest version, including versions outside the profile's saved dependency range:
dsh plugin --profile web update @wxg-prc-cpg/browser-skill-dsh-plugin --latest
Restart that dsh profile after upgrading. This command updates the plugin; update
the bsk CLI and browser extension separately when a release requires it.
Upgrading to 0.4.1
Update the CLI and restart the running daemon first, install extension 0.4.1,
then update this plugin to 0.4.1. The default target policy requires daemon and
extension protocol 1.8; a successful connection to an older peer does not provide
that capability. Wait for the new extension to be available in your installation
channel before upgrading the plugin. Updating the npm package does not update
the CLI, daemon or extension.
Restart the DSH profile and invoke /browser-skill again in existing conversations.
The six bsk_* tool names remain unchanged. After initial navigation, call
bsk_session action:sync and pass its returned context_id as contextId.
New sessions use target policy: DOM actions can reuse control across supplementary
reads and completed actions, and expect checks protect observed business facts.
Scripts, untargeted keys and visual actions also require the sync's observation_id
as observationId. Human intervention or navigation revokes control; synchronize
and replan. Select policy: "strict" on the first sync to retain the legacy
one-action-per-context workflow. Later syncs and steps preserve the selected policy.
Custom tool integrations must expose and forward these fields. See the
cooperation reference for action-specific checks.
Upgrading to 0.4.0
Update the CLI and restart the running daemon first, then update the browser
extension, and finally update this plugin. The 0.4.0 extension requires daemon
protocol 1.6 or later; CLI/daemon 0.3.3 uses 1.3 and cannot connect. Updating the npm
package does not update the CLI, daemon or extension. Use matching 0.4.0 components
for drag, step and saved-observation workflows.
Restart the DSH profile and invoke /browser-skill again in existing conversations.
The six bsk_* tool names remain unchanged. Shared control is now enabled for new
tasks: after initial navigation, call bsk_session action:sync, pass its returned
context identifier as contextId for one action, then synchronize again. Human
edits and changed page evidence can revoke a pending action; synchronize and replan
instead of repeating the old call. Version 0.4.1 changes the default policy as
described above.
Custom tool policies and integrations must allow the new actions they intend to use.
Explicit saveFull results remain as JSON files on the CLI machine until deleted;
closing a browser task or clearing extension storage does not remove them.
See cooperation and
steps and saved observations.
If upgrading from before 0.3.3, also apply the tool-name migration below.
Breaking tool API migration (0.3.3)
The coordinated 0.3.3 release replaces all six browser_* tool names with stable
BrowserSkill-specific names. This avoids collisions with other browser plugins
such as dsh-builtin-browser; both plugins keep their own tools and sessions.
| Previous name | New name |
|---|
browser_session | bsk_session |
browser_page | bsk_page |
browser_inspect | bsk_inspect |
browser_interact | bsk_interact |
browser_tabs | bsk_tabs |
browser_assist | bsk_assist |
The tool-name migration leaves actions, parameters, results and /browser-skill
unchanged. The old tool
names are not registered as aliases. After upgrading, restart the DSH profile and
invoke /browser-skill again in existing conversations to load the new instructions.
Update hardcoded tool calls, allow/deny lists, and toolOrder entries to the new
names. Do not replay old calls unchanged: another plugin may own those names.
Existing conversation logs and screenshot attachments are left intact. New
bsk_inspect results use the screenshot view; old browser_inspect cards may use
DSH's generic renderer and do not retain the custom thumbnail/preview interaction.
This is a breaking change from 0.3.2. Upgrade the CLI and browser extension to
0.3.3 before upgrading this plugin to use the new video, extraction and element-wait
capabilities. Updating the npm package does not update either component.
Tools
| Tool | Actions | Purpose |
|---|
bsk_session | start, stop, list, share, sync, wait-user, cooperation-status | Manage owned sessions and shared-tab control. |
bsk_page | navigate, back, forward, reload, wait, wait-for-element | Navigate the active tab; wait for page lifecycle events or one element condition. |
bsk_inspect | observe, snapshot, view, html, screenshot, console, network, debug, video, extract | Inspect page state, read saved observations, debug websites, capture screenshots or requested task videos, and export structured tables/lists. |
bsk_interact | click, hover, drag, step, wheel, scroll-to, focus, blur, fill, select, press, evaluate, upload, download | Interact with controls using fresh refs or selectors. |
bsk_tabs | list, create, select, close, borrow, return | Manage Agent Window tabs and temporarily borrow user tabs. |
bsk_assist | resize, emulate, request-help | Resize or emulate the browser and pause for human-only steps. |
For bsk_page with action: "wait-for-element", see the
element-wait reference for
supported conditions, timeout results and recovery with existing single actions.
For native wheel input (action: "wheel"), see the wheel reference
for signed deltas, optional targets, result semantics and interruption.
For bsk_interact with action: "scroll-to", see the
scroll-to reference for parameters, visible bounds and errors.
For bsk_interact with action: "drag", pass the source as target and either a
destination to or relative deltaX/deltaY. The default holds the mouse button
while moving; dragMode: "click-move-click" selects ranges using two clicks and
requires a destination. Use current observed refs/selectors and inspect the result.
Use action: "step" for one decided interaction, with stepAction and a params
JSON string using that action's CLI protocol fields. It executes once, optionally
waits for untilVisible, then synchronizes. Read action, readiness and sync outcomes
separately; a failed follow-up does not mean the action should be repeated.
Save complete observations with saveFull on bsk_session action: "sync" or
bsk_interact action: "step". Use bsk_inspect action: "view" with file and
optional find, startLine or lineCount to inspect the saved file locally, even
after the browser session ends. The view is historical, makes no browser calls,
and needs no session or contextId. It never refreshes refs or authorizes an
action. See steps and saved observations.
For bsk_inspect with action: "extract", see
structured extraction for discovery, list
fields, JSON/CSV output and loaded-DOM completeness.
Scripts and file transfers use bsk_interact actions evaluate, upload and download,
with the same session ownership and observation context as other actions. Interaction recording
is not exposed by this plugin.
Human/agent collaboration is enabled automatically for new sessions and owned task tabs.
No share call is required. See cooperation.
Actions on shared tabs require the contextId returned by sync or a step's
post.context_id. Target-policy DOM actions can reuse it; strict-policy contexts
remain single-use. The plugin never infers context or observation receipts from its cache.
Activation failures
The six tools register as a complete suite. If any registration fails, the plugin
rolls back that attempt and reports the failing tool through DSH's logger. A model
invocation of skill returns an error instead of claiming successful activation;
slash-command and restored conversations receive a scoped notice. Unrelated
conversations continue normally, and repeated identical failures do not flood logs.
Resolve the reported registration error, then invoke /browser-skill again or
start the next turn to retry. Session entry and service discovery also retry a
pending activation; streaming events do not. The affected conversation receives
one recovery notice. If the failed model call never delivered the skill body,
the notice asks the model to load it before using the tools. With lazyTools: false,
a registration failure fails plugin startup and releases its resources; reload
after fixing it.
Multi-session model
One agent conversation can drive several browser sessions at once:
bsk_session with action: start returns the session id and makes it the current session.- Browser operations accept an optional
session argument. When omitted, the call acts on the
current session (the one most recently started or used); when given, that session becomes current.
- Browser operation results echo the session they acted on; offline
view reads only its local file.
- The number of concurrent sessions started through the plugin is capped (
maxSessions, default 5).
- Unloading the plugin stops every session it started and kills in-flight bsk processes.
Starts are journaled before creating a window. Lost replies and failed cleanup remain
recoverable on reload; bsk_session action=list reports pendingCleanup, and stop
can retry it even when there is no current session. This requires a CLI and daemon
that support recoverable starts. See the lifecycle contract.
Stops also retain their target and cleanup intent. A failed or interrupted stop can be
retried without accidentally stopping the next current session. Once the intent is saved,
cancelling the call only stops waiting; cleanup continues in the background. If it finishes
before a retry, that retry acknowledges the original result. With several unacknowledged
stops, pass session or the owned requestId explicitly (not both). List exposes request
IDs; stop results include requestId and alreadyClosed. Completed receipts survive reload
until acknowledged and do not occupy browser capacity.
Ownership boundary: the bsk daemon may be shared with other agents, terminals, or dsh
instances. The plugin therefore only ever sees and operates on sessions it created itself —
an explicit session argument naming a foreign or unknown id is rejected, the list action on
bsk_session shows plugin-created sessions only (no daemon-wide view), and stop/unload cleanup
can never touch a session owned by another program.
Configuration
After installing the plugin, edit your profile's cordis.patch.yml. For the web
profile, the default location is ~/.dsh/profiles/web/cordis.patch.yml. If you set
DSH_HOME, use $DSH_HOME/profiles/web/cordis.patch.yml instead. Replace web with
your profile name as needed.
If the file contains only comments and [], keep the comments and replace []
with the YAML below. If it already contains patch entries, add this entry to the
existing list or edit its existing id: browserskill entry. Keep a single
top-level YAML list. This overrides the plugin registered by the installed bundle:
- id: browserskill
config:
bskPath: bsk
defaultTimeoutMs: 120000
maxSessions: 5
observationEnabled: true
thumbnailIntervalMs: 1500
idleIntervalMs: 8000
lazyTools: true
Change bskPath to the full path of your CLI binary if it is not on dsh's PATH.
A patch replaces the entry's entire config object, so keep all overrides you need
together in that object.
Configuration changes follow dsh.profile.patchReload in the profile's
package.json: live (the default for web) applies changes when you save the
patch file; startup requires restarting the profile. Restart after upgrading
the plugin in either case.
All fields are optional; omitted fields use the defaults below:
| Option | Default | Purpose |
|---|
bskPath | bsk | Path to the CLI binary. |
sessionStateDirectory | Scoped under $BSK_HOME/dsh-starts (or ~/.bsk/dsh-starts) | Durable recovery records; optionally isolate by host/profile. |
defaultTimeoutMs | 120000 | Default command execution timeout in milliseconds; output collection after exit has a separate 2-second limit. |
maxSessions | 5 | Maximum concurrent sessions started by this plugin. |
observationEnabled | true | Enable live browser observation. |
thumbnailIntervalMs | 1500 | Screenshot interval for active sessions, in milliseconds. |
idleIntervalMs | 8000 | Screenshot interval for idle sessions and the recent-activity window, in milliseconds. |
lazyTools | true | Reveal the browser tools when the skill is invoked. Set false to register them at startup. |
With lazyTools: true, only the skill's catalog entry is initially advertised to
the model. A successful model skill call makes the six bsk_* schemas available
in the next step. A user /browser-skill gesture activates them when the host
claims the input, before prompt assembly, so the first request includes both the
skill instructions and tool schemas. Set lazyTools: false to register at startup.
After a plugin reload, a live or resumed conversation's successful skill invocation
restores the tools from its stored history. If an older plugin reports
unknown tool "bsk_session", invoke skill browser-skill again, or set
lazyTools: false in the profile patch as a temporary workaround.
Live browser view
The dsh Web UI prefers a Browser Skill tab in DSH's native right sidebar.
The native tab opens when the current conversation first has a browser session;
ordinary screenshot and action updates do not switch tabs or reopen a tab you
closed. You can reopen it from the sidebar's guide.
The native sidebar is optional. Profiles without its services use a floating
panel, and a failed native integration falls back to that panel. No
dsh-better-sidebar installation is required; it can coexist with BrowserSkill,
which registers directly with DSH rather than with the third-party sidebar.
- See the current action, elapsed time, and recent screenshot for each session.
- Select a session to focus on it. The sidebar view follows the current conversation.
- Use Use floating view to move observation into a floating panel, and
Move to sidebar (or Show here in the tab) to return. This choice lasts
only until the page reloads; it is not saved in your profile or browser storage.
- Use Interrupt to cancel the current browser command. The agent may continue
with another action afterward.
- Drag or resize the floating panel, or use Pop out to open a Picture-in-Picture
window in browsers that support it.
- Periodic screenshots are requested while a browser observation view is visible.
Configure the active and idle intervals with the options above.
The floating panel shows all browser sessions managed by this plugin instance;
the native tab shows the current conversation's browsers and those of its subagents.
The observation endpoints require a loopback address such as localhost or
127.0.0.1. Access through a LAN hostname or non-loopback reverse proxy is not supported.
Development
pnpm install
pnpm --filter @wxg-prc-cpg/browser-skill-dsh-plugin typecheck
pnpm --filter @wxg-prc-cpg/browser-skill-dsh-plugin test # unit tests mock bsk; no browser needed
pnpm --filter @wxg-prc-cpg/browser-skill-dsh-plugin build # tsdown -> lib/
See the development notes
for skill registration, tool results, and observation APIs in the current source.
Publishing
The Release dsh plugin workflow
publishes the package and this README to npm. Pushing a dsh-plugin-vX.Y.Z tag
triggers it; ordinary commits to main do not.
Before publishing the 0.4.1 plugin, publish the coordinated 0.4.1 CLI and extension.
Make the CLI release downloadable first, then confirm extension availability in
the supported installation channels. The default target policy requires protocol
1.8 on both the running daemon and extension. During rollout, explicitly select
strict policy on every sync/enable and step when using older compatible peers;
do not assume a successful handshake enables target policy.
Publishing the npm package alone does not upgrade either component on users' machines.
-
Prepare a release PR that updates the shared CLI, extension and plugin version,
local Cargo lock entries, changelog and relevant documentation. Merge it after
validation and record the merge commit.
-
Tag that commit as cli-v<version> and wait for the complete public CLI release,
including Windows signing and
macOS signing and notarization. Release CLI
builds alone are not publication; both Publish CLI verification jobs and its
final publish job must succeed. Synchronize store permission/privacy disclosures,
then tag the same commit as ext-v<version> and wait for store availability.
-
Create dsh-plugin-v<version> on that same merge commit and push only that tag:
git tag -a dsh-plugin-v<version> <merge-commit> -m "Release DSH plugin <version>"
git -c push.followTags=false push origin refs/tags/dsh-plugin-v<version>
-
Approve the npm-publish environment deployment in GitHub Actions when required,
then verify the published npm version and latest dist-tag.
The workflow checks the version, runs typechecks and tests, builds the package,
and publishes it to npm.
You can also run the workflow manually from GitHub Actions on the intended release
ref. Both triggers require an unpublished version and the NPM_TOKEN secret in the
npm-publish GitHub Environment.
npm updates the package README only when a new version is published, including
for documentation-only changes. Published versions cannot be overwritten. See
npm's README update rules.
License
MIT
Task video recording
Ask the agent to record before it performs the task. It starts an authorized task
tab, confirms recording is active, performs the task, then stops video before
ending the session. No manual Start click is required. Preview and Save As are in
the extension's Features → Video recording → Recent recordings.
bsk_inspect with action: "video" exposes videoAction start/status/stop/save/
list/discard. The default is a silent, fixed-tab MP4 with a 60-second limit (up to
10 minutes). Export requires an explicit output path on the harness host; the
extension's Save As writes on the browser computer. Partial recordings and limits
are reported explicitly. See the video reference.
