Connect your OCI/cloud-hosted OpenClaw agent to a real Chrome browser on your local Windows machine — via Tailscale and Chrome DevTools Protocol.
When running OpenClaw on a cloud server (OCI, Zeabur, etc.), headless browser options are limited:
- Cloud IPs get blocked by many sites (Twitter, airline booking, etc.)
- Non-root containers can't easily install Chrome dependencies
- Managed cloud browsers (e.g. AWS AgentCore) can be unstable
This guide solves that by routing browser control from the cloud to your local Chrome over a Tailscale private network — so OpenClaw uses your real browser session with your real cookies and login state.
OpenClaw Agent (OCI / k3s)
│
│ Tailscale private network
▼
netsh portproxy (Windows)
<WINDOWS_TAILSCALE_IP>:9223 ──► 127.0.0.1:9223
│
▼
Chrome (local, --remote-debugging-port=9223)
│
▼
Any website — with your real session
- Browse any site using your real logged-in Chrome session
- Take screenshots, extract data, fill forms — all from your cloud agent
- Works with OpenClaw's built-in
browsertool (Remote CDP mode) - No headless browser limitations, no cloud IP blocks
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| OpenClaw | Deployed on OCI / k3s via Helm |
| Tailscale | Installed on both OCI node and Windows machine |
| Chrome | v130+ installed on Windows |
| kubectl | Access to k3s cluster |
- Complete Setup Guide (0 → 1) — step-by-step from scratch, includes all fixes
- Troubleshooting — common issues and how to solve them
This repo documents a real configuration journey — setting up browser automation for an OpenClaw instance running on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, bridged to a local Windows machine via Tailscale.
It was built through hands-on debugging, and every issue recorded here was actually encountered and solved.
If you're running OpenClaw (or any cloud AI agent) and want real browser capabilities without spinning up a separate server, this is for you.
Issues and PRs welcome — especially:
- Setup experience on other OS (macOS, Linux desktop)
- Alternative browser options (Edge, Firefox CDP)
- Automation to persist Chrome across reboots
Tested on: OpenClaw Helm 1.4.3 · Chrome 146 · Windows 11 · OCI k3s · Tailscale