CloakBrowser — Stealth Chromium for AI Browser Automation

Introduction

CloakBrowser provides a patched Chromium binary that evades bot detection systems, making it suitable for AI agents that need to interact with websites reliably. It is a drop-in replacement for Playwright with source-level fingerprint modifications rather than runtime JavaScript injection.

What CloakBrowser Does

• Patches Chromium at the source level to remove bot detection fingerprints
• Passes major detection suites including BotD, CreepJS, and Cloudflare
• Provides a Playwright-compatible API for seamless migration
• Supports headless and headed modes for different automation scenarios
• Works with AI agents like Browser Use and Stagehand for web tasks

Architecture Overview

CloakBrowser compiles a modified Chromium build that alters low-level browser properties often used for bot fingerprinting. Unlike runtime-patching approaches, the changes are baked into the binary, making them harder to detect. The Python SDK wraps the binary with a Playwright-compatible async API.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Install via pip for the Python SDK and pre-built Chromium binary
• Use the CloakPage context manager as a direct Playwright Page replacement
• Configure proxy settings for rotating IPs in automation workflows
• Set user agent and viewport options per session
• Enable headed mode for debugging and visual verification

Key Features

• Source-level Chromium patches instead of runtime JavaScript hacks
• Passes 30/30 tests on major bot detection benchmarks
• Drop-in Playwright replacement with minimal code changes
• Headless and headed mode support
• Python async API for integration with AI agent frameworks

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Playwright — detected by most bot protection; CloakBrowser evades them
• Puppeteer Stealth — runtime JS patches that can be detected; CloakBrowser patches at source
• undetected-chromedriver — Selenium-based; CloakBrowser is Playwright-native
• Browser Use — agent framework; CloakBrowser is the browser layer underneath

FAQ

Q: Is CloakBrowser legal to use? A: CloakBrowser is a development and testing tool. Users must comply with target website terms of service and applicable laws.

Q: Does it work with existing Playwright scripts? A: Yes. CloakBrowser provides a Playwright-compatible API, so most scripts require minimal changes.

Q: How often is the Chromium base updated? A: The project tracks upstream Chromium releases and applies patches to new versions regularly.

Q: Can I use it with Python AI agent frameworks? A: Yes. It integrates with Browser Use, Stagehand, and other Python-based agent tools.

Sources

• https://github.com/CloakHQ/CloakBrowser
• https://github.com/CloakHQ/CloakBrowser#readme