Automate the Web with AI: Meet NanoBrowser
Ever wish you could offload repetitive web tasks to an AI assistant? NanoBrowser is an open-source Chrome extension that lets you do exactly that—using your own LLM API key to automate workflows right in your browser.
Unlike closed solutions, NanoBrowser gives you full control. It’s a self-hostable alternative to tools like OpenAI Operator, designed for developers who want AI-powered automation without vendor lock-in.
What It Does
NanoBrowser turns your browser into an AI-powered automation engine. You can:
- Run multi-agent workflows (e.g., scrape data, fill forms, click elements)
- Use your preferred LLM (bring your own API key)
- Chain tasks dynamically based on real-time page content
Think of it as Puppeteer meets LangChain, but as a lightweight extension.
Why It’s Cool
- Privacy-first: No data leaves your machine unless you configure it to.
- Extensible: The repo’s well-structured (Vite, TypeScript) for hacking.
- No middleman: Directly integrates with LLM APIs—no proprietary backend.
Use cases? Automate research, test UIs, or even build custom Copilot-like helpers for internal tools.
How to Try It
- Clone the repo:
git clone https://github.com/nanobrowser/nanobrowser - Load the extension in Chrome (Developer Mode → "Load unpacked").
- Add your LLM API key in the settings.
Check the README for advanced setups like self-hosted models.
Final Thoughts
For devs tired of manual workflows, NanoBrowser is a promising open-source playground. It’s not a magic bullet—you’ll need to tweak prompts and logic—but the foundation is solid. If you’ve been wanting AI automation without SaaS dependencies, this is worth a weekend experiment.
Got a cool use case? Let us know @githubprojects.