Files
OVER\21551 9865a42f7a docs: restructure user-facing docs to match user-guide source-of-truth
- Replace 5 obsolete docs (advanced, architecture, security, sessions, stealth) with 6 new feature-aligned docs (agent-design, anti-blocking, browser-modes, concurrency, headless, remote-assist)
- Refresh README.md with four-pillar pitch + And More section, drop outdated phrasing, sync agent compatibility list and security operations
- Refresh docs/README.md as concise index aligned with new structure
- Translation polish across all docs: remove unverifiable token claims, fix Chinglish phrasings, restore lost technical precision

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.7 (1M context) <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-05-27 01:37:44 +08:00

2.6 KiB

Better Headless

Industry-standard headless browsers have two pain points: easy to detect and must switch back to headed when humans are needed. BrowserAct solves both at once.

Headless by Default — Why

BrowserAct runs headless by default:

  • Doesn't disturb the user's current work — no browser windows popping up unexpectedly
  • Minimal resource use — no UI rendering overhead, lower CPU/memory
  • The way an agent should run — silent in the background, focused on the task

When you need local visualization for debugging, switch on --headed. In production, default headless.

Undetectable Headless

Industry pain point: Standard headless modes are flagged as bots — navigator.webdriver exposed, missing plugins, abnormal Canvas fingerprints, etc. This forces many teams to run headed just to defeat anti-scraping.

BrowserAct's approach: stealth browsers maintain full spoofing in headless mode:

  • Fingerprint spoofing remains active in headless
  • Navigator properties normalized
  • TLS fingerprint matches a real browser
  • Passes the common headless detection tests

Result: You don't sacrifice resource efficiency for stealth. Run headless and still pass most anti-scraping checks. Extreme anti-scraping sites may still detect — fall back to headed in that case (see below).

Better Headless: No Need to Switch When a Human Is Needed

Industry convention: Headless can't be seen → must switch to headed for the user → user's current work is disrupted, and production setups can't switch at all.

BrowserAct's approach: Generate a live URL via remote-assist while still in headless. The user opens it in any browser on any device to take over — no headed switch required.

See Remote Assist.

Headed vs. Headless

Mode When to use
Default headless Production, autonomous agent runs, headless servers
--headed Local debugging or when active visual observation is needed
headless + remote-assist Best combination for production — silent by default, remote handoff when needed

When to Use Headed

browser-act --session debug browser open <id> https://example.com --headed

Use cases:

  • Anti-scraping detected — fall back to headed for higher fidelity
  • Visually debug automation issues
  • User completes manual steps, agent handles the rest
  • Demos and co-browsing

Next Steps