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How to read values from an open Electron app window with Fastbrowse

Attach to a running Electron app, such as VS Code, and read what its window shows.

Who it is forA developer who wants an agent to read a value from a desktop app window they already have open.

The problemDesktop app windows cannot be read by a browser agent unless the app exposes a DevTools port.

The outcomeThe run attaches to the named window, performs the task inside it and leaves the window open afterwards.

What you need first

  • uv, which fetches Python 3.13 or newer
  • OPENROUTER_API_KEY, or AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY for the Vercel AI Gateway
  • BROWSER_USE_API_KEY for the default cloud browser, or the --local flag for local Chrome

Steps

  1. Quit the app, then restart it with --remote-debugging-port, for example open -a "Visual Studio Code" --args --remote-debugging-port=9222 ~/code/my-project
  2. Run uv run fastbrowse "Open the Extensions view and report how many extensions are installed." --cdp-port 9222 --target-match my-project (inferred, check the README)
  3. Check the answer in stdout, then confirm the window is still open

Prompt for your agent

Use the fastbrowse repo to read <value> from the open window titled <window title> in an Electron app listening on port <port>. Run `uv run fastbrowse "<task>" --cdp-port <port> --target-match <window title>` and return the answer. Verify that the window stays open after the run.

Caveat. An app that is already running ignores the DevTools flag, so it must be quit and restarted before the run can attach.

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