# browser-session-ctl

> Updated 2026-09-27 · type: tool · category: mcp-agents · status: active · rev 1

browser-session-ctl lets shell commands drive your existing logged-in Chrome session — click, type, read tabs — for use with Claude.

- Open source: yes (GPL-3.0-or-later)
- Self-hostable: yes
- Pricing model: free
- Best for: Someone who wants an agent (e.g. Claude) to act inside their ALREADY-authenticated browser — the real session with their logins and cookies — via shell commands, rather than spinning up a fresh headless browser that has to log in from scratch, and who wants it confined to localhost.
- Last verified: 2026-09-27

- **Canonical:** https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/browser-session-ctl/
- **Source:** [borisreitman · GitHub](https://github.com/borisreitman/browser-session-ctl)
- **Tags:** mcp-agents, browser-automation, chrome-extension, self-hostable, javascript, agent-tooling
- **Repository:** https://github.com/borisreitman/browser-session-ctl

## Is browser-session-ctl open source?

Yes, browser-session-ctl is open source under the GPL-3.0-or-later license.

## How much does browser-session-ctl cost?

browser-session-ctl is free to use.

## Can I self-host browser-session-ctl?

Yes, browser-session-ctl can be self-hosted (the source is available under the GPL-3.0-or-later license).

## Alternatives & related

- [Chrome DevTools MCP](https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/chrome-devtools-mcp/)
- [Obscura](https://gtmstacker.com/registry/tool/obscura-headless-browser/)


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browser-session-ctl is a Chrome extension plus local sidecar that lets shell commands click, type in, and read your existing logged-in browser session, for use with Claude. Open source: yes (GPL-3.0-or-later); self-hostable; pricing free. It is JavaScript, localhost-only, with 27 commits.

## What it does

Most browser-automation tooling for agents launches a fresh headless browser, which then has to authenticate into every site from zero. browser-session-ctl inverts that: a Chrome extension pairs with a local sidecar listening on 127.0.0.1:8765, so shell commands — and the agent driving them — operate inside the browser session you are already signed into, clicking, typing, and reading tabs on the sites as your logged-in self. It only accepts commands from localhost, and the repo carries the extension, sidecar, scripts, and tests with an npm-based setup. Open source: yes (GPL-3.0-or-later); self-hostable; pricing free.

## Provenance

- GPL-3.0-or-later per repo; JavaScript; 27 commits (extension, sidecar, scripts, tests) with npm setup and docs; binds to 127.0.0.1:8765 and accepts commands from localhost only; controls the existing logged-in session (WebFetch 2026-09-27).
- Surfaced via studio discovery in the 2026-09-27 pass.
- Anti-hype note — load-bearing: 0 stars, young; the localhost bind is the stated safety boundary, and driving a live authenticated session is inherently high-trust.
- Curated from the GTM Stacker signal registry (2026-09-27 pass); license/facts independently verified 2026-09-27.

## Why it matters for a GTM stack

A lot of GTM work lives behind logins — the CRM, the ad manager, the outreach inbox, the analytics dashboard — where a from-scratch headless browser stalls on auth, MFA, and session state. browser-session-ctl lets an agent act inside the session you have already established, which is exactly what makes routine in-browser GTM chores scriptable. Open source: yes (GPL-3.0-or-later); self-hostable; pricing free. The honest read: this is the powerful-and-dangerous end of agent tooling — you are handing scripted control of your authenticated identity to an agent — so the localhost-only confinement matters, and you would want it pointed at low-stakes tasks first. The GPL-3.0-or-later copyleft is also worth noting if you plan to bundle it into anything you ship closed.