
Stagehand
TypeScript, Python and Go SDK for letting AI control a web browser to act on and extract data from sites.
- Stars
- 25.9k
- Forks
- 1.8k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 6 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Stagehand is an SDK that lets code drive a real web browser using plain-language instructions alongside Playwright-style methods. You can ask it to observe elements, act on a page (such as clicking a button), or extract data into a schema you define. Sessions such as login cookies can persist between runs.
- Log into a web app and keep the session for later runs
- Extract every row of an invoice table into validated data
- Click through a site's navigation to reach a specific page
- Locate form inputs and fill them with values from environment variables
Great for
- Developers building browser agents that must work on sites they do not control
- Teams extracting structured data from web pages that lack an API
- Engineers who already know Playwright and want AI-assisted steps
- Projects needing TypeScript, Python or Go bindings of the same workflow
Not ideal for
- People who only need fixed scripted browser tests with no AI, since the README centers on model-driven steps
- Non-programmers, because the examples require writing code and an API key for a model provider
- Users without Chrome installed for local runs, since the README says local runs need it
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js (for the TypeScript package) · Python (for the Python package) · Go (for the Go module) · Google Chrome for local browser runs · An API key for a supported model provider such as OpenAI
Install TypeScript package
pnpm add @browserbasehq/stagehand 'zod@~4.4.3'Install Python package
pip install stagehandInstall Go module
go get github.com/browserbase/stagehand/packages/sdk-go/v4@v4.0.0 - 2
Run it
- Install Chrome and the SDK for your language
- Set OPENAI_API_KEY in your environment
- Copy the TypeScript or Python example from the README
- Run it and check that the extracted data is printed
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use a persistent userDataDir so later runs start already signed in
- Use observe() to get selectors before filling forms, keeping credentials out of model prompts
- Pass a zod or pydantic schema to extract() to get typed results
- Read the docs at docs.stagehand.dev for the full quickstart
Downloads
Strengths
- Familiar Playwright-style API for developers already using it
- Returns schema-validated data from extract() calls
- Available in TypeScript, Python and Go with MIT license
Trade-offs
- Relies on a third-party model provider and its API key, so usage has external cost and data flow
- README is truncated, so full feature and configuration details could not be verified here
- Model-driven actions can behave differently across sites and runs
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| stagehand (this) | 25.9k | Library | intermediate | 6 days ago | Developers building browser agents that must work on sites they do not control |
| browser-use | 120k | Library | intermediate | 4 days ago | Python developers who want to prototype an AI agent that operates websites |
| browser-harness | 18.8k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who already use Claude Code, Codex or Cursor and want the agent to act in their own logged-in Chrome |
| CloakBrowser | 32.7k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | Python or JavaScript developers already using Playwright who need automation to get past bot checks |
| invisible_dots | 32.4k | AI model / agent | intermediate | 6 days ago | Developers who want a self-hosted agent and are comfortable with a command-line setup |
| pinchtab | 10.5k | Dev tool | intermediate | 9 days ago | Developers building AI agents that need to browse and extract page content |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.