Setup & Installation
Or with the ClawHub CLI, for registry-managed skill folders outside a full OpenClaw workspace:
Version History
v1.3.0 - Added setup.py: auto-installs the CLI on first use (git clone + pip install + playwright) - Added check_setup.py: validates environment without installing anything - All persistent data paths now explicitly declared in SKILL.md - Network downloads (GitHub clone, pip, ~200MB Playwright binaries) fully documented - Removed misleading hf_run.py wrapper - Skill correctly framed as a guide skill (CLI installed separately via setup.py) - Added browser automation: browser-open, browser-navigate, browser-snapshot, browser-click, browser-type, browser-screenshot, browser-eval, browser-links - Browser sessions use persistent profile (login cookies survive between commands) - YAML macros now support mixed desktop (UIA) + web (Playwright) steps
What This Skill Does
Controls native Windows desktop apps and web browsers from the command line using the handsfree-windows CLI. Handles UI automation via Windows UIA for desktop apps and Playwright for browsers. Supports recording and replaying YAML macros that mix desktop and browser steps.
Combining UIA desktop control and Playwright browser automation in a single CLI with a shared macro format removes the need to maintain two separate automation toolchains.
When to use it
- Automating multi-step data entry in a Windows desktop app
- Running end-to-end browser tests without writing test framework code
- Discovering UI controls in an unfamiliar Windows app before scripting it
- Recording a mixed desktop-and-web workflow as a reusable YAML macro
- Taking browser screenshots or snapshots for verification during automation
Example Workflow
Here's how your AI assistant might use this skill in practice.
User asks: open the company intranet in the browser, click 'Submit Report', then confirm the desktop notification appeared in Outlook
- 1Run `hf browser-open --url https://intranet.example.com` to open the URL in the managed browser profile
- 2Run `hf browser-snapshot --fmt text` to inspect the page and locate the Submit Report button
- 3Run `hf browser-click --text "Submit Report"` to click it
- 4Run `hf start --app "Outlook"` then `hf tree --title-regex "Outlook" --depth 5` to discover notification controls
- 5Run `hf inspect --json` to confirm the notification element is present
Browser action completed and Outlook notification element confirmed via UIA tree
Requirements
Accounts, API keys, or tools you or your AI assistant may need to set up while using this skill.