How to Use OpenClaw’s Browser Relay for Seamless Web Data Scraping

OpenClaw Built‑in Browser Capability

After installing OpenClaw, it can automatically launch a headless Chrome instance when you ask it to retrieve specific information or provide a URL. This mode works well for sites that do not require authentication, such as fetching a list of popular videos from Bilibili.

OpenClaw Browser Relay Plugin

For sites that need a logged‑in session (e.g., Xiaohongshu), OpenClaw offers the OpenClaw Browser Relay extension. The plugin reuses the cookies and login state of the Chrome browser you are already using, allowing seamless access without additional verification.

Installation Steps

Install the extension with the command: openclaw browser extension install Retrieve the extension path: openclaw browser extension path The command returns a directory such as ~/.openclaw/browser/chrome-extension.

Open Chrome and navigate to chrome://extensions/, enable Developer Mode, and click “Load unpacked”. Select the directory obtained in the previous step.

After loading, the OpenClaw icon (a lobster) appears in the toolbar; click it to activate the Relay.

Using Browser Relay to Scrape Data

1. Open the target page (e.g., a Xiaohongshu profile) in Chrome.

2. Click the OpenClaw toolbar icon; it turns red with an “ON” status, indicating a successful connection.

3. In the OpenClaw chat, instruct: “Fetch the top 5 posts with the most likes from this Xiaohongshu homepage.”

OpenClaw then extracts the requested data using the existing logged‑in session, returning the results without further authentication steps.

Conclusion

The Browser Relay method provides a powerful way to scrape data from sites that require authentication, leveraging your existing Chrome session and eliminating the need for separate API calls or manual login handling. It also serves as a convenient foundation for developing custom Chrome extensions.