OpenClaw

Use OpenClaw with Steel CLI to run real browser sessions, inspect live web state, and automate form-heavy workflows from the terminal.

Overview

The OpenClaw integration uses Steel CLI as a terminal tool inside OpenClaw. This lets OpenClaw:

  • Start and control Steel browser sessions for multi-step web tasks

  • Use steel scrape for rendered page extraction when interaction is not required

  • Monitor live browser state through Steel's session viewer

  • Work through real forms, dynamic pages, and browser-based workflows without writing custom integration code

Once Steel CLI is installed and available on PATH, OpenClaw can use it like any other terminal tool. That makes it a good fit for tasks like application forms, operational workflows, and browser-driven research.

Requirements

  • Node.js: Version 18 or higher

  • OpenClaw: Installed locally

  • Steel CLI: Installed locally

  • Steel API Key: Active Steel account

Setup

Step 1: Install Steel CLI

Terminal
curl -LsSf https://setup.steel.dev | sh

Step 2: Log in

Terminal
steel login

The steel-browser skill gives OpenClaw better command discovery and more reliable browser workflows.

Terminal
npx skills add github:steel-dev/cli/skills/steel-browser

Restart OpenClaw after installing so it can discover the skill.

Example workflow

OpenClaw works well on browser tasks that need real interaction. One example is filling out a conference CFP form: finding the right page, inspecting the fields, drafting responses, and working through the submission flow.

You can start with a prompt like:

I would like to submit an application for the call for speakers for AI Engineer World's Fair. Could you figure out what the fields are, what we need, and how I can apply to become a speaker?

From there, OpenClaw can start a Steel session, navigate the form, inspect fields with snapshots, and work through the page step by step.

Watching the session

Steel sessions return a viewer URL so you can watch the browser while the agent works. This is useful on form-heavy flows, especially when the page changes dynamically, a modal blocks progress, or the agent needs a second attempt to recover from a mistake.

For longer workflows, Steel also keeps the full session history so you can inspect what happened after the fact.

Where OpenClaw works best

OpenClaw is a strong fit for:

  • Standard web forms

  • Multi-step browser workflows

  • Pages that need JavaScript rendering before the agent can reason about them

For tasks that only need page content, steel scrape is often the faster option:

Terminal
steel scrape https://example.com

Authenticated workflows

For sites behind login, it is usually better to prepare reusable auth state in Steel ahead of time rather than asking the agent to log in from scratch every time.

See:

Constraints

  • Command approvals depend on your OpenClaw settings. Shell access may require approval depending on your configuration.

  • Form-heavy workflows can still take time. Dynamic fields, validation errors, and bot checks add retries and extra browser steps.

  • Authenticated sites work best with prepared Steel auth state. Reusing profiles or auth context is generally more reliable than repeated interactive logins.

Additional Resources

Contents

OverviewRequirementsSetupStep 1: Install Steel CLIStep 2: Log inStep 3: Install the browser skill (recommended)Example workflowWatching the sessionWhere OpenClaw works bestAuthenticated workflowsConstraintsAdditional Resources