Quickstart

This guide will walk you through setting up your Steel account, creating your first browser session in the cloud, and driving it using Typescript/Playwright. In just a few minutes, you'll be up and programatically controlling a Steel browser Session.

Initial SetupCopied!

1. Create a Steel Account

1. Sign up for a free account at steel.dev

2. The free plan includes 100 browser hours to get you started

3. No credit card required

2. Get Your API Key

1. After signing up, navigate to Settings > API Keys

2. Create an API key and save it somewhere safe. You will not be able to generate the same key again.

3. Set Up Environment Variables

1. Create a .env file in your project root (if you don't have one)

2. Add your Steel API key:

STEEL_API_KEY=ste_***

Make sure to add .env to your .gitignore file to keep your key secure

Installing DependenciesCopied!

Install the Steel SDK and Playwright:

npm install steel-sdk playwright

Create Your First SessionCopied!

Let's create a simple script that launches and then releases a Steel session:

import Steel from 'steel-sdk';
import { chromium } from 'playwright';
import dotenv from 'dotenv';

dotenv.config();

const client = new Steel({
  steelAPIKey: process.env.STEEL_API_KEY,
});

async function main() {
  // Create a session
  const session = await client.sessions.create();
  console.log('Session created:', session.id);
  console.log(`View live session at: ${session.sessionViewerUrl}`);
  
  // Your session is now ready to use!
  // When done, release the session
  await client.sessions.release(session.id);
  console.log('Session released');
}

main().catch(console.error);

Connecting to Your SessionCopied!

Now that you have a session, you can connect to it using your preferred automation tool.

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
    browserWSEndpoint: `wss://connect.steel.dev?apiKey=${process.env.STEEL_API_KEY}&sessionId=${session.id}`,
});

const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');

Session FeaturesCopied!

Want to do more with your session? Here are some common options you can add when creating:

const session = await client.sessions.create({
    useProxy: true,           // Use Steel's residential proxy network
    solveCaptcha: true,       // Enable automatic CAPTCHA solving
    sessionTimeout: 1800000,  // Set 30-minute timeout (default is 5 minutes)
    userAgent: 'custom-ua'    // Set a custom user agent
});

You've now created your first Steel session and learned the basics of session management. With these fundamentals, you can start building more complex automations using Steel's cloud browser infrastructure.

Need help? Join our Discord community or check out our full API Reference.