Steel CLI

Overview

The Steel CLI is a powerful command-line interface for interacting with the Steel platform. It provides an easy way to create browser automation projects, run AI agents, and manage your Steel workflows directly from your terminal.

Key Features:

Quick project scaffolding with pre-built templates
Instant script execution without local setup
Switch between local and cloud execution modes
Integration with popular AI frameworks (OpenAI, Claude, Browser Use, etc.)
Support for Playwright, Puppeteer, and Selenium

GitHub Repository: steel-dev/cli

Installation

The Steel CLI requires Node.js 18 or higher.

Terminal

$ npm install @steel-dev/cli -g

Verify the installation:

Terminal

steel --version

For TypeScript examples, ensure you have ts-node installed globally:

Terminal

$ npm install ts-node -g

Quick Start

First, authenticate with your Steel account:

Terminal

steel login

This will open your browser to authenticate. Once complete, you're ready to go!

2. Run Your First Automation

The fastest way to get started is using the run command, which executes automations instantly without creating any files:

Terminal

# Run a Playwright automation
steel run playwright

# Run with a specific task
steel run browser-use --task "Navigate to example.com and take a screenshot"

# Run a Python automation with Browser Use
steel run browser-use

3. Create a New Project

For more substantial projects, use forge to scaffold a complete project:

Terminal

# Interactive mode - choose from available templates
steel forge

# Create a specific template
steel forge playwright --name my-automation

# Create with specific options
steel forge playwright-py --name my-project --skip_auth

Core Commands

`steel forge` - Create Projects

The forge command scaffolds complete projects with all necessary dependencies and boilerplate code.

Usage:

Terminal

steel forge [template] [options]

Popular Templates:

Template	Language	Description
`playwright`	TypeScript	Drive Steel sessions with Playwright
`playwright-py`	Python	Playwright automation in Python
`puppeteer`	TypeScript	Use Puppeteer with Steel
`selenium`	Python	Selenium WebDriver integration
`browser-use`	Python	AI agent framework by Browser Use
`stagehand`	TypeScript	Stagehand AI framework
`magnitude`	TypeScript	Magnitude AI agent framework
`claude-cua`	TypeScript	Claude Computer Use with Steel
`oai-cua`	TypeScript	OpenAI Computer Use with Steel
`auth`	TypeScript	Reusable authentication context
`creds`	TypeScript	Steel Credentials API example
`files`	TypeScript	Steel Files API example

Options:

-n, --name - Project name
-a, --api_url - Custom Steel API URL
--api_key - Steel API key
--openai_key - OpenAI API key (for AI templates)
--skip_auth - Skip authentication prompts

Examples:

Terminal

# Interactive template selection
steel forge

# Create a Playwright TypeScript project
steel forge playwright --name web-scraper

# Create a Python Browser Use project
steel forge browser-use --name ai-agent --openai_key your_key

# Create with custom API configuration
steel forge puppeteer --name custom-bot --api_url https://api.steel.dev

`steel run` - Instant Execution

Run automations immediately without creating project files. Perfect for quick tests and one-off scripts.

Usage:

Terminal

steel run [template] [options]

Available Templates:

Template	Language	Description
`playwright`	TypeScript	Playwright + TypeScript
`playwright-js`	JavaScript	Playwright in JavaScript
`puppeteer`	TypeScript	Puppeteer + TypeScript
`puppeteer-js`	JavaScript	Puppeteer in JavaScript
`playwright-py`	Python	Playwright in Python
`selenium`	Python	Selenium WebDriver
`browser-use`	Python	Browser Use AI agent
`oai-cua`	TypeScript	OpenAI Computer Use
`oai-cua-py`	Python	OpenAI Computer Use (Python)
`magnitude`	TypeScript	Magnitude AI framework
`files`	TypeScript	Files API example
`creds`	TypeScript	Credentials API example

Options:

-t, --task - Specific task description for AI agents
-o, --view - Open live session viewer in browser
-a, --api_url - Custom Steel API URL
--api_key - Steel API key
--openai_key - OpenAI API key
--skip_auth - Skip authentication
--no-update-check - Disable update checking

Examples:

Terminal

# Run Playwright automation interactively
steel run playwright

# Run with live session viewer
steel run playwright --view

# Run AI agent with specific task
steel run browser-use --task "Find the latest iPhone price on Apple's website"

# Run OpenAI Computer Use agent
steel run oai-cua --task "Research the top 3 trending
 GitHub repos today" --openai_key your_key

# Run without update check (useful in CI)
steel run playwright --no-update-check

`steel settings` - Configure Execution Mode

Switch between local and cloud execution modes for your Steel automations.

Usage:

Terminal

steel settings

This opens an interactive menu where you can choose:

Cloud Mode (default) - Run automations on Steel's managed infrastructure
- No local browser installation needed
- Scalable and production-ready
- Access to Steel's proxy network
- Automatic resource management
Local Mode - Run automations on your local machine
- Useful for development and debugging
- Requires local browser installation
- Direct access to local files and resources

Example Workflow:

Terminal

# Check current settings
steel settings

# Switch to local mode for debugging
steel settings
# Select "Local" from the menu

# Run your automation locally
steel run playwright

# Switch back to cloud for production
steel settings
# Select "Cloud" from the menu

Additional Commands

Authentication

Terminal

# Login to Steel
steel login

# Logout from Steel
steel logout

# View current session info
steel config

Cache Management

The CLI caches templates and files for faster execution:

Terminal

# View cache information
steel cache

# Clear all cached files
steel cache --clean

Development Tools

Terminal

# Start Steel Browser in development mode
steel browser start

# Start on specific port with verbose logging
steel browser start --port 3000 --verbose

# Stop development server
steel browser stop

Help & Resources

Terminal

# View CLI help
steel --help

# Get help for specific command
steel forge --help

# Open Steel documentation
steel docs

# Join Steel Discord community
steel support

# Star the GitHub repository
steel star

Updates

Terminal

# Update to latest version
steel update

# Check for updates without installing
steel update --check

# Force update
steel update --force

The CLI automatically checks for updates every 24 hours. Disable with:

Terminal

# Using flag
steel run --no-update-check

# Using environment variable
STEEL_CLI_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK=true steel run

Practical Examples

Example 1: Quick Web Scraping

Terminal

# Run a Playwright automation with live viewer
steel run playwright --view

# In the generated code, add your scraping logic
# The browser session will be visible in your browser

Example 2: Create a Browser-use Project

Terminal

# Create a new Browser Use project
steel forge browser-use --name price-monitor

cd price-monitor

# Install dependencies
uv add -r requirements.txt

# Edit the generated script with your logic
# Run your agent
uv run main.py

Example 3: Using Authentication Context

Terminal

# Create a project with reusable auth
steel forge auth --name linkedin-scraper

# This template shows how to:
# 1. Authenticate once and save session
# 2. Reuse authentication across runs
# 3. Handle session expiration

Example 4: Multi-Step Workflow

Terminal

# 1. Create project with credentials API
steel forge creds --name secure-automation

# 2. Configure for cloud execution
steel settings
# Select "Cloud"

# 3. The project will use Steel's credentials management
#    for secure handling of sensitive data

Example 5: Local Development, Cloud Production

Terminal

# Develop locally
steel settings  # Choose "Local"
steel forge playwright --name my-bot
cd my-bot

# Test locally
npm start

# Deploy to cloud
steel settings  # Choose "Cloud"
npm start  # Now runs on Steel's infrastructure

export STEEL_API_KEY=your_key
export STEEL_CLI_SKIP_UPDATE_CHECK=true
steel run playwright --skip_auth

6. Version Control

When using forge, make sure to:

Add .env files to .gitignore
Commit the generated project structure
Document required API keys in README

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

If steel command isn't found after installation:

Terminal

# Reinstall globally
npm install -g @steel-dev/cli

# Or use npx
npx @steel-dev/cli run playwright

Authentication Issues

Terminal

# Clear session and re-authenticate
steel logout
steel login

Template Errors

Terminal

# Clear cache and try again
steel cache --clean
steel forge playwright

Node Version

Ensure you're using Node.js 18 or higher:

Terminal

node --version
# Should be v18.0.0 or higher

Next Steps

Explore the Steel API Documentation for advanced features
Join the Steel Discord for community support
Check out example projects in the CLI repository
Learn about Steel Sessions for persistent browser contexts

Support

Documentation: Run steel docs or visit steel.dev/docs
Discord: Run steel support or join our Discord community
GitHub: Report issues at github.com/steel-dev/cli

Steel CLI

Overview

Installation

Quick Start

2. Run Your First Automation

3. Create a New Project

Core Commands

`steel forge` - Create Projects

`steel run` - Instant Execution

`steel settings` - Configure Execution Mode

Additional Commands

Authentication

Cache Management

Development Tools

Help & Resources

Updates

Practical Examples

Example 1: Quick Web Scraping

Example 2: Create a Browser-use Project

Example 3: Using Authentication Context

Example 4: Multi-Step Workflow

Example 5: Local Development, Cloud Production

Best Practices

1. Use Cloud Mode for Production

2. Leverage Templates

3. Use `--view` for Debugging

4. Cache Management

5. Environment Variables

6. Version Control

Troubleshooting

Command Not Found

Authentication Issues

Template Errors

Node Version

Next Steps

Support