Browser
bl start
Explicitly start/activate the current session — the lifecycle counterpart to `stop`. Creates or reuses this session's browser context/tab; a named session (`--session <name>`) that was stopped or never created is started fresh, so a session name can be re-run after `bl stop`.
Explicitly start/activate the current session — the lifecycle counterpart to stop. Creates or reuses this session's browser context/tab; a named session (--session <name>) that was stopped or never created is started fresh, so a session name can be re-run after bl stop.
Without arguments, launches a local browser (like a bare `open`; use
`open <url>` when you also want to navigate).
With a ws:// URL argument, connects to a remote WebDriver-BiDi endpoint — the
argument is a WebSocket endpoint, not a web page to load.
If no URL is given, checks BROWSERLANE_CONNECT_URL env var before falling
back to a local browser launch.
Set BROWSERLANE_CONNECT_API_KEY to send an Authorization: Bearer header.Usage
bl start [url] [OPTIONS]Arguments
| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
[url] | Remote BiDi WebSocket URL to connect to (omit to launch a local browser) |
Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
--headless | Hide browser window (visible by default) |
--json | Output as JSON |
--session <value> | Run this command in the named session (env: BL_SESSION; default: "default") |
Global options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
-v, --verbose | Enable debug logging |
Examples
bl start
# Start with a local browser
bl start ws://remote:9515/session
# Connect to a remote browser
bl start
# Connect using env vars (export BROWSERLANE_CONNECT_URL and BROWSERLANE_CONNECT_API_KEY first)