CLI ↔ MCP mapping

How every bl CLI command lines up with the MCP tools — same capabilities, different surface ergonomics (not a 1:1 syntax mirror).

browserlane is one engine behind curated surfaces: the human bl CLI, the agent-facing MCP server, and a Skill that teaches agents the CLI. This page maps the two command-shaped surfaces onto each other: they expose the same engine capabilities with different surface ergonomics — a capability map, not a 1:1 syntax mirror (and not a spec mirror either; see the BiDi parity matrix for engine-level coverage). The CLI optimizes for typing (one verb often does more, arguments are optional), while the MCP exposes single-responsibility tools an agent composes explicitly. So names and shapes differ by design: e.g. bl open takes an optional URL (omit it to just launch a local browser), whereas its MCP counterpart browser_open requires a url — an agent that wants to launch without navigating calls browser_start instead. Some single commands also split into get/set tool pairs (bl viewport → browser_get_viewport + browser_set_viewport); the page-clock controls are MCP-only; and the install / agent-wiring plumbing is CLI-only. This page is generated from bl v0.1.14.

CLI command → MCP tool(s)

CLI command	MCP tool(s)
`bl quit`	`browser_quit`
`bl start`	`browser_start`
`bl stop`	`browser_stop`
`bl session new`	`browser_session_create`
`bl session list`	`browser_session_list`
`bl session close`	`browser_session_close`
`bl session reset`	`browser_session_reset`
`bl tabs`	`browser_tab_list`, `browser_context_tree`
`bl tab new`	`browser_tab_new`
`bl tab close`	`browser_tab_close`
`bl tab switch`	`browser_tab_switch`
`bl open`	`browser_open`
`bl back`	`browser_back`
`bl forward`	`browser_forward`
`bl reload`	`browser_reload`
`bl url`	`browser_get_url`
`bl title`	`browser_get_title`
`bl text`	`browser_get_text`
`bl html`	`browser_get_html`
`bl md`	`browser_markdown`
`bl a11y-tree`	`browser_a11y_tree`
`bl console list`	`browser_console_list`
`bl console wait`	`browser_console_wait`
`bl console clear`	`browser_console_clear`
`bl eval`	`browser_evaluate`
`bl wait`	`browser_wait`
`bl wait url`	`browser_wait_for_url`
`bl wait text`	`browser_wait_for_text`
`bl wait load`	`browser_wait_for_load`
`bl wait fn`	`browser_wait_for_fn`
`bl frames`	`browser_frames`
`bl frame`	`browser_frame`
`bl find`	`browser_find`, `browser_find_all`
`bl find text`	`browser_find`
`bl find role`	`browser_find`
`bl find label`	`browser_find`
`bl find placeholder`	`browser_find`
`bl find testid`	`browser_find`
`bl find xpath`	`browser_find`
`bl find alt`	`browser_find`
`bl find title`	`browser_find`
`bl map`	`browser_map`
`bl attr`	`browser_get_attribute`
`bl value`	`browser_get_value`
`bl count`	`browser_count`
`bl is visible`	`browser_is_visible`
`bl is enabled`	`browser_is_enabled`
`bl is checked`	`browser_is_checked`
`bl expect`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect url`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect title`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect text`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect visible`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect hidden`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect enabled`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect checked`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect value`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect count`	`browser_expect`
`bl expect js`	`browser_expect`
`bl click`	`browser_click`
`bl dblclick`	`browser_dblclick`
`bl hover`	`browser_hover`
`bl type`	`browser_type`
`bl fill`	`browser_fill`
`bl press`	`browser_press`
`bl keyboard type`	`browser_keyboard_type`
`bl keyboard inserttext`	`browser_keyboard_inserttext`
`bl keyboard down`	`browser_keyboard_down`
`bl keyboard up`	`browser_keyboard_up`
`bl select`	`browser_select`
`bl check`	`browser_check`
`bl uncheck`	`browser_uncheck`
`bl focus`	`browser_focus`
`bl scroll`	`browser_scroll`
`bl scroll into-view`	`browser_scroll_into_view`
`bl drag`	`browser_drag`
`bl mouse click`	`browser_mouse_click`
`bl mouse move`	`browser_mouse_move`
`bl mouse down`	`browser_mouse_down`
`bl mouse up`	`browser_mouse_up`
`bl upload`	`browser_upload`
`bl highlight`	`browser_highlight`
`bl dialog accept`	`browser_dialog_accept`
`bl dialog dismiss`	`browser_dialog_dismiss`
`bl dialog wait`	`browser_dialog_wait`
`bl dialog info`	`browser_dialog_info`
`bl screenshot`	`browser_screenshot`
`bl pdf`	`browser_pdf`
`bl record start`	`browser_record_start`
`bl record stop`	`browser_record_stop`
`bl screencast start`	`browser_screencast_start`
`bl screencast stop`	`browser_screencast_stop`
`bl diff map`	`browser_diff_map`
`bl diff snapshot`	`browser_diff_snapshot`
`bl diff screenshot`	`browser_diff_screenshot`
`bl diff url`	`browser_diff_url`
`bl cookies`	`browser_cookie_list`
`bl cookies get`	`browser_cookie_get`
`bl cookies set`	`browser_cookie_set`
`bl cookies delete`	`browser_cookie_delete`
`bl cookies clear`	`browser_cookie_clear`
`bl storage save`	`browser_storage_save`
`bl storage load`	`browser_storage_load`
`bl storage list`	`browser_storage_list`
`bl storage show`	`browser_storage_show`
`bl storage delete`	`browser_storage_delete`
`bl storage export`	`browser_storage_export`
`bl storage import`	`browser_storage_import`
`bl localstorage list`	`browser_localstorage_list`
`bl localstorage get`	`browser_localstorage_get`
`bl localstorage set`	`browser_localstorage_set`
`bl localstorage delete`	`browser_localstorage_delete`
`bl localstorage clear`	`browser_localstorage_clear`
`bl sessionstorage list`	`browser_sessionstorage_list`
`bl sessionstorage get`	`browser_sessionstorage_get`
`bl sessionstorage set`	`browser_sessionstorage_set`
`bl sessionstorage delete`	`browser_sessionstorage_delete`
`bl sessionstorage clear`	`browser_sessionstorage_clear`
`bl download dir`	`browser_download_set_dir`
`bl download wait`	`browser_wait_download`
`bl viewport`	`browser_get_viewport`, `browser_set_viewport`, `browser_reset_viewport`
`bl media`	`browser_emulate_media`
`bl geolocation`	`browser_set_geolocation`
`bl emulate environment`	`browser_emulate_environment`
`bl sleep`	`browser_sleep`

MCP-only (no CLI command)

These tools have no bl equivalent — the fake-clock controls (an MCP-only testing surface), the record group/chunk lifecycle hooks, and the OS-window controls:

browser_get_window
browser_record_start_chunk
browser_record_start_group
browser_record_stop_chunk
browser_record_stop_group
browser_session_use
browser_set_content
browser_set_window
page_clock_fast_forward
page_clock_install
page_clock_pause_at
page_clock_resume
page_clock_run_for
page_clock_set_fixed_time
page_clock_set_system_time
page_clock_set_timezone

CLI-only (no MCP tool)

These commands exist only in the CLI — installation, diagnostics, and agent wiring (each may have subcommands, e.g. bl completion zsh):

bl add-mcp
bl add-skill
bl completion
bl install
bl is-installed
bl paths
bl version

A few leaf commands also have no direct tool:

bl emulate reset
bl is actionable
bl mcp
bl record chunk start
bl record chunk stop
bl record group start
bl record group stop
bl session id
bl uninstall
bl update

CLI command → MCP tool(s)

MCP-only (no CLI command)

CLI-only (no MCP tool)

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