Customize Your Browser Automation with Chrome extraArgs in OpenClaw 2026.2.17

If you've been using OpenClaw's browser automation, you've probably wished you could tweak Chrome's behavior for your specific use case. Maybe you need to run through a proxy, disable GPU acceleration on a headless server, or force a specific window size. With OpenClaw 2026.2.17, you now can—thanks to the new extraArgs config option.

What Are Chrome Launch Arguments?

Chromium-based browsers accept command-line arguments that modify their behavior at startup. These flags control everything from window dimensions to security policies to hardware acceleration. Until now, OpenClaw's browser tool used sensible defaults, but power users had no way to customize them.

The New extraArgs Config

In your OpenClaw config, you can now pass custom arguments directly to Chrome:

browser:
  extraArgs:
    - "--proxy-server=http://corporate-proxy.internal:3128"
    - "--proxy-bypass-list=*.internal.company.com"

These arguments are passed directly to the browser on launch, giving you fine-grained control over browser behavior.

Practical Use Cases

1. Corporate Proxy Environments

If your agent runs behind a corporate proxy, web automation fails without proper proxy configuration:

browser:
  extraArgs:
    - "--proxy-server=http://corporate-proxy.internal:3128"
    - "--proxy-bypass-list=*.internal.company.com"

2. Headless Server Optimization

On servers without GPU support, Chrome can waste resources trying to initialize hardware acceleration:

browser:
  extraArgs:
    - "--disable-gpu"
    - "--disable-software-rasterizer"
    - "--no-sandbox"  # Only if running as root in Docker

3. Consistent Screenshot/Viewport Sizes

For screenshot-based workflows or visual testing, ensure consistent dimensions:

browser:
  extraArgs:
    - "--window-size=1920,1080"
    - "--force-device-scale-factor=1"

4. Debugging with Developer Tools

When troubleshooting automation issues, launch with DevTools pre-opened:

browser:
  extraArgs:
    - "--auto-open-devtools-for-tabs"

5. Memory-Constrained Environments

On low-memory VPS instances, reduce Chrome's memory footprint:

browser:
  extraArgs:
    - "--disable-extensions"
    - "--disable-background-networking"
    - "--disable-sync"
    - "--disable-translate"
    - "--single-process"  # Use with caution

Finding the Right Arguments

Chrome supports hundreds of command-line switches. Here are some resources:

• Peter Beverloo's comprehensive list
• Chrome's chrome://version/ page shows current command-line arguments
• The Puppeteer and Playwright documentation often reference useful flags

Caveats

• Security flags: Be careful with arguments like --disable-web-security. They exist for testing but can expose your agent to attacks if misused.
• Compatibility: Some arguments are version-specific or platform-specific. Test thoroughly.
• Sandbox mode: Disabling the sandbox (--no-sandbox) should only be done in containerized environments where you understand the security implications.

Summary

The extraArgs feature in OpenClaw 2026.2.17 gives you full control over how Chrome launches for browser automation. Whether you're dealing with proxies, optimizing for headless servers, or debugging tricky automation issues, you now have the knobs to tune browser behavior to your exact needs.

Check out the full release notes for everything else in this release—it's a big one.

Thanks to @JayMishra-source for contributing this feature in PR #18443.