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Kernel browsers were designed to be lightweight, fast, and efficient for cloud-based browser automations at scale. They can be used as part of the Kernel app platform or connected to from another service with the Chrome DevTools Protocol.

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1. Create a Kernel browser

First, install the Kernel SDK:
  • Typescript/Javascript: npm install @onkernel/sdk
  • Python: pip install kernel
Use our SDK to create a browser: 
import Kernel from '@onkernel/sdk';

const kernel = new Kernel();

const kernelBrowser = await kernel.browsers.create();
console.log(kernelBrowser.session_id);

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2. Connect over CDP

Then, you can connect to the browser with any Chrome DevTools Protocol framework, such as Playwright or Puppeteer. 
import { chromium } from 'playwright';

// Playwright
const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(kernelBrowser.cdp_ws_url);

// Or with Puppeteer
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

const browser = await puppeteer.connect({
  browserWSEndpoint: kernelBrowser.cdp_ws_url,
  defaultViewport: null, // Optional: inherit viewport from the browser
});

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3. Tear it down

When you’re finished with the browser, you can delete it: 
import Kernel from '@onkernel/sdk';

const kernel = new Kernel();

await kernel.browsers.deleteByID(kernelBrowser.session_id);
Non-persisted browsers automatically delete after a timeout (default 60 seconds) if they don’t receive a CDP or live view connection. You can configure this timeout when creating the browser.

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Full example

Once you’ve connected to the Kernel browser, you can do anything with it.
Kernel browsers launch with a default context and page. Make sure to access the existing context and page (contexts()[0] and pages()[0]), rather than trying to create a new one.
import Kernel from '@onkernel/sdk';
import { chromium } from 'playwright';

const kernel = new Kernel();

const kernelBrowser = await kernel.browsers.create();
const browser = await chromium.connectOverCDP(kernelBrowser.cdp_ws_url);

try {
  const context = browser.contexts()[0] || (await browser.newContext());
  const page = context.pages()[0] || (await context.newPage());
  await page.goto('https://www.onkernel.com');
  const title = await page.title();
} catch (error) {
  console.error(error);
} finally {
  await browser.close();
  await kernel.browsers.deleteByID(kernelBrowser.session_id);
}

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Connection notes

  • CDP connections are meant to be long-lived but may eventually close. Websocket connections typically can remain active for up to 1 hour, after which they may close automatically. Browser sessions themselves are unaffected—reconnect to the same cdp_ws_url to continue using the browser.
  • Browsers persist independently of CDP. Depending on your browser persistence or timeout configuration, it will continue running even if the CDP connection closes. You can reconnect to the same cdp_ws_url if you’re unexpectedly disconnected.
  • We recommend implementing reconnect logic, as network interruptions or lifecycle events can cause CDP sessions to close. Detect disconnects and automatically re-establish a CDP connection when this occurs.