Glossary

Anti-Bot

Anti-bot covers the detection and mitigation systems websites use to distinguish human browsing from automated traffic.

Browser agents are AI or rules-based systems that complete tasks by operating a real web browser instead of calling a direct API.

Browser automation is the practice of controlling a web browser programmatically to complete UI-based tasks end to end.

CAPTCHA solving is the capability that helps browser workflows clear verification challenges without turning every run into a manual intervention.

CDP, the Chrome DevTools Protocol, is the control channel many frameworks use to attach to and drive a Chromium browser instance.

A cloud browser is a managed remote browser runtime that keeps execution, state, and observability outside a developer laptop.

Computer Use is the model-driven action loop where an AI system receives screenshots and issues browser or desktop actions to complete a task.

The Credentials API stores secrets server-side and injects them into Steel sessions without exposing raw values to the model or operator.

The Extensions API is Steel's surface for uploading, managing, and injecting Chrome extensions into browser sessions.

The Files API moves uploads, downloads, and evidence artifacts through Steel sessions without relying on local disk handoffs.

HLS is the streaming format Steel uses for replaying past browser sessions as video.

Human-in-the-loop means a workflow pauses for a person to review, approve, or take over before the browser session continues.

Profiles are persisted browser user-data snapshots that let Steel restore cookies, storage, extensions, and other browser state across sessions.

Proxies route browser traffic through a chosen network path so workflows can control egress IP, geography, and reputation.

Replay is the recorded browser artifact that lets you inspect what a Steel session actually did after the run ends.

Session lifecycle is the sequence of creating, connecting to, operating, observing, and releasing a browser session.

The Session Viewer is the live Steel surface used to watch, inspect, and sometimes take over a running browser session.

Sessions are isolated Steel browser runtimes with explicit lifecycle, state boundaries, and attached evidence such as viewer links and replays.

Stealth is the set of browser and network measures used to make legitimate automation look less synthetic to anti-bot systems.

Steel Cloud is Steel's managed hosted environment for browser sessions, observability, files, credentials, and related workflow infrastructure.

Steel Local is the self-hosted or local Steel runtime used for development, controlled environments, and lower-scale browser execution.

WebRTC is the real-time streaming technology Steel uses for live browser viewing and operator handoff.

debugUrl is the live viewer URL for a Steel session, used to watch or hand off a browser run in progress.