Browser automation means driving a browser with code rather than through manual clicks. It covers testing, scraping, operational workflows, and agent execution.
For production systems, browser automation is not just selectors. It also includes browser lifecycle, state reuse, authentication, evidence capture, and anti-bot posture.
Why it matters
- It unlocks systems that only exist behind a web UI.
- It breaks quickly when state, network identity, or observability are weak.
- Steel turns browser automation into an infrastructure problem with explicit primitives.