> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.browseract.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Anti-detection & Blocking
> Use environment, execution, and human handoff layers to handle anti-bot blocking.
Browser-act gives agents a practical escalation path for sites that block basic fetchers or standard browser automation.
```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
Env["Environment"] --> Exec["Execution"]
Exec --> Human["Human handoff"]
```
## Three-layer strategy
| Layer | Purpose | Key capabilities |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Environment | Prevent challenges from appearing | stealth fingerprints, TLS rotation, proxy switching, privacy mode |
| Execution | Solve challenges after they appear | `solve-captcha`, `stealth-extract` |
| Human | Resolve cases automation cannot handle | `remote-assist` |
## Environment layer
The stealth browser is designed to look like a normal browser session instead of a script.
| Capability | What it does |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Fingerprint masking | Keeps Canvas, WebGL, fonts, plugins, and related signals consistent |
| Navigator normalization | Normalizes `webdriver`, `chrome.runtime`, plugin arrays, and related browser properties |
| TLS signature rotation | Matches realistic browser TLS signatures |
| Headless concealment | Keeps headless mode from exposing common automation signals |
| Proxy system | Supports hosted dynamic proxies or your own static proxy |
| Privacy mode | Starts each session with a fresh fingerprint and empty profile |
### Dynamic proxy
```bash theme={null}
browser-act browser create \
--type stealth \
--name "jp-research" \
--desc "Research browser using Japan dynamic proxy" \
--dynamic-proxy JP
```
List available regions:
```bash theme={null}
browser-act browser regions
```
### Custom proxy
```bash theme={null}
browser-act browser create \
--type stealth \
--name "custom-proxy" \
--desc "Stealth browser with a fixed custom proxy" \
--custom-proxy socks5://user:pass@host:port
```
Custom proxies support HTTP and SOCKS5. You own the proxy quality, identity, and rotation strategy.
| Proxy option | Best for | Operational note |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------- |
| Dynamic proxy | Regional rotation and one-off collection | Browser-act rotates hosted IPs by region |
| Custom proxy | Stable identity and bring-your-own infrastructure | You manage proxy quality and reputation |
### Privacy mode
Use privacy mode when each session should start clean:
```bash theme={null}
browser-act browser create \
--type stealth \
--name "ephemeral" \
--desc "One-time collection jobs" \
--private true
```
> \[!TIP]
> Use privacy mode for one-off scraping, avoiding fingerprint buildup, and separating account identities. The trade-off is that login state is not preserved.
## Execution layer
### `stealth-extract`
Use `stealth-extract` when the task is read-only:
```bash theme={null}
browser-act stealth-extract https://example.com
```
It opens a stealth browser, renders the page, returns Markdown or HTML, and closes the browser.
```bash theme={null}
# Return HTML
browser-act stealth-extract https://example.com --content-type html
# Use a regional dynamic proxy
browser-act stealth-extract https://example.com --dynamic-proxy US
# Use a custom proxy
browser-act stealth-extract https://example.com --custom-proxy socks5://user:pass@host:port
# Save the result
browser-act stealth-extract https://example.com --output ./result.md
```
Use `stealth-extract` for reading. Use a browser session when you need interaction.
### `solve-captcha`
Use `solve-captcha` when a session reaches a supported CAPTCHA challenge:
```bash theme={null}
browser-act --session s1 solve-captcha
```
A successful result returns `solved=True`.
### Escalation flow
```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
Blocked["Challenge"] --> Captcha["CAPTCHA"]
Captcha --> Debug["Headed mode"]
Debug --> Handoff["Remote assist"]
```
## Human layer
When automation cannot move forward, `remote-assist` creates a live URL. A human can open the link on any device, complete the challenge, and let the agent continue in the same session.
See [Remote Assist](/agent-cli/remote-assist).
## Recommended escalation
1. Start with `chrome` or `chrome-direct` for ordinary logged-in work.
2. Move to `stealth` with a proxy when blocking appears.
3. Use `solve-captcha` if a supported CAPTCHA appears.
4. Use `remote-assist` when human judgment, 2FA, hardware tokens, or unsupported challenges are required.
## Compared with basic tools
| Capability | curl / WebFetch | Standard Puppeteer / Playwright | Browser-act |
| -------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------- | ----------------------------- |
| JavaScript rendering | No | Yes | Yes |
| Anti-bot handling | No | Limited | Yes |
| CAPTCHA solving | No | No | Yes, when supported |
| Human takeover | No | Manual setup required | Built in with `remote-assist` |
| Stealth headless | Not applicable | Often detectable | Supported |
## Learn more
Run silently while keeping stealth and handoff available.
Choose the right browser identity for the job.
Turn site-specific knowledge into a reusable skill.