Errors
The error codes cbrowser reports, with how to fix each. An error message names its code; the link it gives lands on that code below.
E101
NAVIGATION_FAILED
Check that the URL is correct and the site is reachable. Try opening it in a regular browser first.
E102
NAVIGATION_TIMEOUT
The page took too long to load. Increase timeout with --timeout
E103
PAGE_NOT_FOUND
The URL returned a 404. Verify the path is correct and the page exists.
E201
ELEMENT_NOT_FOUND
No element matched that selector. Try using smart-click with a text description instead of a CSS selector.
E202
ELEMENT_NOT_VISIBLE
The element exists but is hidden. It may be behind a modal, scrolled off-screen, or have display:none.
E203
ELEMENT_NOT_CLICKABLE
The element is visible but not interactive. It may be disabled, covered by another element, or not a clickable type.
E204
ELEMENT_INTERCEPTED
Another element is blocking the click (e.g., a cookie banner or modal overlay). Try dismissing it first.
E301
SESSION_NOT_FOUND
No active session found. Start a new session with 'cbrowser navigate
E302
SESSION_CORRUPTED
Session data is corrupted. Delete ~/.cbrowser/sessions/ and start fresh.
E303
SESSION_EXPIRED
The session has expired. Start a new one with 'cbrowser navigate
E401
AUTH_REQUIRED
This operation requires authentication. Run 'cbrowser config set-api-key
E402
AUTH_FAILED
Authentication failed. Verify your API key is correct and hasn't expired.
E403
API_KEY_MISSING
No API key configured. Run 'cbrowser config set-api-key
E404
API_KEY_INVALID
The API key format is invalid. Anthropic keys start with 'sk-ant-'. Run 'cbrowser config set-api-key
E501
CONFIG_INVALID
Configuration file has invalid syntax. Check .cbrowserrc.json for JSON errors. Run 'cbrowser doctor' to diagnose.
E502
CONFIG_NOT_FOUND
Configuration file not found. This is usually fine β CBrowser uses sensible defaults. Create .cbrowserrc.json if you need custom config.
E503
BROWSER_NOT_INSTALLED
Chromium is not installed. Run 'npx playwright install chromium' to install it (~150MB download).
E601
FILE_NOT_FOUND
The specified file does not exist. Check the path and try again.
E602
FILE_PERMISSION_DENIED
Permission denied. Check file ownership with 'ls -la' and fix with 'chmod' or 'chown'. On Linux: sudo chown $USER:$USER
E603
PATH_TRAVERSAL_BLOCKED
Path contains directory traversal (../) which is blocked for security. Use absolute paths or paths within the project directory.
E701
TEST_FAILED
One or more test assertions failed. Check the test output for details on which assertions didn't match.
E702
ASSERTION_FAILED
An assertion did not match the expected value. Review the expected vs actual values in the error details.
E703
TEST_TIMEOUT
Test exceeded the time limit. Increase timeout with --timeout
E801
BROWSER_CRASHED
The browser process crashed. This can happen with memory-intensive pages. Try with --headless or reduce concurrent operations.
E802
BROWSER_DISCONNECTED
Lost connection to the browser. The browser may have been closed externally. CBrowser will attempt auto-recovery.
E803
BROWSER_UNRESPONSIVE
The browser stopped responding. A page may be consuming too many resources. Try navigating to a simpler page first.
E804
BROWSER_RECOVERY_FAILED
Automatic recovery failed. Try restarting CBrowser. If persistent, run 'cbrowser doctor' to check your environment.
E999
UNKNOWN
An unexpected error occurred. Run 'cbrowser doctor' to check your environment, or report this at https://github.com/alexandriashai/cbrowser/issues
See also Troubleshooting.