OpenAI CUA

OpenAI’s Computer-Using Agent (CUA) is the AI model powering Operator—OpenAI’s agent that can navigate websites, fill forms, and complete multi-step workflows in a browser. CUA interacts with web interfaces like a human, clicking buttons, typing text, and handling complex tasks without needing specialized APIs. With Hyperbrowser, you can leverage CUA to automate browser tasks with a simple API call. Simply provide a task description, and CUA handles the rest—navigating pages, extracting information, and completing your objective. You can view your CUA tasks in the dashboard.

How It Works

You can use CUA in two ways:

Start and Wait: SDKs provide a startAndWait() method that blocks until the task completes and returns the result
Async Pattern: Start a task, get a job ID, then poll for status and results—useful for long-running tasks or when you want more control

Installation

npm install @hyperbrowser/sdk dotenv

yarn add @hyperbrowser/sdk dotenv

pip install hyperbrowser python-dotenv

uv add hyperbrowser python-dotenv

Quick Start

The simplest way to run a CUA task is with the startAndWait() method, which handles everything for you:

import { Hyperbrowser } from "@hyperbrowser/sdk";
import { config } from "dotenv";

config();

const client = new Hyperbrowser({
  apiKey: process.env.HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY,
});

async function main() {
  const result = await client.agents.cua.startAndWait({
    task: "Go to Hacker News and tell me the title of the top post",
    llm: "gpt-5.4",
    useComputerAction: true,
    maxSteps: 25,
  });

  console.log(`Output:\n${result.data?.finalResult}`);
}

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
});

from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))

result = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
    params={
        "task": "Go to Hacker News and tell me the title of the top post",
        "llm": "gpt-5.4",
        "use_computer_action": True,
        "max_steps": 25,
    }
)

print(f"Output:\n{result.data.final_result}")

from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from hyperbrowser.models import StartCuaTaskParams
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))

result = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
    params=StartCuaTaskParams(
        task="Go to Hacker News and tell me the title of the top post",
        llm="gpt-5.4",
        use_computer_action=True,
        max_steps=25,
    )
)

print(f"Output:\n{result.data.final_result}")

# Start the task
curl -X POST https://api.hyperbrowser.ai/api/task/cua \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "task": "Go to Hacker News and tell me the title of the top post",
    "llm": "gpt-5.4",
    "useComputerAction": true,
    "maxSteps": 25
  }'

# Response: {"jobId": "abc123", "liveUrl": "https://..."}

# Check status
curl https://api.hyperbrowser.ai/api/task/cua/abc123/status \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

# Get full results
curl https://api.hyperbrowser.ai/api/task/cua/abc123 \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Async Pattern

When you need more control, use the async pattern to start a task and poll for results:

import { Hyperbrowser } from "@hyperbrowser/sdk";
import { config } from "dotenv";

config();

const client = new Hyperbrowser({
  apiKey: process.env.HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY,
});

async function main() {
  try {
    // Start the task
    const task = await client.agents.cua.start({
      task: "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
      llm: "gpt-5.4",
      useComputerAction: true,
      maxSteps: 25,
    });

    console.log(`Task started: ${task.jobId}`);
    console.log(`Watch live: ${task.liveUrl}`);

    // Poll for completion
    let result;
    while (true) {
      result = await client.agents.cua.getStatus(task.jobId);
      console.log(`Status: ${result.status}`);

      if (result.status === "completed" || result.status === "failed") {
        break;
      }

      await new Promise((resolve) => setTimeout(resolve, 5000)); // Wait 5s
    }

    const fullResult = await client.agents.cua.get(task.jobId);

    if (fullResult.status === "completed") {
      console.log("Result:", fullResult.data?.finalResult);
      console.log("Steps taken:", fullResult.data?.steps?.length);
    } else {
      console.error("Task failed:", fullResult.error);
    }
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
  }
}

main();

import asyncio
from hyperbrowser import AsyncHyperbrowser
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

client = AsyncHyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


async def main():
    try:
        # Start the task
        task = await client.agents.cua.start(
            params={
                "task": "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
                "llm": "gpt-5.4",
                "use_computer_action": True,
                "max_steps": 25,
            }
        )

        print(f"Task started: {task.job_id}")
        print(f"Watch live: {task.live_url}")

        # Poll for completion
        while True:
            result = await client.agents.cua.get_status(task.job_id)
            print(f"Status: {result.status}")

            if result.status in ["completed", "failed"]:
                break

            await asyncio.sleep(5)  # Wait 5s

        full_result = await client.agents.cua.get(task.job_id)

        if full_result.status == "completed":
            print("Result:", full_result.data.final_result)
            print(
                "Steps taken:",
                len(full_result.data.steps) if full_result.data.steps else 0,
            )
        else:
            print("Task failed:", full_result.error)
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

import asyncio
from hyperbrowser import AsyncHyperbrowser
from hyperbrowser.models import StartCuaTaskParams
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()

client = AsyncHyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


async def main():
    try:
        # Start the task
        task = await client.agents.cua.start(
            params=StartCuaTaskParams(
                task="What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
                llm="gpt-5.4",
                use_computer_action=True,
                max_steps=25,
            )
        )

        print(f"Task started: {task.job_id}")
        print(f"Watch live: {task.live_url}")

        # Poll for completion
        while True:
            result = await client.agents.cua.get_status(task.job_id)
            print(f"Status: {result.status}")

            if result.status in ["completed", "failed"]:
                break

            await asyncio.sleep(5)  # Wait 5s

        full_result = await client.agents.cua.get(task.job_id)

        if full_result.status == "completed":
            print("Result:", full_result.data.final_result)
            print(
                "Steps taken:",
                len(full_result.data.steps) if full_result.data.steps else 0,
            )
        else:
            print("Task failed:", full_result.error)
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    asyncio.run(main())

Stop a Running Task

Stop a task before it completes:

await client.agents.cua.stop("job-id");

client.agents.cua.stop("job-id")

curl -X PUT https://api.hyperbrowser.ai/api/task/cua/job-id/stop \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Parameters

string

required

Natural language description of what you want CUA to accomplish. Be specific for best results.

string

default:"computer-use-preview"

OpenAI model to use. Available options:

"computer-use-preview" - OpenAI’s Computer-Using Agent model (default)
"gpt-5.6-sol" - GPT-5.6 Sol computer-use model. It is highly recommended to enable useComputerAction when using this model.
"gpt-5.6-terra" - GPT-5.6 Terra computer-use model. It is highly recommended to enable useComputerAction when using this model.
"gpt-5.6-luna" - GPT-5.6 Luna computer-use model. It is highly recommended to enable useComputerAction when using this model.
"gpt-5.5" - GPT-5.5 computer-use model. It is highly recommended to enable useComputerAction when using this model.
"gpt-5.4" - GPT-5.4 computer-use model. It is highly recommended to enable useComputerAction when using this model.
"gpt-5.4-mini" - Smaller, faster, and more cost-effective version of GPT-5.4. It is highly recommended to enable useComputerAction when using this model.

number

default:"20"

Maximum number of actions CUA can take (clicks, typing, navigation, etc.). Increase for complex tasks.

number

default:"3"

Maximum consecutive failures before the task is aborted.

string

ID of an existing browser session to reuse. Useful for multi-step workflows that need to maintain the same browser session.

boolean

default:"false"

Keep the browser session alive after task completion.

boolean

default:"false"

Allow the agent to interact by executing actions on the actual computer not just within the page. Allows the agent to see the entire screen instead of just the page contents.

object

Session configuration (proxy, stealth, captcha solving, etc.). Only applies when creating a new session. If you provide an existing sessionId, these options are ignored.

boolean

default:"false"

Use your own OpenAI API key instead of consuming Hyperbrowser credits for LLM calls. You will only be charged for browser usage.

object

API key for openai. Required when useCustomApiKeys is true.

{
  openai: "..."
}

The agent may not complete the task within the specified maxSteps. If that happens, try increasing the maxSteps parameter.Additionally, the browser session used by the AI Agent will time out based on your team’s default Session Timeout settings or the session’s timeoutMinutes parameter if provided. You can adjust the default Session Timeout in the Settings page.

useComputerAction can often be better for completing tasks but may require more steps. It is especially useful when the agent needs to interact with elements on the page that might not be accessible by or visible to Playwright. Since it allows the agent to see and interact with the entire screen, it is much more powerful. Instead of executing actions with Playwright which can only interact with the page via CDP, computer actions allow the agent to interact directly with computer primitives (direct clicks, typing, scroll, etc.).

Reuse Browser Sessions

You can pass in an existing sessionId to the CUA task so that it can execute the task on an existing session. Also, if you want to keep the session open after executing the task, you can supply the keepBrowserOpen parameter.

import { Hyperbrowser } from "@hyperbrowser/sdk";
import { config } from "dotenv";

config();

const client = new Hyperbrowser({
  apiKey: process.env.HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY,
});

const main = async () => {
  const session = await client.sessions.create();

  try {
    const result = await client.agents.cua.startAndWait({
      task: "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
      llm: "gpt-5.4",
      useComputerAction: true,
      sessionId: session.id,
      keepBrowserOpen: true,
    });

    console.log(`Output:\n${result.data?.finalResult}`);

    const result2 = await client.agents.cua.startAndWait({
      task: "Tell me how many upvotes the first post has.",
      llm: "gpt-5.4",
      useComputerAction: true,
      sessionId: session.id,
    });

    console.log(`\nOutput:\n${result2.data?.finalResult}`);
  } catch (err) {
    console.error(`Error: ${err}`);
  } finally {
    await client.sessions.stop(session.id);
  }
};

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
});

import os
from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


def main():
    session = client.sessions.create()

    try:
        resp = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
            {
                "task": "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
                "llm": "gpt-5.4",
                "use_computer_action": True,
                "session_id": session.id,
                "keep_browser_open": True,
            }
        )

        print(f"Output:\n{resp.data.final_result}")

        resp2 = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
            {
                "task": "Tell me how many upvotes the first post has.",
                "llm": "gpt-5.4",
                "use_computer_action": True,
                "session_id": session.id,
            }
        )

        print(f"\nOutput:\n{resp2.data.final_result}")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
    finally:
        client.sessions.stop(session.id)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        main()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

import os
from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from hyperbrowser.models import StartCuaTaskParams
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


def main():
    session = client.sessions.create()

    try:
        resp = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
            StartCuaTaskParams(
                task="What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
                llm="gpt-5.4",
                use_computer_action=True,
                session_id=session.id,
                keep_browser_open=True,
            )
        )

        print(f"Output:\n{resp.data.final_result}")

        resp2 = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
            StartCuaTaskParams(
                task="Tell me how many upvotes the first post has.",
                llm="gpt-5.4",
                use_computer_action=True,
                session_id=session.id,
            )
        )

        print(f"\nOutput:\n{resp2.data.final_result}")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
    finally:
        client.sessions.stop(session.id)


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        main()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

Always set keepBrowserOpen: true on tasks that you want to reuse the session from. Otherwise, the session will be automatically closed when the task completes.

Using Your Own API Keys

Bring your own OpenAI API key to avoid consuming Hyperbrowser credits for LLM calls. You’ll still be charged for browser session usage, but save on token costs.

import { Hyperbrowser } from "@hyperbrowser/sdk";
import { config } from "dotenv";

config();

const client = new Hyperbrowser({
  apiKey: process.env.HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY,
});

const main = async () => {
  const result = await client.agents.cua.startAndWait({
    task: "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
    llm: "gpt-5.4",
    useComputerAction: true,
    useCustomApiKeys: true,
    apiKeys: {
      openai: "<OPENAI_API_KEY>",
    },
  });

  console.log(`Output:\n\n${result.data?.finalResult}`);
};

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
});

import os
from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


def main():
    resp = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
        {
            "task": "What is the title of the first post on HackerNews today?",
            "llm": "gpt-5.4",
            "use_computer_action": True,
            "use_custom_api_keys": True,
            "api_keys": {
                "openai": "<OPENAI_API_KEY>",
            },
        }
    )

    print(f"Output:\n\n{resp.data.final_result}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        main()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

import os
from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from hyperbrowser.models import StartCuaTaskParams, CuaApiKeys
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


def main():
    resp = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
        StartCuaTaskParams(
            task="What is the title of the first post on HackerNews today?",
            llm="gpt-5.4",
            use_computer_action=True,
            use_custom_api_keys=True,
            api_keys=CuaApiKeys(
                openai="<OPENAI_API_KEY>",
            ),
        )
    )

    print(f"Output:\n\n{resp.data.final_result}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        main()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

curl -X POST https://api.hyperbrowser.ai/api/task/cua \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY" \
  -d '{
    "task": "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
    "llm": "gpt-5.4",
    "useComputerAction": true,
    "useCustomApiKeys": true,
    "apiKeys": {
      "openai": "YOUR_OPENAI_API_KEY"
    }
  }'

Session Configuration

Customize the browser session used by CUA with session options.

import { Hyperbrowser } from "@hyperbrowser/sdk";
import { config } from "dotenv";

config();

const client = new Hyperbrowser({
  apiKey: process.env.HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY,
});

const main = async () => {
  const result = await client.agents.cua.startAndWait({
    task: "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
    llm: "gpt-5.4",
    useComputerAction: true,
    sessionOptions: {
      acceptCookies: true,
    }
  });

  console.log(`Output:\n\n${result.data?.finalResult}`);
};

main().catch((err) => {
  console.error(`Error: ${err.message}`);
});

import os
from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


def main():
    resp = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
        {
            "task": "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
            "llm": "gpt-5.4",
            "use_computer_action": True,
            "session_options": {
                "accept_cookies": True,
            },
        }
    )

    print(f"Output:\n\n{resp.data.final_result}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        main()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

import os
from hyperbrowser import Hyperbrowser
from hyperbrowser.models import StartCuaTaskParams, CreateSessionParams
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

client = Hyperbrowser(api_key=os.getenv("HYPERBROWSER_API_KEY"))


def main():
    resp = client.agents.cua.start_and_wait(
        StartCuaTaskParams(
            task="What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
            llm="gpt-5.4",
            use_computer_action=True,
            session_options=CreateSessionParams(
                accept_cookies=True,
            ),
        )
    )

    print(f"Output:\n\n{resp.data.final_result}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        main()
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")

curl -X POST https://api.hyperbrowser.ai/api/task/cua \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'x-api-key: <YOUR_API_KEY>' \
  -d '{
      "task": "What is the title of the first post on Hacker News today?",
      "llm": "gpt-5.4",
      "useComputerAction": true,
      "sessionOptions": {
          "acceptCookies": true
      }
  }'

sessionOptions only applies when creating a new session. If you provide a sessionId, these options are ignored.

Proxies and CAPTCHA solving add latency to page navigation. Only enable them when necessary for your use case.

Best Practices

Write clear, specific task descriptions

Be explicit about what you want CUA to do. Instead of “check the website”, say “go to example.com, find the pricing page, and extract the cost of the Enterprise plan”.

Set appropriate maxSteps

Simple tasks need 10-20 steps. Complex multi-page workflows might need 50+ steps. Monitor failed tasks and adjust accordingly.

Reuse sessions for multi-step workflows

It is usually better to split up complex tasks into smaller, more manageable ones and execute them as separate agent calls on the same session.

Get Started

Browser Sessions

Session Configuration

Web API

Agents

HyperAgent Usage

Scraping

Integrations

How It Works

Installation

Quick Start

Async Pattern

Stop a Running Task

Parameters

Reuse Browser Sessions

Using Your Own API Keys

Session Configuration

Best Practices

​How It Works

​Installation

​Quick Start

​Async Pattern

​Stop a Running Task

​Parameters

​Reuse Browser Sessions

​Using Your Own API Keys

​Session Configuration

​Best Practices

How It Works

Installation

Quick Start

Async Pattern

Stop a Running Task

Parameters

Reuse Browser Sessions

Using Your Own API Keys

Session Configuration

Best Practices