OpenClaw Playwright Proxy Configuration

OpenClaw↗ agents that use Playwright for browser automation can send all traffic through a proxy by setting proxy options at browser launch. This guide shows how to configure a residential proxy (including rotating) for the Playwright instance used by your OpenClaw skill so your agent’s browsing and scraping go through residential IPs.

Where Proxy Is Set in OpenClaw

OpenClaw doesn’t configure the proxy itself; the skill or agent code that starts the browser does. So you need to:

Find the place where Playwright’s chromium.launch() (or similar) is called.
Add the proxy option to that call.

If you use a community skill, check its config or docs for proxy support. If you write a custom skill, use the same pattern as in Playwright Proxy Configuration Guide and Using Proxies with Playwright.

Playwright Proxy Options

In Node.js with Playwright:

javascript

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

const browser = await chromium.launch({
  headless: true,
  proxy: {
    server: 'http://p1.bytesflows.com:8001',
    username: 'your-username',
    password: 'your-password'
  }
});

server — Proxy URL (host:port). Use http:// or https:// as required by the provider.
username / password — Auth for the proxy gateway. Prefer environment variables so credentials aren’t in code. OpenClaw Proxy Setup.

All pages and requests from that browser instance then use the proxy. If the provider uses rotating residential IPs, each new request (or session) can get a new IP. How Proxy Rotation Works and Rotating Proxies for Web Scraping.

Using Environment Variables

Store credentials in env vars and read them in your skill:

javascript

const browser = await chromium.launch({
  proxy: process.env.PROXY_SERVER ? {
    server: process.env.PROXY_SERVER,
    username: process.env.PROXY_USER,
    password: process.env.PROXY_PASS
  } : undefined
});

Set in the environment where OpenClaw runs (e.g. export PROXY_SERVER=...). This keeps secrets out of the repo and makes it easy to switch proxies per environment. OpenClaw Proxy Setup.

Sticky vs Rotating in Playwright

From Playwright’s perspective you always pass one proxy endpoint. The provider decides whether that endpoint rotates (new IP per request) or is sticky (same IP for a session). Configure that in the provider’s dashboard or via gateway parameters. Playwright just sends traffic to the gateway. Proxy Rotation Strategies and Why OpenClaw Agents Need Residential Proxies.

Testing the Setup

Run an OpenClaw task that uses the browser (e.g. open a few pages).
Confirm the target (or a “what’s my IP” page) sees a residential IP and, if rotating, that the IP changes across requests.
Use Proxy Checker with the same gateway to validate connectivity and Scraping Test to confirm your target allows the proxy.

If you get CAPTCHA or 403, see Bypassing Cloudflare with OpenClaw and Avoiding Blocks When Using OpenClaw.

FAQ

Where do I set the proxy in OpenClaw? In the skill or agent code that calls chromium.launch() (or equivalent). Add proxy: { server, username, password } to the launch options. OpenClaw Proxy Setup and Playwright Proxy Configuration Guide.

Does Playwright support rotating proxies? Playwright sends traffic to one proxy URL; the provider decides rotation. Use a residential proxy gateway that rotates; no extra config in Playwright. OpenClaw Rotating Proxy and How Proxy Rotation Works.

How do I test that the proxy works? Run a task that opens a “what’s my IP” page or your target; check the IP is residential. Use Proxy Checker and Scraping Test with the same gateway. OpenClaw AI Agent Anti-Bot.

Summary

OpenClaw Playwright proxy configuration is done in the browser launch call: add proxy: { server, username, password } to chromium.launch(). Use env vars for credentials. The proxy provider controls rotation vs sticky. For full setup, see OpenClaw Proxy Setup and Playwright Proxy Configuration Guide. For residential proxies, Residential Proxies and Best Proxies for Web Scraping.

OpenClaw Playwright Proxy Configuration

Key Takeaways