browser_get_attribute
Get the value of an HTML attribute from an element. Can retrieve any attribute including 'href', 'src', 'value', 'data-*' attributes, 'class', 'id', etc. Returns an empty string if the attribute doesn't exist or the element is not found.
When to use browser_get_attribute
Use browser_get_attribute when you need to inspect the state, attributes, and geometry of page elements. It is part of Owl Browser's Element State toolset and runs inside a self-hosted, source-level stealth engine, so every call inherits the same undetectable browser fingerprint as the rest of your automation — no separate anti-detect setup required.
Usage Example
Parameters
Required
context_idstringrequiredThe unique identifier of the browser context (e.g., 'ctx_000001')
selectorstringrequiredThe element to read the attribute from. Accepts any of: an OwlMark handle token from browser_observe (e.g. 'b7', 'l3', 'x2'), the most reliable target on an agent-rendered page; a CSS selector (e.g. '#submit-btn', '.nav-link', 'input[name="user"]'); viewport coordinates as 'XxY' (e.g. '100x200'); or a natural-language description (e.g. 'the login button'), resolved by the built-in semantic matcher. When a CSS selector matches several elements, append ' >> nth=N' to pin down exactly which one (0-based): '.row button >> nth=2' targets the 3rd match, ' >> nth=-1' or ' >> nth=last' the last, ' >> nth=first' the first. Without the qualifier the tool falls back to its usual disambiguation. The qualifier applies to CSS selectors only; handle tokens and coordinates already name exactly one element.
attributestringrequiredThe attribute name to retrieve (e.g., 'href', 'src', 'value', 'data-id', 'class')
Response
Returns a JSON object with the operation result.
{
"success": true,
"result": <value>
}Frequently Asked Questions
What does browser_get_attribute do?
Get the value of an HTML attribute from an element. Can retrieve any attribute including 'href', 'src', 'value', 'data-*' attributes, 'class', 'id', etc. Returns an empty string if the attribute doesn't exist or the element is not found. It belongs to Owl Browser's Element State category and is available through the REST API, the Python SDK (browser.get_attribute()), the Node.js SDK, and the MCP server.
What parameters does browser_get_attribute accept?
browser_get_attribute accepts 3 required parameters (context_id, selector, attribute) and 0 optional parameters. All parameters are sent as JSON in a POST request to /api/execute/browser_get_attribute.
Is browser_get_attribute detectable by anti-bot systems like Cloudflare or DataDome?
No. browser_get_attribute executes inside Owl Browser's Chromium engine, which applies fingerprint spoofing at the C++ source level rather than through JavaScript patches. Every tool call shares the same consistent, human-like fingerprint, so anti-bot systems such as Cloudflare, DataDome, and Akamai see an ordinary browser.
Related Tools
browser_is_visibleCheck if an element is visible on the page. Returns true if the element exists, is displayed (not hidden), and has non-zero dimensions. Useful for conditional logic based on visibility.
browser_is_enabledCheck if an element is enabled (not disabled). Returns true if the element doesn't have the 'disabled' attribute. Useful for checking if buttons, inputs, or other controls can be interacted with.
browser_is_checkedCheck if a checkbox or radio button is currently checked/selected. Returns true if the element has the 'checked' property set. Useful for verifying form state.
browser_is_editableCheck if an element is editable (not disabled AND not readOnly). Returns 'editable' if the element can accept user input, 'not_editable' if it is disabled or read-only. More comprehensive than browser_is_enabled which only checks the disabled attribute.
browser_count_elementsCount the number of elements matching a CSS selector. Returns the count as an integer. Useful for checking how many items exist (e.g., list items, search results, table rows) without extracting full element data.
browser_get_bounding_boxGet the position and size of an element. Returns {x, y, width, height} representing the element's bounding rectangle in viewport coordinates. Useful for positioning or calculating drag coordinates.