browser_start_video_recording
Begin recording a video of the browser session. Captures all visual activity in the viewport. Recording continues until stopped with browser_stop_video_recording. Useful for debugging, demos, and documentation.
When to use browser_start_video_recording
Use browser_start_video_recording when you need to record or stream a live browser session. It is part of Owl Browser's Video Recording toolset and runs inside a self-hosted, source-level stealth engine, so every call uses the same configured fingerprint controls as the rest of your automation. Detection still depends on the site, network, behavior, and profile consistency.
Usage Example
Parameters
Required
context_idstringrequiredThe unique identifier of the browser context (e.g., 'ctx_000001')
Optional
fpsintegerFrames per second for the recording. Higher = smoother but larger file. Default: 30. Recommended: 15-30 for most use cases
codecstringVideo codec for encoding. Default: 'libx264' (H.264, widely compatible). Accepted values: 'libx264', 'libx265', 'h264', 'hevc', 'vp8', 'vp9', 'libvpx', 'libvpx-vp9', 'mpeg4', 'copy'. Any other value is rejected and recording fails to start. The codec must also be supported by the system FFmpeg
Response
Returns a JSON object with the operation result.
{
"success": true,
"result": <value>
}Frequently Asked Questions
What does browser_start_video_recording do?
Begin recording a video of the browser session. Captures all visual activity in the viewport. Recording continues until stopped with browser_stop_video_recording. Useful for debugging, demos, and documentation. It belongs to Owl Browser's Video Recording category and is available through the REST API, the Python SDK (browser.start_video_recording()), the Node.js SDK, and the MCP server.
What parameters does browser_start_video_recording accept?
browser_start_video_recording accepts 1 required parameter (context_id) and 2 optional parameters. All parameters are sent as JSON in a POST request to /api/execute/browser_start_video_recording.
Is browser_start_video_recording detectable by anti-bot systems like Cloudflare or DataDome?
No. browser_start_video_recording 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_pause_video_recordingTemporarily pause video recording without stopping it. The recording can be resumed later with browser_resume_video_recording. Paused segments are not included in the final video.
browser_resume_video_recordingResume a paused video recording. Continues capturing from where it was paused. Only valid after browser_pause_video_recording.
browser_stop_video_recordingStop video recording and save the video file. Returns the path to the saved MP4 file in /tmp. The file can then be downloaded or processed further.
browser_get_video_recording_statsGet statistics about the current video recording including frames captured, duration, file size estimate, and recording state (recording/paused/stopped).
browser_download_video_recordingGet a download URL for a completed video recording. Returns a temporary URL that can be used to download the recorded MP4 video file. The recording must be stopped first using browser_stop_video_recording.
browser_start_live_streamStart a live MJPEG video stream of the browser session accessible via HTTP. Returns a stream URL that can be viewed in any browser or video player. Useful for real-time monitoring of browser activity.