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 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')
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.