DocsFrame Handlingbrowser_switch_to_frame

browser_switch_to_frame

browser_switch_to_frame

Switch the browser context to interact with an iframe. After switching, all subsequent operations (click, type, etc.) target elements within that frame. Use frame name, index, or CSS selector.

When to use browser_switch_to_frame

Use browser_switch_to_frame when you need to work with frames and iframes inside a page. It is part of Owl Browser's Frame Handling 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

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import asyncio
from owl_browser import OwlBrowser, RemoteConfig
# Async usage
async with OwlBrowser(config) as browser:
context = await browser.create_context()
context_id = context["context_id"]
await browser.switch_to_frame(
context_id=context_id
)

Parameters

Required

context_idstringrequired

The unique identifier of the browser context (e.g., 'ctx_000001')

Optional

frame_selectorstring

Frame identifier: name attribute, frame index as string (e.g., '0', '1'), CSS selector for the iframe element, or the raw frame id returned by browser_list_frames. Accepted aliases: 'id', 'frame_id', 'frame' (so browser_list_frames[].id can be passed straight through). One of these is required.

Response

Returns a JSON object with the operation result.

{
  "success": true,
  "result": <value>
}

Frequently Asked Questions

What does browser_switch_to_frame do?

Switch the browser context to interact with an iframe. After switching, all subsequent operations (click, type, etc.) target elements within that frame. Use frame name, index, or CSS selector. It belongs to Owl Browser's Frame Handling category and is available through the REST API, the Python SDK (browser.switch_to_frame()), the Node.js SDK, and the MCP server.

What parameters does browser_switch_to_frame accept?

browser_switch_to_frame accepts 1 required parameter (context_id) and 1 optional parameter. All parameters are sent as JSON in a POST request to /api/execute/browser_switch_to_frame.

Is browser_switch_to_frame detectable by anti-bot systems like Cloudflare or DataDome?

No. browser_switch_to_frame 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_list_frames

List all frames (main frame and iframes) on the current page. Returns frame names, URLs, and indices. Use to discover iframes before switching context to interact with their content.

browser_switch_to_main_frame

Switch back to the main (top-level) frame after interacting with an iframe. Call this to return to the main document after browser_switch_to_frame operations.

browser_create_context

Create a new isolated browser context with its own cookies, storage, and optional proxy configuration. Each context acts as an independent browser session. Use this to create multiple isolated browsing sessions, configure proxy/Tor connections, load browser profiles with saved fingerprints, and enable/disable LLM features. Returns a context_id to use with other browser tools.

browser_navigate

Navigate the browser to a specified URL. This is a non-blocking operation that starts navigation and returns immediately. Use browser_wait_for_network_idle or browser_wait_for_selector to wait for the page to fully load. Supports HTTP, HTTPS, file, and data URLs. When wait_until is set (load, networkidle, fullscroll, domcontentloaded) and the page declares WebMCP tools, the response includes a webmcp_tools array containing the full tool definitions (name, description, inputSchema). Use browser_webmcp_call_tool to execute any of these tools directly.

browser_observe

Agent-native page observation. Returns the compacted OwlMark render (text-only structural view of the page), a handle table of interactive elements with stable tokens, page metadata, and a token estimate. Pass a handle token (e.g. 'b3') or 'pm:N' to browser_click/browser_type. Requires the context to be created with render_mode 'agent' or 'both'. ~20-100x fewer tokens than a screenshot for AI agent page understanding.

browser_click

Click on an element using CSS selector, XY coordinates, or natural language description. Supports semantic element finding using AI - describe what you want to click (e.g., 'login button', 'search icon') and the system will locate the right element. Simulates a real mouse click with proper event dispatch. Optionally hold the mouse button for press-and-hold interactions using hold_ms.

Browse the full Owl Browser API reference or get started with the Python SDK and Node.js SDK.