Stateless browser on Workers
Runs entirely on Workers as a stateless browser, so sessions are ephemeral and designed to exist only for the duration of a task.
Kitesurf
Kitesurf is Cloudflare's stateless browser for AI agents, built to run entirely on Workers for screenshots, HTML extraction, and automation. It is intended for lightweight, bursty browser workflows that can trade away pixel-perfect rendering and other desktop-browser features.
Overview
Kitesurf is Cloudflare's stateless browser for AI agents. It runs entirely on Workers and is built to handle browser tasks that matter to agents, including screenshots, HTML extraction, and automation.
Rather than aiming for a full desktop browsing experience, Kitesurf trades away human-focused features such as tabs, themes, extensions, and pixel-perfect rendering in order to reduce CPU and memory use. Cloudflare positions it for bursty, AI-driven workloads where scaling and cost efficiency are more important than a complete Chromium feature set.
Features
Agent-first design
Optimized for agent workflows by prioritizing token count, context windows, scalability, performance, and cost instead of desktop browser features.
Quick Actions for common tasks
Supports one-shot browser tasks such as screenshots, HTML extraction, PDF generation, Markdown extraction, accessibility tree capture, scraping, and link retrieval through Quick Actions.
CDP access for advanced automation
Exposes a CDP endpoint for persistent sessions, tab management, debugging, and control from Puppeteer, Playwright, or other CDP-compatible clients.
MCP client compatibility
Can be used from an MCP client with a CDP connection, allowing AI agents to connect through a standard browser control setup.
Playground for compatibility checks
Includes a public playground with DOM inspection, console output, network activity, and memory information for testing compatibility before building code.
Use Cases
Agent page rendering and extraction
Use Kitesurf when an AI agent needs to render a page, extract HTML, or capture a screenshot without paying the cost of a full desktop browser stack.
One-off browser tasks
Use Quick Actions for single-purpose browser jobs such as screenshot capture, PDF generation, Markdown extraction, or scraping when a script-free flow is enough.
Advanced browser automation
Use the CDP endpoint when you need persistent sessions, tab management, or deeper control from Puppeteer, Playwright, Node.js scripts, or CI/CD jobs.
Preflight site compatibility checks
Use the playground to check whether a site renders correctly before wiring it into production workflows, especially when compatibility is uncertain.
Bursty AI-driven workloads
Use Kitesurf for bursty workloads where many short-lived sessions may be more practical than a smaller number of long-lived browser instances.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Runs entirely on Workers and is stateless, which fits ephemeral agent workflows.
- Uses significantly less CPU and memory than Chromium for common screenshot and HTML extraction tasks.
- Supports both Quick Actions and CDP, giving teams a simple path for one-off jobs and more advanced automation.
- Works with existing Puppeteer, Playwright, and other CDP-compatible setups through the Browser Run endpoint.
- Has a playground and WPT coverage data that help users test site compatibility before building workflows.
Cons
- It does not yet support video playback or WebGL.
- It is not suited to long-running authenticated sessions that need persistent state.
- Rendering is not pixel-perfect, so some sites may not behave the same as they do in Chromium.
FAQ
What is Kitesurf used for?
Kitesurf is a stateless browser that runs entirely on Workers. It is designed for AI agents and supports tasks such as screenshots, HTML extraction, and automation.
When should I choose Kitesurf over Chromium?
Use Kitesurf when you need a lightweight browser for agentic tasks, one-shot Quick Actions, or bursty workloads where CPU and memory efficiency matter more than pixel-perfect rendering.
How do I access Kitesurf?
Kitesurf can be used through Quick Actions, the Browser Run CDP endpoint, or an MCP client that speaks both MCP and CDP.
What are the main limitations of Kitesurf?
Kitesurf is not yet the right choice for playing video, rendering WebGL, negotiating bot challenges with real TLS fingerprints, or starting long-lived authenticated sessions that require persistent state.
Is Kitesurf paid?
The docs say Kitesurf is in beta and available for free, behind per-account limits.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Developer Tool
- Platform
- Cloudflare Workers
- Primary use
- Agentic browser automation
- Access methods
- Quick Actions, CDP, MCP client
- Availability
- Beta, free behind per-account limits
- Source domain
- developers.cloudflare.com
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