Content
<h1 align="center">AGENT DESKTOP</h1>
<p align="center">
<strong>OBSERVE. DECIDE. ACT.</strong>
</p>
<p align="center">
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</p>
<p align="center">
<img src="assets/Tutorial.gif" alt="agent-desktop tutorial demo" width="800" />
</p>
**agent-desktop** is a native desktop automation CLI designed for AI agents, built with Rust. It gives structured access to any application through OS accessibility trees — no screenshots, no pixel matching, no browser required.
## Architecture
<p align="center">
<img src="docs/architecture.png" alt="agent-desktop architecture diagram" width="900" />
</p>
<p align="center">
<img src="docs/example.png" alt="agent-desktop real-world example — Slack accessibility tree with 97% token savings" width="900" />
</p>
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## Key Features
- **Native Rust CLI**: Fast, single binary, no runtime dependencies
- **C-ABI cdylib** (`libagent_desktop_ffi`): Load once from Python / Swift / Go / Ruby / Node / C instead of forking the CLI per call
- **54 commands**: Observation, interaction, keyboard, mouse, notifications, clipboard, window management, plus a bundled `skills` doc loader
- **Progressive skeleton traversal**: 78–96% token reduction on dense apps via shallow overview + targeted drill-down
- **Snapshot & refs**: AI-optimized workflow using compact snapshot IDs and deterministic element references (`@e1`, `@e2`)
- **Headless-by-default interactions**: Ref actions use accessibility APIs and block silent focus, cursor, keyboard, or pasteboard side effects
- **Structured JSON output**: Machine-readable responses with error codes and recovery hints
- **Works with any app**: Finder, Safari, System Settings, Xcode, Slack — anything with an accessibility tree
## Installation
### npm (recommended)
```bash
npm install -g agent-desktop # downloads prebuilt binary automatically
```
Or without installing:
```bash
npx agent-desktop snapshot --app Finder -i
```
### From source
```bash
git clone https://github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop
cd agent-desktop
cargo build --release
cp target/release/agent-desktop /usr/local/bin/
```
Requires Rust 1.78+ and macOS 13.0+.
### Permissions
macOS requires Accessibility permission. Screenshots also require Screen Recording permission. Grant them in **System Settings > Privacy & Security** by adding the app that launches agent-desktop, or:
```bash
agent-desktop permissions --request # trigger platform permission request path
```
Permission fields are explicit objects, for example:
```json
{
"accessibility": { "state": "granted" },
"screen_recording": { "state": "denied", "suggestion": "Grant Screen Recording permission" },
"automation": { "state": "not_required" }
}
```
## Language bindings (FFI)
Every GitHub Release ships a prebuilt C-ABI cdylib alongside the CLI tarballs. Hosts that need in-process calls (Python agents, Swift apps, Go services, Node tools, Ruby scripts, C/C++ code) `dlopen` the dylib and call the functions declared in `agent_desktop.h` — no fork-exec per command.
| Platform | Artifact |
|----------------------|----------|
| macOS arm64 | `agent-desktop-ffi-v<ver>-aarch64-apple-darwin.tar.gz` |
| macOS x86_64 | `agent-desktop-ffi-v<ver>-x86_64-apple-darwin.tar.gz` |
| Linux x86_64 (glibc) | `agent-desktop-ffi-v<ver>-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz` |
| Linux arm64 (glibc) | `agent-desktop-ffi-v<ver>-aarch64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz` |
| Windows x86_64 (MSVC)| `agent-desktop-ffi-v<ver>-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip` |
Each archive contains `lib/libagent_desktop_ffi.{dylib,so,dll}`, `include/agent_desktop.h`, `LICENSE`, and a short README. Verify the download with the release's `checksums.txt`:
```bash
shasum -a 256 -c checksums.txt
gh attestation verify agent-desktop-ffi-v*.tar.gz --repo lahfir/agent-desktop # Sigstore provenance
```
Minimal Python round-trip:
```python
import ctypes
lib = ctypes.CDLL("./lib/libagent_desktop_ffi.dylib")
lib.ad_adapter_create.restype = ctypes.c_void_p
adapter = lib.ad_adapter_create()
# ... call ad_list_apps / ad_get_tree / ad_execute_action, see docs below
lib.ad_adapter_destroy(adapter)
```
Full consumer guide — error-handling contract, ownership rules, threading constraints, every entrypoint with Safety docs: [`skills/agent-desktop-ffi/`](skills/agent-desktop-ffi/).
## Core Workflow for AI
For dense apps (Slack, VS Code, Notion), use **progressive skeleton traversal** to minimize token usage:
```bash
# 1. Shallow overview — depth-3 map, truncated containers show children_count
agent-desktop snapshot --skeleton --app Slack -i --compact
# Keep snapshot_id, for example s8f3k2p9
# 2. Drill into a region of interest (named containers get refs as drill targets)
agent-desktop snapshot --root @e3 --snapshot s8f3k2p9 -i --compact
# 3. Act on an element found in the drill-down
agent-desktop click @e12 --snapshot s8f3k2p9
# 4. Re-drill the same region to verify the state change
agent-desktop snapshot --root @e3 --snapshot s8f3k2p9 -i --compact
```
For simple apps, a full snapshot is fine:
```bash
agent-desktop snapshot --app Finder -i # get interactive elements with refs and snapshot_id
agent-desktop click @e3 --snapshot s8f3k2p9 # click a button by ref
agent-desktop type @e5 --snapshot s8f3k2p9 "quarterly report" # insert text into a field
agent-desktop press cmd+s # keyboard shortcut
agent-desktop snapshot -i # re-observe after UI changes
```
```
Agent loop: snapshot → decide → act → snapshot → decide → act → ...
```
## Commands
### Observation
```bash
agent-desktop snapshot --app Safari -i # accessibility tree with refs
agent-desktop snapshot --surface menu # capture open menu
agent-desktop screenshot --app Finder # PNG screenshot
agent-desktop find --role button --app TextEdit # search by role, name, value, text
agent-desktop get @e3 --snapshot s8f3k2p9 --property value # read element property
agent-desktop is @e7 --snapshot s8f3k2p9 --property checked # check boolean state
agent-desktop list-surfaces --app Notes # list menus, sheets, popovers, alerts
```
### Interaction
```bash
agent-desktop click @e3 # semantic AX-first click
agent-desktop double-click @e3 # AXOpen; physical double-click uses mouse-click --count 2
agent-desktop triple-click @e3 # POLICY_DENIED if physical input is disabled
agent-desktop right-click @e3 # open verified context menu
agent-desktop type @e5 "hello world" # insert text into element
agent-desktop set-value @e5 "new value" # set value directly via AX
agent-desktop clear @e5 # clear element value
agent-desktop focus @e5 # set keyboard focus
agent-desktop select @e9 "Option B" # select verified dropdown/list option
agent-desktop toggle @e12 # flip checkbox or switch
agent-desktop check @e12 # idempotent check
agent-desktop uncheck @e12 # idempotent uncheck
agent-desktop expand @e15 # expand disclosure/tree item
agent-desktop collapse @e15 # collapse disclosure/tree item
agent-desktop scroll @e1 --direction down --amount 3 # scroll (AX-first)
agent-desktop scroll-to @e20 # scroll element into view
```
### Keyboard
```bash
agent-desktop press cmd+s # key combo
agent-desktop press cmd+shift+z # multi-modifier
agent-desktop press escape # single key
agent-desktop key-down shift # hold key
agent-desktop key-up shift # release key
```
### Mouse
```bash
agent-desktop hover @e3 # move cursor to element
agent-desktop hover --xy 500,300 # move cursor to coordinates
agent-desktop drag @e3 --to @e8 # drag between elements
agent-desktop drag --xy 100,200 --to-xy 400,200 # drag between coordinates
agent-desktop mouse-click --xy 500,300 # click at coordinates
agent-desktop mouse-down --xy 500,300 # press at coordinates
agent-desktop mouse-up --xy 500,300 # release at coordinates
```
### App & Window Management
```bash
agent-desktop launch Safari # launch app by name
agent-desktop launch com.apple.Safari # launch by bundle ID
agent-desktop close-app Safari # quit app
agent-desktop close-app Safari --force # force quit (SIGKILL)
agent-desktop list-apps # list running GUI apps
agent-desktop list-windows # list visible windows
agent-desktop list-windows --app Finder # windows for specific app
agent-desktop focus-window w-4521 # bring window to front
agent-desktop resize-window w-4521 800 600 # resize
agent-desktop move-window w-4521 100 100 # move
agent-desktop minimize w-4521 # minimize
agent-desktop maximize w-4521 # maximize
agent-desktop restore w-4521 # restore
```
### Notifications *(macOS only)*
```bash
agent-desktop list-notifications # list all notifications
agent-desktop list-notifications --app "Slack" # filter by app
agent-desktop list-notifications --text "deploy" --limit 5 # filter by text
agent-desktop dismiss-notification 1 # dismiss by index
agent-desktop dismiss-all-notifications # dismiss all
agent-desktop dismiss-all-notifications --app "Slack" # dismiss all from app
agent-desktop notification-action 1 --action "Reply" # click action button
```
### Clipboard
```bash
agent-desktop clipboard-get # read clipboard text
agent-desktop clipboard-set "copied" # write to clipboard
agent-desktop clipboard-clear # clear clipboard
```
### Wait
```bash
agent-desktop wait 500 # sleep 500ms
agent-desktop wait --element @e3 --timeout 5000 # wait for element
agent-desktop wait --window "Save" --timeout 10000 # wait for window
agent-desktop wait --text "Loading complete" --app Safari # wait for text
agent-desktop wait --menu --timeout 3000 # wait for menu
```
### Batch
```bash
agent-desktop batch '[
{"command": "click", "args": {"ref_id": "@e2", "snapshot": "<snapshot_id>"}},
{"command": "type", "args": {"ref_id": "@e5", "snapshot": "<snapshot_id>", "text": "hello"}},
{"command": "press", "args": {"combo": "return"}}
]' --stop-on-error
```
### System
```bash
agent-desktop status # platform, permission report, latest snapshot
agent-desktop permissions # check accessibility/screen-recording/automation
agent-desktop permissions --request # invoke platform request path
agent-desktop version # version string
```
## Snapshot Options
```bash
agent-desktop snapshot [OPTIONS]
```
| Flag | Default | Description |
|------|---------|-------------|
| `--app <NAME>` | focused app | Filter to a specific application |
| `--window-id <ID>` | - | Filter to a specific window |
| `-i` / `--interactive-only` | off | Only include interactive elements |
| `--compact` | off | Omit empty structural nodes |
| `--include-bounds` | off | Include pixel bounds (x, y, width, height) |
| `--max-depth <N>` | 10 | Maximum tree depth |
| `--skeleton` | off | Shallow 3-level overview; truncated containers show `children_count` and get refs as drill targets |
| `--root <REF>` | - | Start traversal from this ref; merges into existing refmap with scoped invalidation |
| `--snapshot <snapshot_id>` | latest | Snapshot ID to use when resolving `--root` |
| `--surface <TYPE>` | window | `window`, `focused`, `menu`, `menubar`, `sheet`, `popover`, `alert` |
## JSON Output
Every command returns structured JSON:
```json
{
"version": "2.0",
"ok": true,
"command": "click",
"data": { "action": "click" }
}
```
Errors include machine-readable codes and recovery hints:
```json
{
"version": "2.0",
"ok": false,
"command": "click",
"error": {
"code": "STALE_REF",
"message": "Element at @e7 no longer matches the last snapshot",
"suggestion": "Run 'snapshot' to refresh refs, then retry"
}
}
```
### Error Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| `PERM_DENIED` | Accessibility permission not granted |
| `ELEMENT_NOT_FOUND` | No element matched the ref or query |
| `APP_NOT_FOUND` | Application not running or no windows |
| `STALE_REF` | Ref is from a previous snapshot |
| `SNAPSHOT_NOT_FOUND` | Snapshot ID is missing or expired |
| `POLICY_DENIED` | Physical/headed path blocked by policy |
| `ACTION_FAILED` | The OS rejected the action |
| `PLATFORM_NOT_SUPPORTED` | Adapter method not implemented on this platform |
| `TIMEOUT` | Wait condition expired |
| `INVALID_ARGS` | Invalid argument values |
### Exit Codes
`0` success, `1` structured error (JSON on stdout), `2` argument parse error.
## Ref System
`snapshot` assigns refs to interactive elements in depth-first order: `@e1`, `@e2`, `@e3`, etc. Refs are scoped to a compact `snapshot_id` such as `s8f3k2p9`. Commands can omit `--snapshot` to use the latest snapshot pointer, but passing the ID is more deterministic in multi-step flows.
Interactive roles that receive refs: `button`, `textfield`, `checkbox`, `link`, `menuitem`, `tab`, `slider`, `combobox`, `treeitem`, `cell`, `radiobutton`, `incrementor`, `menubutton`, `switch`, `colorwell`, `dockitem`.
Static elements (labels, groups, containers) appear in the tree for context but have no ref.
Stale ref recovery:
```
snapshot → act → STALE_REF? → snapshot again → retry
```
## Platform Support
| | macOS | Windows | Linux |
|---|:---:|:---:|:---:|
| Accessibility tree | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Click / type / keyboard | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Mouse input | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Screenshot | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Clipboard | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| App & window management | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Notifications | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
## Development
```bash
cargo build # debug build
cargo build --release # optimized (<15MB)
cargo test --lib --workspace # run tests
cargo clippy --all-targets -- -D warnings # lint (must pass with zero warnings)
```
## FAQ
### What is agent-desktop?
agent-desktop is a native desktop automation CLI for AI agents. It lets agents observe and control desktop apps through OS accessibility trees, using structured JSON instead of screenshots, pixel matching, or browser-only automation.
### Does agent-desktop require screenshots or pixel matching?
No. The core workflow reads native accessibility trees and assigns refs to interactive elements. Screenshots are available as a separate command, but agents do not need screenshots or pixel matching to click buttons, type into fields, inspect menus, or navigate app windows.
### How does agent-desktop work?
| Component | Function |
|-----------|----------|
| **Native Rust CLI** | Fast, single binary, no runtime dependencies |
| **C-ABI cdylib** | Load once from Python, Swift, Go, Ruby, Node, or C instead of forking |
| **54 Commands** | Observation, interaction, keyboard, mouse, notifications, clipboard, window management, and bundled `skills` docs |
| **Snapshot & Refs** | Compact snapshot IDs and deterministic element refs like `@e1`, `@e2` |
| **Structured JSON** | Machine-readable responses with error codes and recovery hints |
### What makes agent-desktop useful for AI agents?
| Feature | Benefit |
|---------|---------|
| **Progressive Skeleton Traversal** | 78–96% token reduction on dense apps |
| **Headless-by-Default Actions** | Ref actions use accessibility APIs and block unintended physical side effects |
| **Snapshot Refs** | Agents act on stable refs within a snapshot instead of guessing coordinates |
| **Recovery Hints** | Errors include machine-readable codes and suggestions for the next agent step |
| **Cross-Language FFI** | Python, Swift, Go, Ruby, Node, C, and C++ hosts can call the native library directly |
### Which platforms are supported?
| Feature | macOS | Windows | Linux |
|---------|:-----:|:-------:|:-----:|
| Accessibility tree | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Click/type/keyboard | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Mouse input | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Screenshot | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Clipboard | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| App/window management | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
| Notifications | **Yes** | Planned | Planned |
### How do I install agent-desktop?
Install the CLI from npm:
```bash
npm install -g agent-desktop
agent-desktop snapshot --app Safari
```
Build the FFI library from source:
```bash
cargo build --release
# Outputs: libagent_desktop_ffi.dylib/.so/.dll
```
### What is the ref system?
`snapshot` assigns refs to interactive elements in depth-first order: `@e1`, `@e2`, `@e3`, etc. Refs are scoped to a compact `snapshot_id` such as `s8f3k2p9`.
Interactive roles that receive refs:
`button`, `textfield`, `checkbox`, `link`, `menuitem`, `tab`, `slider`, `combobox`, `treeitem`, `cell`, `radiobutton`, `incrementor`, `menubutton`, `switch`, `colorwell`, `dockitem`.
Stale ref recovery:
```text
snapshot -> act -> STALE_REF? -> snapshot again -> retry
```
### Is agent-desktop free and open source?
Yes. agent-desktop is Apache-2.0 licensed for personal and commercial use.
### Where can I get help?
| Resource | Link |
|----------|------|
| **Repository** | [github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop](https://github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop) |
| **ClawHub Skill** | [clawhub.ai/lahfir/agent-desktop](https://clawhub.ai/lahfir/agent-desktop) |
| **skills.sh Listing** | [skills.sh/lahfir/agent-desktop/agent-desktop](https://skills.sh/lahfir/agent-desktop/agent-desktop) |
| **npm Package** | [npmjs.com/package/agent-desktop](https://www.npmjs.com/package/agent-desktop) |
| **CI Status** | [GitHub Actions](https://github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop/actions/workflows/ci.yml?query=branch%3Amain) |
| **Releases** | [GitHub Releases](https://github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop/releases) |
| **Issues** | [GitHub Issues](https://github.com/lahfir/agent-desktop/issues) |
## License
Apache-2.0
