IDE Session Settings
Each tab in the BrowserQL Editor has its own session settings. These settings control browser choice, proxy routing, viewport dimensions, and behavior options for that tab only.
Configuring Session Settings
Open the settings panel from any editor tab to configure the following options. To carry these settings into production, use Export Query as Code, which generates code that reflects the exact settings configured here.
Browser
Choose the browser binary the session runs on.
- Chromium: The open-source Chromium build. Use this as a baseline when site compatibility is not a concern.
- Chrome: Google's Chrome binary. Supports additional codecs not included in Chromium. Use this when a site reports your browser is unsupported, for example on streaming platforms like Twitch.
- Stealth: An in-house Chromium build with comprehensive fingerprinting and realistic browser API values. Use this when targeting sites with bot detection, CAPTCHAs, or Cloudflare protection.
Human-like Behavior
When enabled, the session produces smooth, randomized mouse movements and typing patterns that resemble real user input. Disable this when raw execution speed matters more than evasion.
Adblock
When enabled, the session blocks ads at the network level. This reduces page noise, speeds up loads, and keeps scraping workflows focused on content.
Block Consent Modals
When enabled, the session automatically dismisses cookie consent dialogs and similar popups before your query runs.
Residential Proxying
When enabled, all browser traffic routes through a residential proxy network. This makes requests appear to originate from real consumer devices and helps access geo-restricted content or bypass IP-based blocking.
Residential proxying consumes significantly more units than a standard session. See the Using a Proxy guide for details.
Sticky Proxy
(Requires Residential Proxying to be enabled.)
When enabled, the session routes all requests through the same IP address for the duration of the connection. Use this when the target site ties state to a specific IP, for example when maintaining a logged-in session across multiple requests.
Proxy Country
(Requires Residential Proxying to be enabled.)
Select the country the proxy IP should appear to originate from. Over 180 countries are available. Leave unset to let the proxy network choose automatically.
Locale Match
(Requires Residential Proxying to be enabled.)
When enabled, the browser's Accept-Language header is set to match the selected proxy country. For example, selecting Brazil sets the language to Portuguese. Use this when the target site serves different content based on browser locale.
Viewport Mode
Controls how the browser viewport is sized during the session.
- Fixed: Pins the viewport to the dimensions you select in Viewport Size. A consistent viewport ensures the page renders the same CSS layout in the IDE and in production. If the viewport differs between your IDE session and your programmatic run, the site may switch to a different layout and break selectors that worked during development.
- Responsive: Adapts to the IDE panel size. Useful for interactive exploration, but not recommended when building automation scripts.
Viewport Size
(Only available when Viewport Mode is set to Fixed.)
Choose a preset viewport size for the session:
| Preset | Dimensions |
|---|---|
| Desktop | 1920 × 1080 |
| Laptop | 1366 × 768 (default) |
| Tablet | 1024 × 768 |
Next Steps
Explore these key features to enhance your browser automation: