git:20260727.60d0582 to git:20260918.26378fb

---

name: codex-web-render

description: >-

Fetch JavaScript-heavy, client-rendered, or bot-protected web pages that the

built-in WebFetch tool cannot read (WebFetch returns an empty body, a loading

spinner, an "enable JavaScript" notice, or just nav/boilerplate from an

un-hydrated app shell). Drives a real system browser headless (no visible

window, ~5-10s) and returns the page's fully rendered visible text, falling

back to the Codex CLI only if that fails. Use this when the target URL matches

the bundled problem-sites list (e.g. claude.ai/share links and other

single-page apps), or when a WebFetch result for any URL comes back empty,

truncated, or like an un-rendered SPA shell.

---

# Codex Web Render

Render JavaScript-heavy or bot-protected pages with a real browser and return

the page's visible text. This exists because the built-in `WebFetch` retrieves

raw HTML without executing JavaScript, so client-rendered pages come back as

empty shells.

The script has two paths:

1. **Fast path (default).** A pre-written Playwright renderer (`scripts/render.py`)

`--headless=new` mode with `--disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled`.

No visible window opens, it takes ~5-10s, and that automation flag is what

clears Cloudflare's non-interactive "checking your browser" challenge that

plain headless Chromium gets blocked by.

## When to use this skill

Use it in either of these cases:

1. **The URL is on the known problem list.** Before calling `WebFetch`, read

`problem-sites.txt` in this skill's directory. If the target URL contains any

pattern listed there, skip `WebFetch` entirely and render with Codex. The

list is seeded with `claude.ai/share`.

2. **A `WebFetch` result looks un-rendered.** If you did call `WebFetch` and the

result looks like an un-hydrated shell, fall back to Codex. Tell-tale signs:

- Near-empty body, or only nav/footer boilerplate with no real content.

- Text such as "You need to enable JavaScript to run this app".

- A loading spinner / skeleton and none of the content you asked about.

- The body is suspiciously short relative to what the page should contain.

## How to render

Run the bundled wrapper script with the URL. It prints the rendered visible

text to stdout:

```bash

bash ~/.claude/skills/codex-web-render/scripts/render-url.sh "<URL>"

```

Use the printed text as the page content for the rest of your task. The script

## Maintaining the problem-sites list

When you find a new domain that consistently returns an un-rendered shell from

`WebFetch`, offer to add it so future fetches skip straight to Codex. Append one

URL substring per line to:

```

~/.claude/skills/codex-web-render/problem-sites.txt

```

Match on the most specific stable path that identifies the problem (a bare

domain like `example.com`, or a path prefix like `example.com/app`).

## Prerequisites

browser download is needed because it reuses the system browser binary.

- Fallback path: the Codex CLI installed and authenticated (`npm i -g

@openai/codex` then `codex login`). Only needed if the fast path can't render.

The script runs `codex exec --dangerously-bypass-approvals-and-sandbox` so the

## Notes and limitations

- The fast path is windowless and free; the Codex fallback spends Codex

usage/credits and is much slower. Only reach for this skill when `WebFetch`

can't do the job.

- It renders a single page's text. It does not log in, click through flows, or

bypass paywalls or auth walls. It uses a throwaway browser profile, so a page

needing your session returns whatever a logged-out browser sees.

- Output is the page's visible text, not raw HTML or structured data.