For API library updates, see the Node SDK, Python SDK, and Go SDK changelogs.
January 23
Product updates
- Browser pools are now generally available for our Startup and Enterprise plans! Make your startup times even faster with a fleet of instant browsers that come pre-loaded with the logins, cookies, and extensions your agents depend on.
- We improved the Browsers page user experience. Enjoy instant clickability of browser cards, shift+click range selection, preserved view state when switching between grid and list views, a live toggle for auto-refresh, keyboard shortcut support (Cmd+B / Ctrl+B to toggle sidebar), and more.
- We added support for viewing replays of deleted browser sessions. Deleted browsers now navigate to their detail page, which shows the replay player with multiple replays displayed as tabs. The API now supports fetching deleted browser details using new query parameters.
- Overhauled our Anthropic Computer Use template to use Kernel’s Computer Controls API instead of Playwright, improving reliability and performance.
- We improved the live view experience to show a clear “disconnected” screen when a browser is destroyed, instead of leaving users on a blank page.
January 16
Product updates
- Added a Past Sessions view to the dashboard showing your 100 most recent browser sessions; provided context about the session history limit.
- Improved browser session stability to reduce premature disconnections and WebSocket failures.
Documentation updates
- Updated Playwright examples on the File I/O page with a more streamlined approach for uploads and downloads.
January 9
Product updates
- Introduced a new Hobbyist plan, which provides affordable access to features like session replays, uploading and downloading files, and using custom Chrome extensions.
- Updated the Gemini Computer Use template to use Stagehand V3, resolving compatibility issues.
- Added support for Actor and Thinker OpenAGI models, with guidance on when to use each approach.
- Added new Claude Agent SDK templates for TypeScript and Python that demonstrate browser automation using Kernel’s Playwright execution API.
Documentation updates
- Added documentation for the OpenAGI Lux integration using the
kernel createmethod, including examples for bothAsyncDefaultAgentandTaskerAgent. - Improved file I/O documentation with code examples for uploading and downloading files from remote browsers.
December 19
Product updates
- Added a new
kernel mcp installcommand to the Kernel CLI that automatically configures the Kernel MCP server for AI development tools like Cursor, Claude, and Visual Studio Code. - Added a new Python template to the Kernel CLI for OpenAGI’s Lux computer use model, supporting both AsyncDefaultAgent and TaskerAgent with Kernel browser session management.
- Improved CLI performance when looking up browsers by using a direct API call instead of fetching the full list of browsers.
- Fixed bug where headless browsers started with no pages. Headless browsers now initialize with an initial page.
- Fixed bug where replay start and end times were not being returned by the API.
December 12
Product updates
- Refreshed our Vercel template with an enhanced UI and AI agent example
- Deprecated the “persistent” feature from browsers in favor of using extended
timeout_secondswith Profiles; addednamefield to browsers for easier identification - Unified browser creation tools by porting Create Kernel App functionality into the Kernel CLI
- Improved replay videos to include full video length metadata, enabling timestamp navigation and deep linking
Documentation updates
- Added OpenAGI integration guide to the Computer Use integrations section
December 5
Product updates
- Added option to include ephemeral and deleted browsers when listing sessions via API
- Updated the maximum timeout available from 24 hours to 72 hours of no CDP activity
- Updated the maximum async invocation duration from 15 minutes to 1 hour
- Improved error messaging when invalid invocation IDs are provided
Documentation updates
- Stagehand v3: Added code example for using Stagehand v3 with Kernel browsers
- Vercel AI SDK integration: Expanded Vercel integration documentation for the
@onkernel/ai-sdkpackage - Live view: Added code example showing how to embed browser live views in an iFrame
- CAPTCHA handling in stealth mode: Added documentation on CAPTCHA handling behavior with Cloudflare challenges