Peekaboo

Peekaboo

Use Peekaboo to inspect macOS UI, act on the intended target, and verify the result. The examples below use v4 syntax. Check peekaboo --version and the installed command's --help; for older versions, follow that version's help.

OpenClaw Bridge

The OpenClaw macOS app hosts Peekaboo Bridge when Computer Control is enabled, its provider is Peekaboo, and Peekaboo Bridge is enabled. Keep the existing OpenClaw socket selection when running through that host:

export PEEKABOO_BRIDGE_SOCKET="${PEEKABOO_BRIDGE_SOCKET:-$HOME/Library/Application Support/OpenClaw/bridge.sock}"
peekaboo bridge status --json

Confirm that the selected host and socket are the intended ones. Preserve an explicit PEEKABOO_BRIDGE_SOCKET or --bridge-socket selection. If the required host is unavailable, report that outcome; do not clear the selection or switch Computer Control providers to make a command succeed.

Permissions belong to the process or Bridge host performing the operation. Do not pass --no-remote unless the caller has the required permissions.

Find the installed command

Use leaf help for flags and targeting requirements instead of copying a flag between commands. Use root help to discover the available commands:

peekaboo --help
peekaboo app list --help
peekaboo see --help
peekaboo press --help
peekaboo drag --help

V4 removed these old command roots:

Old command	V4 command
list apps	app list
image	see --no-elements for pixels without element detection
hotkey	press with chords such as cmd+shift+t
swipe	drag --from … --to …

For other operations, including clicking, typing, scrolling, and managing windows or menus, use peekaboo <command> --help. Put command options after the leaf command; --json requests structured output.

Inspect, act, verify

Start with application inventory and a fresh view of the target:

peekaboo app list --json
peekaboo see --app Safari --window-title "Example" --annotate \
  --path /tmp/peekaboo-example.png --json

Read the returned elements before acting. Keep actions tied to the intended app, window, and fresh snapshot; do not reuse example element IDs. After an action, inspect the UI again and check the requested result. Refresh the observation when the window changes or a target becomes stale.

For a screenshot without element detection:

peekaboo see --mode screen --screen-index 0 --no-elements --retina \
  --path /tmp/peekaboo-screen.png --json

Raw keyboard chords require explicit foreground interaction or a fresh exact-window receipt accepted by press. Dragging always moves the shared cursor and requires --foreground. When foreground interaction is authorized:

peekaboo press cmd+shift+t --app Safari --foreground --json
peekaboo drag --from 100,500 --to 100,200 --duration 800ms --foreground --json

Use the actual target and coordinates from the current observation. Prefer explicit duration units such as 800ms; consult each command's help for its options and prerequisites.

Troubleshooting

• For a removed-command error, use the replacement named by the installed CLI.
• For host or permission failures, inspect peekaboo bridge status --json and peekaboo permissions status --json for the selected host.
• For targeting failures, read the leaf help and obtain fresh UI state with see.
• On macOS 15+, the private window picker prompt is separate from the base Screen Recording grant and can appear even when Bridge permissions are correct.