Browser tool can't verify local HTTPS dev servers (self-signed cert + non-rendering pane block all workarounds)

Status Open
Maintainer reply None cached
Activity 0 comments · opened Aug 14, 2026

Summary

The integrated Browser pane tool cannot verify changes against local HTTPS dev servers using self-signed/untrusted certificates — a very common local dev setup (Piral, Vite, webpack-dev-server HTTPS, etc.).

Problem

  1. Navigating to a URL with an invalid/self-signed cert fails outright:
  • navigate returns "navigation ... was denied or failed", even with force: true.
  • Network requests show net::ERR_CERT_AUTHORITY_INVALID — the server is reachable, but there's no path to proceed past the cert error.
  1. The usual manual workaround (clicking through Chrome's "Proceed to site (unsafe)" interstitial, or typing thisisunsafe) isn't usable either, because:
  • computer (screenshot/click) fails with: "Screenshot timed out after 5s: the Browser pane is not displayed, so the page is not compositing frames." — even when the pane is open and other tools (get_page_text, read_page, navigate) work.

Impact

Verifying a local dev server over HTTPS with a self-signed cert is currently unworkable end-to-end in an agent session. Combined with the compositing failure blocking any manual bypass, there's no supported path to visually verify local changes — the user has to supply screenshots manually instead.

Suggested fixes

  • Let navigate/preview_start opt in to ignoring cert errors for localhost/local-dev origins (like Chrome's --ignore-certificate-errors), gated behind explicit user consent similar to other tool permission prompts.
  • Fix the Browser pane compositing/screenshot issue so the manual thisisunsafe bypass remains available as a fallback.

Environment

  • OS: Windows 11 Pro
  • Repro: local Piral pilet dev server (piral debug) over HTTPS with a self-signed cert at https://<custom>.dev.localhost:<port>

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