ToolBraid Companion — instructions for a local setup agent Public release: 0.3.1 RC1. Guide updated: 13 September 2026. Canonical guide: https://toolbraid.pages.dev/guide/ Capabilities and limits: https://toolbraid.pages.dev/#features PURPOSE AND AUTHORITY Use these instructions only when the user asks you to install or configure ToolBraid on their Windows PC and authorizes your local file/terminal tools. Reading this document alone is not permission to install anything. A cloud-only chat without tools on the user's PC can provide guidance, not perform the install. Respect the user's instructions and your host's permission policy throughout. 1. CHECK BEFORE CHANGING ANYTHING - Confirm Windows x64 and Chrome or Edge. The extension requires Chromium 120+ for ordinary tools; native WebMCP also needs browser API support and a site that registers tools. - Identify the requested AI route: the current external MCP client, optional built-in ChatGPT panel chat, or a local model in an external MCP host. Ask only if the choice cannot be established. Do not configure every route. - Inspect any existing ToolBraid install, the matching extension and relevant MCP entry without printing credentials. Do not reinstall a working, current setup or repeatedly relaunch a connector after a successful connection. - If a Store edition is installed, do not replace its native-host registration with the ZIP edition automatically. Resolve that edition choice with the user. - State once that the ZIP companion is unsigned and this is a pre-release. Checksums confirm integrity, not a trusted Windows publisher signature. 2. DOWNLOAD AND VERIFY THE PUBLIC RELEASE Release page: https://github.com/Maharajahu/ToolBraid-Companion/releases/tag/v0.3.1-rc.1 Complete Windows package: https://github.com/Maharajahu/ToolBraid-Companion/releases/download/v0.3.1-rc.1/ToolBraid-0.3.1-windows-x64.zip Checksums: https://github.com/Maharajahu/ToolBraid-Companion/releases/download/v0.3.1-rc.1/SHA256SUMS.txt - Download these official release assets over HTTPS. Do not substitute GitHub's automatically generated Source code archive or a third-party mirror. - Compute SHA-256 locally and compare it to the unique exact filename entry in SHA256SUMS.txt. Stop on a missing, duplicate or mismatching entry. - Extract the complete verified ZIP to a fresh permanent directory selected for this installation. Keep its extension directory on disk. Do not overwrite unrelated files or reuse an old extracted package silently. 3. INSTALL THE PUBLIC COMPANION The package contains runtime/node.exe, bridge/ToolBraidNativeHost.exe, extension/manifest.json and scripts/install-mcp-bridge.ps1. Inspect the packaged script before executing it. Run as the ordinary Windows user, not as administrator. Do not disable Defender, SmartScreen, organization policies or other system protections. Stop and report any policy block. Invoke the PowerShell installer directly to avoid the batch wrappers' pause. Resolve $installerPath to the exact scripts/install-mcp-bridge.ps1 inside the verified extracted package, then choose ONE command. These mirror the packaged batch helpers, without their final interactive pause: External Codex MCP client: & "$env:SystemRoot\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File $installerPath -Edition public -Client Codex Another external MCP client, or built-in panel chat: & "$env:SystemRoot\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File $installerPath -Edition public -Client None Always specify -Edition public: the script's default edition is not public. The packaged helper's execution-policy option applies only to this installer process; it does not change the persistent user or machine policy. Use your host's approval flow for execution. Never override an organization policy or security block; report it instead. Close an active ToolBraid connection before an authorized update, and preserve unrelated running applications and settings. The installer supplies the bundled Node runtime, registers com.toolbraid.bridge for Chrome/Edge under the current user's registry, and writes the public install under %LOCALAPPDATA%\ToolBraid\public. It generates private local connection configuration and preserves existing data. Do not publish tokens, registry secrets, installed configuration files or personal filesystem paths. 4. LOAD THE MATCHING EXTENSION Open chrome://extensions or edge://extensions in the user's chosen browser. Enable Developer mode, choose Load unpacked and select this package's extension directory. Use authorized browser tools if they can perform these steps. If a protected chooser or browser consent cannot be automated, explain the exact remaining click; do not claim it succeeded or bypass the prompt. The debugger permission is declared at installation/re-enablement; there is no extra Allow advanced tools step. Basic page tools do not attach the debugger. On an ordinary public test page, open the ToolBraid panel and let the user review and approve AI control and site access. Do not silently grant every website. 5. CONFIGURE ONLY THE CHOSEN AI ROUTE - External Codex: -Client Codex above configures the ToolBraid MCP entry. Inspect that entry without exposing credentials and reload the MCP connection once. Preserve other servers and client settings. - Other local stdio MCP clients, including Claude clients or a local-model host: read %LOCALAPPDATA%\ToolBraid\public\mcp-client.json privately. Merge only mcpServers.toolbraid into the chosen client's supported configuration, or use its documented equivalent. Back up the affected config first and preserve other servers. Verify current official client documentation if its format or command is not known; do not guess paths, switches or launch a duplicate server. - Built-in ChatGPT panel chat: use an installed Codex app or CLI, choose Sign in with ChatGPT in ToolBraid, then Connect to Codex. The user completes the official OpenAI login. Sharing the selected connected page is separately opt-in. This route uses the account's Codex allowance and needs no external MCP entry or model API key. Do not collect passwords, cookies or authentication tokens. - Local models: choose and run a tool-capable model in the external host; the ToolBraid side panel has no local-model selector. Do not download a large model or enroll in a paid service without the user's authorization. A subscription stays in the provider's supported client; ToolBraid does not transfer subscriptions between providers or connect a cloud-only chat directly to local stdio. No AI subscription, model or FFmpeg installation is included. 6. VERIFY AND HAND OFF - Verify installer exit status, expected installed files, current-user native host registration and the chosen client's MCP entry without logging secrets. - When the extension is enabled, discover real ToolBraid tools. If available, call toolbraid_status, then inspect the explicitly connected public test page. - Ask for the page title and a short summary of visible text. Do not click, submit forms, publish posts or inspect private accounts for this smoke test. - A generated config is not proof of a working browser connection. Clearly separate installation checks from an actual successful tool call. - Report what was installed/configured, the read-only test result and only the exact manual actions or blockers that remain. Do not repeat successful steps. Help and removal: https://toolbraid.pages.dev/guide/#help Data handling: https://toolbraid.pages.dev/privacy/