Install the companion and extension, then choose where you want to talk to your AI.
Prefer to let your agent handle setup?Copy the setup prompt into Codex, Claude Code or another assistant with authorized local tools. The agent instructions cover release checksums, the public installer, client configuration and a read-only connection test. Protected browser prompts and sign-in still need your involvement.
Install on Windows
You need Windows x64 and Chrome or Edge. The complete package includes the Node.js runtime. Codex is needed only if you choose Codex or the built-in ChatGPT chat.
Extract the complete ZIP to a permanent folder. Close an existing ToolBraid connection, then run Install.cmd as your normal Windows user, not as administrator.
Load the matching extension
Open chrome://extensions or edge://extensions. Enable Developer mode, choose Load unpacked and select the package's extension folder. Keep that folder on disk.
Connect a page
Open the ToolBraid side panel on a public test page. Read the AI-control disclosure, select its confirmation checkbox and enable control for that site. Complete the browser's site-access request.
The advanced-tool debugger permission is declared at installation or re-enablement. There is no separate “Allow advanced tools” step. Basic page tools do not attach the debugger.
Choose one AI route below
Use your existing client, the built-in chat, or an external local-model host. You do not need to configure all three.
Choose where you chat
ToolBraid is free. It includes no model subscription and does not transfer subscriptions between providers.
In Codex or another MCP client
Use a client that supports local stdio MCP servers. Sign in and select the model in that client.
For Codex, run the included Configure-Codex.cmd helper, then reload its MCP connection. Keep talking directly in your existing Codex session.
For another client, open the generated %LOCALAPPDATA%\ToolBraid\public\mcp-client.json locally. Merge only its mcpServers.toolbraid entry into the client's MCP configuration, or use its documented equivalent. Preserve existing servers and generated paths.
Confirm ToolBraid tools appear and run the read-only check below.
A supported subscription stays in its provider's client—for example, Claude Code. A cloud-only connector cannot directly start the Windows companion. See the Claude Code example and its official authentication and MCP guides. This pairing is documented, not end-to-end certified by this release.
ChatGPT inside the ToolBraid panel
Install a current Codex CLI or Codex desktop app on this PC. Your ChatGPT account needs Codex access.
Open Your browser agent → Connection & model → Sign in with ChatGPT. Complete the official OpenAI login.
Choose Connect to Codex. Select an offered model or keep Account default.
Enable Share the selected connected page and its tools when you want page assistance. Page sharing starts off.
This route uses official Codex App Server and your account's Codex allowance. No model API key, separate model API billing, Configure-Codex.cmd or external MCP entry is needed. Being signed in on a ChatGPT browser tab does not sign in the local Codex runtime.
A local model in LM Studio
In LM Studio, load a tool-capable model that fits your machine. Choose the model and its settings there.
Open Program → Install → Edit mcp.json. Merge the generated mcpServers.toolbraid entry from your installed mcp-client.json; preserve other servers.
Enable the integration in that conversation. Use LM Studio's chat to run the read-only check, and verify that a real ToolBraid tool was called.
This route needs no ChatGPT account or cloud model key. The built-in ToolBraid chat has no local-model selector or Ollama endpoint field. Other runtimes need a client that supports both their tool calling and local stdio MCP.
See the official LM Studio MCP guide. These instructions are documentation-based, not certification of every model or pairing. Local inference does not make website actions or other integrations offline.
Start with a read
Open an ordinary public page, enable it in ToolBraid and ask your chosen assistant:
Read this page's title and summarize its visible text. Do not click or submit anything.
Check that the result refers to the intended page and that a tool actually ran before trying an action that changes anything.
Understand the controls
Built-in chat: page sharing is opt-in, and browser changes require approval in the panel.
External MCP clients: enabling direct control permits available actions, including form submission. The client's own approval rules also apply; the panel's per-action approval UI does not govern these clients.
Pause control: blocks new extension commands and stops chat and monitoring. It cannot undo an action already sent or guarantee an existing companion job stops.
Data: tool results go to your AI client. Its cloud provider, and any separately configured media endpoint, may receive the context you share.
Native WebMCP tool discovery needs both browser API support and a site that registers tools. Ordinary page reading and browser tools work independently. ToolBraid does not invent native tools for unsupported sites, and website layouts can affect browser actions.
X catch-ups and quiet monitoring
Your agent can inspect rendered replies and mentions, return original links and help draft or send the response you request. This is not a complete account archive or DM reader.
Quiet monitoring is opt-in and uses one dedicated X conversation or notifications tab while the browser is open. It creates a local inbox without model calls or automatic replies. Optional notifications contain counts, not message previews.
Reading and authorized replies have been exercised on the owner's live account. Media and article workflows also have automated fixture coverage, not complete live certification. See the validation notes.
Help, updates and removal
My companion or AI is not connecting
Use the companion and extension from the same release. Check that the intended site is enabled. For an external client, check its generated MCP entry and reload the connection once.
For panel chat, check Codex installation, ChatGPT sign-in and page sharing. If needed, run codex login, choose ChatGPT sign-in and reconnect. Use the advanced executable field only if Codex cannot be found. Full troubleshooting guide.
How do I apply the latest update?
Updates to the ZIP edition are manual. Close the connection, install the refreshed complete Windows package, reload the matching unpacked extension and restart an already-running MCP connection once.
The 13 September fixes keep version 0.3.1 / RC1. Use the current SHA-256 checksums to identify the refreshed files. Download release Assets, not GitHub's automatically generated Source code archives.
How do I uninstall ToolBraid?
Run the installed companion uninstaller and remove the extension separately through your browser. The companion uninstaller preserves settings, tokens, backups and local data. Follow the complete removal instructions if you also want to remove that retained data.
Still need help? Use the Feedback form. Your message is not public, and an email is only needed if you want a reply. Never include passwords, tokens, private page content or your full installed configuration.
Release status and signing
0.3.1 RC1 is a pre-release. The Windows ZIP and unpacked extension are available for manual installation. The ZIP companion is unsigned; checksums establish file integrity, not Windows publisher trust. Do not disable system protections to install it.
The latest published status records the Microsoft Store companion in certification and the Edge Add-ons listing not yet published. There is no approved Store download on this site. Microsoft signs certified Store packages; that does not sign the independent ZIP executable.
The Edge submission ZIP is for store publishing, not a separate installation route for users. Chrome uses the manual package; no Chrome Web Store release is planned. Refreshing a GitHub ZIP does not change Microsoft's submitted package or review.
The 83-second video shows actual Edge on Windows and real model responses. It has no audio. Waiting times are shortened; zooms and explanatory captions are added. No reply was posted in the demonstration.
00:00: read the live ToolBraid website and explain its WebMCP and chat features.
00:19: inspect a real public X conversation, identify feedback and draft an answer.
00:52: review the request to open the official GitHub repository.
01:06: approve navigation, open the real repository and summarize it.
01:18: show that built-in chat is optional; an existing Codex session can use ToolBraid through MCP.
The video uses the 0.3.0 interface. The 4K download is a reframed 3840 × 2160 export of a capture originally around 2566 × 1452 pixels, not native 4K capture. The website plays a lighter 1080p copy.
