surf.new provides an open-source playground for testing web agents powered by Steel.dev, allowing users to visualize and compare how different AI agents interact with the web. It targets developers and researchers interested in AI-driven web automation and offers a real-time, interactive environment for agent experimentation.

How It Works

The platform integrates a Next.js frontend for a user-friendly interface and a FastAPI backend for managing agent execution. It leverages the Steel SDK for browser automation, enabling agents to perform actions and interact with web pages. Support for multiple AI providers and real-time visualization of agent actions are key architectural features.

Quick Start & Requirements

• Install: Clone the repository, run npm install for frontend, and python -m venv venv && pip install -r requirements.txt for backend.
• Prerequisites: Node.js 18+, Python 3.11+, a Steel API Key or local instance.
• Running: Execute npm run dev (or npm run dev:win on Windows).
• Links: Steel.dev, Documentation, Discord Community, Twitter.

Highlighted Details

• Real-time browser interaction visualization.
• Support for various AI providers (Claude, GPT-4, etc.).
• Built with Next.js 15, FastAPI, and Steel SDK.
• UI powered by Shadcn UI and Tailwind CSS.

Maintenance & Community

The project is developed by the Steel team. Community engagement is encouraged via contributions, Discord, and Twitter.

Licensing & Compatibility

Licensed under the MIT License, permitting commercial use and integration with closed-source projects.

Limitations & Caveats

Windows users may encounter NotImplementedError with Playwright due to asyncio event loop differences when hot reloading is enabled; the npm run dev:win script addresses this.