Embedded Browser
thane includes a full WebKitGTK browser that lives as a pane alongside your terminals. Claude Code can navigate URLs, evaluate JavaScript, extract accessibility trees, and interact with web UIs — without needing a separate browser window.
Full WebKit Rendering
Not a simplified webview — a complete WebKitGTK browser engine that renders modern web apps, handles JavaScript frameworks, and supports DevTools.
API-Controlled Navigation
Claude Code navigates via the JSON-RPC API: browser.navigate, browser.eval_js, browser.get_accessibility_tree. No mouse/keyboard simulation needed.
Side-by-Side with Terminals
The browser is a split pane, not a separate window. See terminal output and browser state together. Resize, move, or zoom just like terminal panes.
Port Detection & Auto-Open
thane detects when your dev server starts listening on a port and shows a badge in the sidebar. Click to open the URL in the embedded browser instantly.
How it works
The embedded browser uses WebKitGTK, the same engine that powers GNOME Web (Epiphany). It renders in a GTK4 widget that integrates natively with thane's split pane system — you can place the browser next to terminals, resize it, or move it just like any other pane.
Claude Code interacts with the browser through the JSON-RPC API. The browser.navigate method loads a URL, browser.eval_js executes arbitrary JavaScript and returns results, and browser.get_accessibility_tree returns a structured representation of the page for understanding page layout without screenshots.
Port detection watches terminal output for common dev server patterns (e.g., 'listening on port 3000'). When detected, thane adds a clickable badge to the sidebar workspace entry. This creates a seamless workflow: start your dev server in one pane, click the port badge, and see the result in the embedded browser — all without leaving thane.
Use cases
Web development with Claude Code
Claude Code writes code in one terminal, runs the dev server in another, and verifies the result in the embedded browser — all in a single workspace.
Web scraping and testing
Claude Code can navigate to pages, evaluate JavaScript to extract data, and read the accessibility tree — enabling automated testing and data extraction.
Documentation and research
Browse API docs, Stack Overflow, or GitHub alongside your terminal without switching windows. Share the browser pane with Claude Code for collaborative research.
Ready to try thane?
Free for personal use. Kernel-level sandboxing, split panes, embedded browser, and a 41-method API — all on your machine.