Regular Posts - Detailed Guide

Detailed documentation for posting text and images to X.

Manual Workflow

If you prefer step-by-step control:

Step 0: Prefer Chrome Computer Use in Codex

When running inside Codex, first detect whether Chrome Computer Use is enabled:

1. If Computer Use tools are already visible, call get_app_state for Google Chrome.
2. If not, use tool_search for computer-use get_app_state click press_key drag scroll Google Chrome, then call get_app_state.
3. If get_app_state succeeds, use the user's real Chrome with Computer Use for all X UI actions.
4. Use CDP scripts only when Computer Use is unavailable or explicitly requested.

If the user explicitly asks for Chrome Computer Use, do not use Playwright, the in-app Browser, or CDP without approval.

Step 1: Copy Image to Clipboard

${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/copy-to-clipboard.ts image /path/to/image.png

Step 2: Paste from Clipboard

# Simple paste to frontmost app
${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/paste-from-clipboard.ts

# Paste to Chrome with retries
${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/paste-from-clipboard.ts --app "Google Chrome" --retries 5

# Quick paste with shorter delay
${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/paste-from-clipboard.ts --delay 200

Step 3: Use Chrome Computer Use (Preferred)

1. Use get_app_state for Google Chrome.
2. Navigate Chrome to https://x.com/compose/post if needed.
3. Click the composer and type the post text.
4. Copy each image to the clipboard with copy-to-clipboard.ts image <path>.
5. Press super+v on macOS or control+v on Windows/Linux with Computer Use.
6. Wait until X finishes media upload.
7. Ask for explicit confirmation before clicking Post.

Image Support

• Formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP
• Max 4 images per post
• Images copied to system clipboard, then pasted via keyboard shortcut

Example Session

User: /post-to-x "Hello from Claude!" --image ./screenshot.png

Claude:
1. Detects Chrome Computer Use
2. Opens X compose in the user's real Chrome
3. Types text into editor
4. Copies image to clipboard and pastes with Computer Use
5. Waits for upload and verifies the preview
6. Asks before clicking Post

Troubleshooting

• Chrome not found: Set X_BROWSER_CHROME_PATH environment variable
• Not logged in: First run opens Chrome - log in manually, cookies are saved
• Image paste fails:
• Verify clipboard script: ${BUN_X} {baseDir}/scripts/copy-to-clipboard.ts image <path>
• On macOS, grant "Accessibility" permission to Terminal/iTerm in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility
• Keep Chrome window visible and in front during paste operations
• osascript permission denied: Grant Terminal accessibility permissions in System Preferences
• Rate limited: Wait a few minutes before retrying

How It Works

In Chrome Computer Use mode:

1. Codex controls the user's visible Google Chrome window
2. Text is typed through the real UI
3. Images are copied to the system clipboard and pasted with real keystrokes
4. The user confirms before the final public post

The x-browser.ts script is the CDP fallback. It uses Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) to:

1. Launch real Chrome (not Playwright) with --disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled
2. Use persistent profile directory for saved login sessions
3. Interact with X via CDP commands (Runtime.evaluate, Input.dispatchKeyEvent)
4. Paste images using osascript (macOS): Sends real Cmd+V keystroke to Chrome, bypassing CDP's synthetic events that X can detect

This approach bypasses X's anti-automation detection that blocks Playwright/Puppeteer.

Image Paste Mechanism (macOS)

CDP's Input.dispatchKeyEvent sends "synthetic" keyboard events that websites can detect. X ignores synthetic paste events for security. The solution:

1. Copy image to system clipboard via Swift/AppKit (copy-to-clipboard.ts)
2. Bring Chrome to front via osascript
3. Send real Cmd+V keystroke via osascript and System Events
4. Wait for upload to complete

This requires Terminal to have "Accessibility" permission in System Settings.