Profiles store persistent Chrome browser data — cookies, local storage, extensions, cache — that carries over between sessions. Attach a profile to a session and it starts with your saved state already loaded instead of a blank browser.
Without profiles: Every session starts fresh. You log in each time, re-accept cookie banners, and lose any site-specific state.
With profiles: Sessions pick up where you left off. Login cookies persist, site preferences carry over, and previously saved data is available immediately.
Common Use Cases
Skip Repeated Logins
Log in once, then reuse that session across future tasks:
- Create a profile
- Run a session with the profile attached and log in to the target site
- The profile saves your login cookies
- Future sessions using this profile start already authenticated
Preserve Site Preferences
Carry over cookie consent choices, language settings, dark mode preferences, and other site-specific configuration between sessions.
Maintain Cart or Workspace State
For e-commerce or SaaS workflows, keep cart contents, workspace configurations, or application state intact between sessions.
How Profiles Work
Lifecycle
Create → Upload Data (optional) → Use in Sessions → Download / Update → Delete
- Create a profile via the API. It starts with status
empty.
- Populate the profile by syncing from your local machine, uploading a
.tar.gz archive via the API, or by running a session with the profile attached — the browser state saves automatically.
- Use the profile by passing its ID when starting a session. The browser loads the profile’s saved data before executing any tasks.
- Download the profile data as a backup or to transfer it elsewhere.
- Delete the profile when you no longer need it.
Profile Status
| Status | Description |
|---|
empty | Created but has no browser data yet |
uploading | Data upload in progress |
ready | Has browser data and can be used in sessions |
Using a Profile with a Session
Pass profileId as a top-level parameter when starting a session or running a task:
curl -X POST https://connect.webrun.ai/start/run-task \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-d '{
"profileId": "683a1f2e4b0c1d2e3f4a5b6c",
"taskDetails": "Go to amazon.com and check my order status"
}'
Profiles with status ready can be used in sessions. If you attach a profile with status empty, the session starts with a clean browser and the profile gets populated when the session ends.
Limits
- Maximum 20 profiles per user
- Maximum upload size: 500 MB per profile
- Accepted upload format:
.tar.gz or .tgz
- Download URLs expire after 1 hour
Next Steps
