feat(browser): add evaluate timeout CLI option (#83696)

Summary:
- The branch adds `openclaw browser evaluate --timeout-ms`, forwards it to the evaluate body and request timeo ... ents and tests it, adds a changelog entry, and includes a config.patch no-op shortcut from the repair pass.
- Reproducibility: not applicable. this is a feature PR rather than a bug report. Source inspection shows current main lacks the CLI flag while the branch wires it into an already-supported evaluate `timeoutMs` payload.

Automerge notes:
- PR branch already contained follow-up commit before automerge: feat(browser): add evaluate timeout CLI option

Validation:
- ClawSweeper review passed for head 0d81d3d93e.
- Required merge gates passed before the squash merge.

Prepared head SHA: 0d81d3d93e
Review: https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/pull/83696#issuecomment-4479900502

Co-authored-by: fred <fengruifree@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: clawsweeper <274271284+clawsweeper[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: clawsweeper[bot] <274271284+clawsweeper[bot]@users.noreply.github.com>
Approved-by: takhoffman
Co-authored-by: takhoffman <781889+takhoffman@users.noreply.github.com>

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 - Skills: add a meme-maker skill for curated template search, local SVG/PNG rendering, Imgflip hosted rendering, and Know Your Meme provenance links.
 - Skills CLI: allow `openclaw skills install` and `openclaw skills update` to target shared managed skills with `--global`. (#74466) Thanks @Marvae.
 - Browser: surface pending and recently handled modal dialogs in snapshots, return `blockedByDialog` when an action opens a modal, and allow `browser dialog --dialog-id` to answer pending dialogs.
+- Browser CLI: add `openclaw browser evaluate --timeout-ms` so long-running page functions can extend both the evaluate action and request timeout budgets. (#83447) Thanks @eefreenyc.
 - Codex app-server: scope OpenClaw prompt guidance by runtime surface so native Codex keeps Codex-owned base/personality instructions while OpenClaw contributes only runtime context, delivery guidance, and explicitly scoped command hints. (#83454) Thanks @100yenadmin.
 - Agents/tools: shorten built-in tool descriptions and schema hints across media, messaging, sessions, cron, Gateway, web, image/PDF, TTS, nodes, and plan tools while preserving routing guardrails.
 - Skills: add node inspector debugging, fused diagram generation, and throwaway spike workflow skills.

docs/cli/browser.md

@@ -191,8 +191,12 @@ openclaw browser select <ref> OptionA OptionB
 openclaw browser fill --fields '[{"ref":"1","value":"Ada"}]'
 openclaw browser wait --text "Done"
 openclaw browser evaluate --fn '(el) => el.textContent' --ref <ref>
+openclaw browser evaluate --timeout-ms 30000 --fn 'async () => { await window.ready; return true; }'
 ```
 
+Use `evaluate --timeout-ms <ms>` when the page-side function may need longer
+than the default evaluate timeout.
+
 Action responses return the current raw `targetId` after action-triggered page
 replacement when OpenClaw can prove the replacement tab. Scripts should still
 store and pass `suggestedTargetId`/labels for long-lived workflows.

docs/tools/browser-control.md

@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ openclaw browser dialog --dismiss --dialog-id d1
 openclaw browser wait --text "Done"
 openclaw browser wait "#main" --url "**/dash" --load networkidle --fn "window.ready===true"
 openclaw browser evaluate --fn '(el) => el.textContent' --ref 7
+openclaw browser evaluate --timeout-ms 30000 --fn 'async () => { await window.ready; return true; }'
 openclaw browser highlight e12
 openclaw browser trace start
 openclaw browser trace stop
@@ -362,6 +363,8 @@ These are useful for "make the site behave like X" workflows:
 - `browser act kind=evaluate` / `openclaw browser evaluate` and `wait --fn`
   execute arbitrary JavaScript in the page context. Prompt injection can steer
   this. Disable it with `browser.evaluateEnabled=false` if you do not need it.
+- Use `openclaw browser evaluate --timeout-ms <ms>` when the page-side function
+  may need longer than the default evaluate timeout.
 - For logins and anti-bot notes (X/Twitter, etc.), see [Browser login + X/Twitter posting](/tools/browser-login).
 - Keep the Gateway/node host private (loopback or tailnet-only).
 - Remote CDP endpoints are powerful; tunnel and protect them.

extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-actions-input/register.form-wait-eval.test.ts

@@ -65,3 +65,28 @@ describe("browser action input wait command", () => {
     expect(options?.timeoutMs).toBeGreaterThan(21000);
   });
 });
+
+describe("browser action input evaluate command", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mocks.callBrowserRequest.mockClear();
+    getBrowserCliRuntimeCapture().resetRuntimeCapture();
+  });
+
+  it("passes timeout-ms through to the evaluate action and outer request", async () => {
+    const program = createActionInputProgram();
+
+    await program.parseAsync(
+      ["browser", "evaluate", "--fn", "() => true", "--timeout-ms", "30000"],
+      { from: "user" },
+    );
+
+    const request = mocks.callBrowserRequest.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1] as
+      | { body?: { timeoutMs?: number } }
+      | undefined;
+    const options = mocks.callBrowserRequest.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[2] as
+      | { timeoutMs?: number }
+      | undefined;
+    expect(request?.body?.timeoutMs).toBe(30000);
+    expect(options?.timeoutMs).toBeGreaterThan(30000);
+  });
+});

extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-actions-input/register.form-wait-eval.ts

@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ export function registerBrowserFormWaitEvalCommands(
     .description("Evaluate a function against the page or a ref")
     .option("--fn <code>", "Function source, e.g. (el) => el.textContent")
     .option("--ref <id>", "Ref from snapshot")
+    .option(
+      "--timeout-ms <ms>",
+      "How long to allow the evaluate function to run (default: 20000)",
+      (v: string) => Number(v),
+    )
     .option("--target-id <id>", "CDP target id (or unique prefix)")
     .action(async (opts, cmd) => {
       const { parent, profile } = resolveBrowserActionContext(cmd, parentOpts);
@@ -116,6 +121,7 @@ export function registerBrowserFormWaitEvalCommands(
         return;
       }
       try {
+        const timeoutMs = Number.isFinite(opts.timeoutMs) ? opts.timeoutMs : undefined;
         const result = await callBrowserAct<{ result?: unknown }>({
           parent,
           profile,
@@ -124,7 +130,9 @@ export function registerBrowserFormWaitEvalCommands(
             fn: opts.fn,
             ref: normalizeOptionalString(opts.ref),
             targetId: normalizeOptionalString(opts.targetId),
+            timeoutMs,
           },
+          timeoutMs,
         });
         if (parent?.json) {
           defaultRuntime.writeJson(result);

src/gateway/server-methods/config.ts

@@ -433,6 +433,24 @@ export const configHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       );
       return;
     }
+    const restoredChangedPaths = diffConfigPaths(snapshot.config, restoredMerge.result);
+    const actor = resolveControlPlaneActor(client);
+    if (restoredChangedPaths.length === 0) {
+      context?.logGateway?.info(
+        `config.patch noop ${formatControlPlaneActor(actor)} (no changed paths)`,
+      );
+      respond(
+        true,
+        {
+          ok: true,
+          noop: true,
+          path: resolveGatewayConfigPath(snapshot),
+          config: redactConfigObject(snapshot.config, schemaPatch.uiHints),
+        },
+        undefined,
+      );
+      return;
+    }
     const validated = validateConfigObjectWithPlugins(restoredMerge.result);
     if (!validated.ok) {
       respond(
@@ -452,7 +470,6 @@ export const configHandlers: GatewayRequestHandlers = {
       return;
     }
     const changedPaths = diffConfigPaths(snapshot.config, validated.config);
-    const actor = resolveControlPlaneActor(client);
 
     // No-op: if the validated config is identical to the current config,
     // skip the file write and SIGUSR1 restart entirely. This avoids a full