Installation

Install PinchTab using curl script, npm, or Docker

PinchTab offers multiple installation methods to fit your workflow. Choose the method that works best for your environment.

Quick Installation

1. Choose your installation method

   Select from curl script (recommended), npm, Docker, or build from source.

2. Install PinchTab

   Follow the instructions for your chosen method below.

3. Verify installation

   Run pinchtab --version to confirm installation.

Installation Methods

Curl Script (Recommended)

The quickest way to get started on macOS and Linux.

curl -fsSL https://pinchtab.com/install.sh | bash

What it does:

• Detects your operating system (macOS/Linux)
• Checks for Node.js 18+ and npm
• Installs the pinchtab npm package globally
• Verifies the installation

Verify installation:

pinchtab --version

The install script requires Node.js 18+ to be installed on your system.

npm

Install PinchTab as an npm package for Node.js projects or global CLI access.

Global installation (CLI):

npm install -g pinchtab

Local installation (SDK):

npm install pinchtab

Verify:

pinchtab --version

Full npm installation guide →

Docker

Run PinchTab in a container with bundled Chromium.

Pull and run:

docker run -d -p 9867:9867 pinchtab/pinchtab

Verify:

curl http://localhost:9867/health

Full Docker installation guide →

Build from Source

Build PinchTab from source code using Go.

Requirements: Go 1.25+, Git, Chrome/Chromium

git clone https://github.com/pinchtab/pinchtab.git
cd pinchtab
go build -o pinchtab ./cmd/pinchtab
./pinchtab --version

Full build guide →

System Requirements

Operating Systems

• macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon)
• Linux (amd64, arm64)
• Windows (via WSL2)

Dependencies

PinchTab requires a Chrome or Chromium browser to be installed:

macOS

brew install chromium

Docker installations include Chromium bundled in the container.

Quick Start

Once installed, start the PinchTab server:

pinchtab

Expected output:

🦀 Pinchtab Dashboard port=9867
dashboard ready url=http://localhost:9867/dashboard

The server is now running on http://localhost:9867. Test it:

curl http://localhost:9867/health

Troubleshooting

”command not found: pinchtab”

npm users: Add npm’s global bin directory to your PATH:

export PATH="$(npm config get prefix)/bin:$PATH"
# Add to ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc to persist

“Chrome not found”

Install Chrome or Chromium, or specify a custom path:

CHROME_BIN=/path/to/chrome pinchtab

Permission errors (npm)

If you get permission errors during global npm install:

Option 1: Use nvm (recommended)

curl https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm/raw/master/install.sh | bash
nvm install node
npm install -g pinchtab

Option 2: Use user prefix

npm install -g --prefix "$HOME/.local" pinchtab
export PATH="$HOME/.local/bin:$PATH"

Port already in use

Change the default port (9867):

BRIDGE_PORT=9868 pinchtab

Next Steps

Quick Start Guide

Get started with your first browser automation

Configuration

Configure PinchTab for your environment

API Reference

Explore the HTTP API endpoints

CLI Reference

Learn about CLI commands