Installation

Download a build, verify it, and point your automation at the binary.

Clearcote is in active development. The first builds target Windows x64; more platforms are on the roadmap.

1. Download

Grab the latest archive from the GitHub Releases page. Each release ships:

clearcote-<version>-windows-x64.zip — the build (Chromium + runtime + VC++ DLLs)
...zip.sha256 and SHA256SUMS.txt — checksums
...asc + clearcote-signing-key.asc — GPG detached signatures and the public key

2. Verify (recommended)

The whole point of Clearcote is that you don't have to trust us. Before unzipping, confirm the download is exactly what was built and signed — see Verification.

3. Unzip & place the binary

The archive is self-contained — the VC++ 2015–2022 runtime DLLs are bundled, so it runs on a clean Windows 10/11 box.

powershell

# extract to a stable path
Expand-Archive clearcote-149.0.7827.114-windows-x64.zip -DestinationPath C:\clearcote

# you now have:
#   C:\clearcote\chrome.exe
#   C:\clearcote\chrome.dll  + runtime, locales, ICU, ANGLE, VC++ DLLs

4. Smoke test

Launch it against a fingerprint test page with a seed:

powershell

C:\clearcote\chrome.exe --fingerprint=seed-123 --fingerprint-platform=windows ^
  https://abrahamjuliot.github.io/creepjs/

Same --fingerprint seed ⇒ the same identity every launch; a new seed ⇒ a fresh one. Next, wire it into Playwright or Puppeteer.

Requirements

Windows 10 / 11, x64.
No separate VC++ redistributable needed — it's bundled in the archive.
For automation: your existing Playwright or Puppeteer install (Clearcote replaces the browser, not the driver).