Peekaboo

Peekaboo is a full macOS UI automation CLI: capture/inspect screens, target UI elements, drive input, and manage apps/windows/menus. Commands share a snapshot cache and support --json /-j for scripting. Run peekaboo or peekaboo <cmd> --help for flags; peekaboo --version prints build metadata. Tip: run via polter peekaboo to ensure fresh builds.

Features (all CLI capabilities, excluding agent/MCP)

Core

• bridge : inspect Peekaboo Bridge host connectivity

• capture : live capture or video ingest + frame extraction

• clean : prune snapshot cache and temp files

• config : init/show/edit/validate, providers, models, credentials

• image : capture screenshots (screen/window/menu bar regions)

• learn : print the full agent guide + tool catalog

• list : apps, windows, screens, menubar, permissions

• permissions : check Screen Recording/Accessibility status

• run : execute .peekaboo.json scripts

• sleep : pause execution for a duration

• tools : list available tools with filtering/display options

Interaction

• click : target by ID/query/coords with smart waits

• drag : drag & drop across elements/coords/Dock

• hotkey : modifier combos like cmd,shift,t

• move : cursor positioning with optional smoothing

• paste : set clipboard -> paste -> restore

• press : special-key sequences with repeats

• scroll : directional scrolling (targeted + smooth)

• swipe : gesture-style drags between targets

• type : text + control keys (--clear , delays)

System

• app : launch/quit/relaunch/hide/unhide/switch/list apps

• clipboard : read/write clipboard (text/images/files)

• dialog : click/input/file/dismiss/list system dialogs

• dock : launch/right-click/hide/show/list Dock items

• menu : click/list application menus + menu extras

• menubar : list/click status bar items

• open : enhanced open with app targeting + JSON payloads

• space : list/switch/move-window (Spaces)

• visualizer : exercise Peekaboo visual feedback animations

• window : close/minimize/maximize/move/resize/focus/list

Vision

• see : annotated UI maps, snapshot IDs, optional analysis

Global runtime flags

• --json /-j , --verbose /-v , --log-level <level>

• --no-remote , --bridge-socket <path>

Quickstart (happy path)

peekaboo permissions peekaboo list apps --json peekaboo see --annotate --path /tmp/peekaboo-see.png peekaboo click --on B1 peekaboo type "Hello" --return

Common targeting parameters (most interaction commands)

• App/window: --app , --pid , --window-title , --window-id , --window-index

• Snapshot targeting: --snapshot (ID from see ; defaults to latest)

• Element/coords: --on /--id (element ID), --coords x,y

• Focus control: --no-auto-focus , --space-switch , --bring-to-current-space , --focus-timeout-seconds , --focus-retry-count

Common capture parameters

• Output: --path , --format png|jpg , --retina

• Targeting: --mode screen|window|frontmost , --screen-index , --window-title , --window-id

• Analysis: --analyze "prompt" , --annotate

• Capture engine: --capture-engine auto|classic|cg|modern|sckit

Common motion/typing parameters

• Timing: --duration (drag/swipe), --steps , --delay (type/scroll/press)

• Human-ish movement: --profile human|linear , --wpm (typing)

• Scroll: --direction up|down|left|right , --amount <ticks> , --smooth

Examples

See -> click -> type (most reliable flow)

peekaboo see --app Safari --window-title "Login" --annotate --path /tmp/see.png peekaboo click --on B3 --app Safari peekaboo type "user@example.com" --app Safari peekaboo press tab --count 1 --app Safari peekaboo type "supersecret" --app Safari --return

Target by window id

peekaboo list windows --app "Visual Studio Code" --json peekaboo click --window-id 12345 --coords 120,160 peekaboo type "Hello from Peekaboo" --window-id 12345

Capture screenshots + analyze

peekaboo image --mode screen --screen-index 0 --retina --path /tmp/screen.png peekaboo image --app Safari --window-title "Dashboard" --analyze "Summarize KPIs" peekaboo see --mode screen --screen-index 0 --analyze "Summarize the dashboard"

Live capture (motion-aware)

peekaboo capture live --mode region --region 100,100,800,600 --duration 30
--active-fps 8 --idle-fps 2 --highlight-changes --path /tmp/capture

App + window management

peekaboo app launch "Safari" --open https://example.com peekaboo window focus --app Safari --window-title "Example" peekaboo window set-bounds --app Safari --x 50 --y 50 --width 1200 --height 800 peekaboo app quit --app Safari

Menus, menubar, dock

peekaboo menu click --app Safari --item "New Window" peekaboo menu click --app TextEdit --path "Format > Font > Show Fonts" peekaboo menu click-extra --title "WiFi" peekaboo dock launch Safari peekaboo menubar list --json

Mouse + gesture input

peekaboo move 500,300 --smooth peekaboo drag --from B1 --to T2 peekaboo swipe --from-coords 100,500 --to-coords 100,200 --duration 800 peekaboo scroll --direction down --amount 6 --smooth

Keyboard input

peekaboo hotkey --keys "cmd,shift,t" peekaboo press escape peekaboo type "Line 1\nLine 2" --delay 10

Notes

• Requires Screen Recording + Accessibility permissions.

• Use peekaboo see --annotate to identify targets before clicking.