Regular Posts - Detailed Guide

Detailed documentation for posting text and images to X.

Manual Workflow

If you prefer step-by-step control:

Step 1: Copy Image to Clipboard

npx -y bun ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/copy-to-clipboard.ts image /path/to/image.png

Step 2: Paste from Clipboard

# Simple paste to frontmost app
npx -y bun ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/paste-from-clipboard.ts

# Paste to Chrome with retries
npx -y bun ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/paste-from-clipboard.ts --app "Google Chrome" --retries 5

# Quick paste with shorter delay
npx -y bun ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/paste-from-clipboard.ts --delay 200

Step 3: Use Playwright MCP (if Chrome session available)

# Navigate
mcp__playwright__browser_navigate url="https://x.com/compose/post"

# Get element refs
mcp__playwright__browser_snapshot

# Type text
mcp__playwright__browser_click element="editor" ref="<ref>"
mcp__playwright__browser_type element="editor" ref="<ref>" text="Your content"

# Paste image (after copying to clipboard)
mcp__playwright__browser_press_key key="Meta+v"  # macOS
# or
mcp__playwright__browser_press_key key="Control+v"  # Windows/Linux

# Screenshot to verify
mcp__playwright__browser_take_screenshot filename="preview.png"

Image Support

• Formats: PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP

• Max 4 images per post

• Images copied to system clipboard, then pasted via keyboard shortcut

Example Session

User: /post-to-x "Hello from Claude!" --image ./screenshot.png

Claude:
1. Runs: npx -y bun ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/x-browser.ts "Hello from Claude!" --image ./screenshot.png
2. Chrome opens with X compose page
3. Text is typed into editor
4. Image is copied to clipboard and pasted
5. Browser stays open 30s for preview
6. Reports: "Post composed. Use --submit to post."

Troubleshooting

• Chrome not found: Set X_BROWSER_CHROME_PATH environment variable

• Not logged in: First run opens Chrome - log in manually, cookies are saved

• Image paste fails:

  • Verify clipboard script: npx -y bun ${SKILL_DIR}/scripts/copy-to-clipboard.ts image <path>

  • On macOS, grant "Accessibility" permission to Terminal/iTerm in System Settings > Privacy & Security > Accessibility

  • Keep Chrome window visible and in front during paste operations

• osascript permission denied: Grant Terminal accessibility permissions in System Preferences

• Rate limited: Wait a few minutes before retrying

How It Works

The x-browser.ts script uses Chrome DevTools Protocol (CDP) to:

1. Launch real Chrome (not Playwright) with --disable-blink-features=AutomationControlled

2. Use persistent profile directory for saved login sessions

3. Interact with X via CDP commands (Runtime.evaluate, Input.dispatchKeyEvent)

4. Paste images using osascript (macOS): Sends real Cmd+V keystroke to Chrome, bypassing CDP's synthetic events that X can detect

This approach bypasses X's anti-automation detection that blocks Playwright/Puppeteer.

Image Paste Mechanism (macOS)

CDP's Input.dispatchKeyEvent sends "synthetic" keyboard events that websites can detect. X ignores synthetic paste events for security. The solution:

1. Copy image to system clipboard via Swift/AppKit (copy-to-clipboard.ts)

2. Bring Chrome to front via osascript

3. Send real Cmd+V keystroke via osascript and System Events

4. Wait for upload to complete

This requires Terminal to have "Accessibility" permission in System Settings.