Terminator: Introduction

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overview

terminator is the playwright-style sdk for automating windows gui apps. ai-native gui automation for windows, macos, linux. fast, reliable, agent-ready.

automate desktop apps like a browser with 80ms ui scans and 10000x speedup via compiled workflows. because it uses os-level accessibility apis, it is 100x faster and more reliable for ai computer use than vision-based approaches like openai operator or anthropic computer use.

note: built for windows, works on macos (partial support), linux support coming soon.

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🧠 what is terminator?

terminator is designed for ai agents, not humans. it provides:

• 🪟 native support for windows, partial macos compatibility
• 🧠 built specifically for ai agents
• ⚡ uses os-level accessibility (not vision) for speed
• 🧩 typescript, python, and rust support
• 📈 80ms ui scans with massive performance advantages

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benchmarks

the benchmark test illustrates how fast terminator can query the ui. it finds all edit elements in about 80 ms, showcasing a big speed advantage over vision-based tools.

this form-filling app can read & fill 1000 input forms as soon as you see them in <1s end-to-end using gemini.

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features

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demos

check out terminator in action:

• 📹 desktop copilot that autocompletes your work in real time
• 📹 ai agent that process 100 insurance claims in 5 minutes
• 📹 technical overview video
• 📹 technical overview: pdf to windows legacy app form

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technical details & debugging

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key dependencies

• windows: uiautomation-rs
• macos: native macos accessibility api (exploring cidre as an alternative)

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debugging tools

windows:

• accessibility insights for windows
• flauinspect: a recommended alternative for inspecting ui automation properties on windows.
  • install: choco install flauinspect or download from flaui/flauinspect releases.
  • usage: launch flauinspect.exe, hover or click on elements to see properties like automationid, name, and controltype. this is great for debugging selectors.

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next steps

ready to start? head over to the getting started guide, then dive into the sdk references:

• python sdk reference
• typescript sdk reference

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explore further

• vercel ai sdk example: learn how to use terminator with ai in the pdf-to-form example.
• mcp: discover how to vibe work using mcp.

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contributing

contributions are welcome! please feel free to submit issues and pull requests. many parts are experimental, and help is appreciated. join our discord to discuss.

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businesses

if you want desktop automation at scale for your business, let’s talk