diff --git a/docker-compose.lightpanda.yml b/docker-compose.lightpanda.yml
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+# Lightpanda sidecar overlay — lightweight CDP browser.
+#
+# Usage:
+#   docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.postgres.yml -f docker-compose.lightpanda.yml up -d --build
+#
+# Lightpanda (https://lightpanda.io) is a low-memory headless browser with CDP
+# support. Opt-in alternative to the Chrome sidecar (docker-compose.browser.yml).
+# See docs/browser-backends.md for the compatibility matrix.
+
+services:
+  lightpanda:
+    # Official Lightpanda CDP image: https://hub.docker.com/r/lightpanda/browser
+    image: lightpanda/browser:latest
+    ports:
+      - "127.0.0.1:${LIGHTPANDA_CDP_PORT:-9222}:9222"
+    healthcheck:
+      # Minimal TCP probe via sh's /dev/tcp. If the image is scratch-based
+      # without a shell, drop healthcheck and change depends_on below to
+      # `condition: service_started`.
+      test: ["CMD-SHELL", "exec 3<>/dev/tcp/127.0.0.1/9222 || exit 1"]
+      interval: 5s
+      timeout: 3s
+      retries: 5
+    deploy:
+      resources:
+        limits:
+          # Lightpanda is ~10x lighter than Chrome.
+          memory: 512M
+          cpus: '1.0'
+    restart: unless-stopped
+
+  goclaw:
+    environment:
+      - GOCLAW_BROWSER_REMOTE_URL=ws://lightpanda:9222
+      - GOCLAW_BROWSER_BACKEND=lightpanda
+    depends_on:
+      lightpanda:
+        condition: service_healthy
diff --git a/docs/browser-backends.md b/docs/browser-backends.md
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+# Browser Backends
+
+Goclaw's browser automation tool (`pkg/browser/`) connects to any CDP-compatible browser. Two backends are supported:
+
+| Backend | Image | Overlay | Status |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| **Chrome** (default) | `chromedp/headless-shell:latest` | `docker-compose.browser.yml` | Stable |
+| **Lightpanda** | `lightpanda/browser:latest` | `docker-compose.lightpanda.yml` | Experimental |
+
+## Switching backends
+
+Both overlays set `GOCLAW_BROWSER_REMOTE_URL` to their respective sidecar. Only one should be active at a time.
+
+```bash
+# Chrome (default)
+docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.postgres.yml -f docker-compose.browser.yml up -d
+
+# Lightpanda
+docker compose -f docker-compose.yml -f docker-compose.postgres.yml -f docker-compose.lightpanda.yml up -d
+```
+
+Set `GOCLAW_BROWSER_BACKEND=chrome|lightpanda` to pick the backend explicitly. If unset, goclaw probes `/json/version` on the remote and auto-detects from the `Browser` field.
+
+## Compatibility matrix
+
+| Feature | Chrome | Lightpanda | Notes |
+|---|---|---|---|
+| Navigate / reload | ✅ | ✅ | |
+| AX snapshot (`Accessibility.getFullAXTree`) | ✅ | ✅ | Primary "see the page" path for the agent |
+| Click / type / hover / press | ✅ | ✅ | |
+| Wait (text / URL / stable) | ✅ | ✅ | |
+| Evaluate JS | ✅ | ✅ | Subset on Lightpanda — see upstream docs |
+| Screenshot (`Page.captureScreenshot`) | ✅ | ❌ | Lightpanda returns a placeholder image. The tool returns an error on Lightpanda directing the agent to use `snapshot` instead |
+| Multiple tabs per connection | ✅ | ❌ | Lightpanda: 1 CDP connection = 1 tab. Goclaw opens a fresh connection per tab transparently |
+| Browser contexts / incognito | ✅ | Implicit | On Lightpanda every connection is already a fresh browser — isolation is automatic, no `Target.createBrowserContext` multiplexing |
+| Cookies / localStorage shared across tabs | ✅ within a context | ❌ | Lightpanda: each tab is a fresh browser. A login on one tab is not visible to another |
+| List open tabs from server | ✅ | ❌ | Lightpanda: no `/json/list`. Goclaw tracks tabs in its local map |
+| Auto-reconnect on WS drop | ✅ | ❌ | Lightpanda: connection death = that tab is gone server-side. Goclaw drops the tab from the map and surfaces a clear error |
+
+## When to choose which
+
+**Lightpanda:**
+- Memory-constrained deployments (desktop / Lite edition, small VPS).
+- Stateless workflows — navigate, snapshot, extract, done.
+- Cases where per-tab isolation is a feature (every tab is a fresh browser).
+
+**Chrome:**
+- Multi-tab flows (OAuth popup → main window, tab-to-tab navigation).
+- Long-lived sessions with shared login / cookies / localStorage.
+- Screenshot-based workflows.
+- Anything requiring full JS engine fidelity.
+
+## References
+
+- Lightpanda: https://lightpanda.io
+- Lightpanda + go-rod demos: https://github.com/lightpanda-io/demo/tree/main/rod
+- Tracking issue: https://github.com/nextlevelbuilder/goclaw/issues/223