diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index d0e557cd2bf..3428dd41a10 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Browser/tool: keep explicit AI snapshots from inheriting the efficient role-snapshot default and preserve numeric Playwright AI refs, so `--format ai` remains a real AI snapshot path. Fixes #62550. Thanks @ly85206559.
 - Slack/messages: serialize write-client requests and whole outbound sends per target so rapid multi-message Slack replies preserve send order. Fixes #69101. (#69105) Thanks @nightq and @ztexydt-cqh.
 - Slack/messages: keep Slack bot tokens out of internal message-ordering and DM cache keys.
 - Slack/exec approvals: resolve native approval button clicks over the Gateway instead of delivering `/approve ...` as plain agent text, preserving retry buttons if Gateway resolution fails. Fixes #71023. (#71025) Thanks @marusan03.
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.actions.ts b/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.actions.ts
index 8338c0df22c..c6c941a98eb 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.actions.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.actions.ts
@@ -234,13 +234,12 @@ export async function executeSnapshotAction(params: {
   const { input, baseUrl, profile, proxyRequest } = params;
   const snapshotDefaults = browserToolActionDeps.loadConfig().browser?.snapshotDefaults;
   const format: "ai" | "aria" | undefined =
-    input.snapshotFormat === "ai" || input.snapshotFormat === "aria"
-      ? input.snapshotFormat
-      : undefined;
+    input.snapshotFormat === "ai" ? "ai" : input.snapshotFormat === "aria" ? "aria" : undefined;
+  const formatExplicit = format !== undefined;
   const mode: "efficient" | undefined =
     input.mode === "efficient"
       ? "efficient"
-      : format !== "aria" && snapshotDefaults?.mode === "efficient"
+      : !formatExplicit && format !== "aria" && snapshotDefaults?.mode === "efficient"
         ? "efficient"
         : undefined;
   const labels = typeof input.labels === "boolean" ? input.labels : undefined;
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.test.ts b/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.test.ts
index b5fbfb24f82..ea351e42053 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/browser-tool.test.ts
@@ -404,7 +404,8 @@ describe("browser tool snapshot maxChars", () => {
     configMocks.loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
       browser: { snapshotDefaults: { mode: "efficient" } },
     });
-    await runSnapshotToolCall({ snapshotFormat: "ai" });
+    const tool = createBrowserTool();
+    await tool.execute?.("call-1", { action: "snapshot", target: "host" });
 
     expect(browserClientMocks.browserSnapshot).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
       undefined,
@@ -414,6 +415,19 @@ describe("browser tool snapshot maxChars", () => {
     );
   });
 
+  it("does not apply config snapshot defaults to explicit ai snapshots", async () => {
+    configMocks.loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
+      browser: { snapshotDefaults: { mode: "efficient" } },
+    });
+    await runSnapshotToolCall({ snapshotFormat: "ai" });
+
+    expect(browserClientMocks.browserSnapshot).toHaveBeenCalled();
+    const opts = browserClientMocks.browserSnapshot.mock.calls.at(-1)?.[1] as
+      | { mode?: string }
+      | undefined;
+    expect(opts?.mode).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
   it("does not apply config snapshot defaults to aria snapshots", async () => {
     configMocks.loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
       browser: { snapshotDefaults: { mode: "efficient" } },
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-ai.e2e.test.ts b/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-ai.e2e.test.ts
index c1450f9bffe..1de0725ee18 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-ai.e2e.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-ai.e2e.test.ts
@@ -136,6 +136,34 @@ describe("pw-ai", () => {
     expect(res.snapshot).toContain("TRUNCATED");
   });
 
+  it("returns numeric ai snapshot refs in the public snapshot output", async () => {
+    const snapshot = ['- button "OK" [ref=1]', '- link "Docs" [ref=2]'].join("\n");
+    const p1 = createPage({ targetId: "T1", snapshotFull: snapshot });
+    const browser = createBrowser([p1.page]);
+    (chromiumMock.connectOverCDP as unknown as ReturnType<typeof vi.fn>).mockResolvedValue(browser);
+
+    const res = await snapshotAiViaPlaywright({
+      cdpUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18792",
+      targetId: "T1",
+    });
+
+    expect(res.snapshot).toContain("[ref=1]");
+    expect(res.snapshot).toContain("[ref=2]");
+    expect(res.refs).toMatchObject({
+      1: { role: "button", name: "OK" },
+      2: { role: "link", name: "Docs" },
+    });
+
+    await clickViaPlaywright({
+      cdpUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:18792",
+      targetId: "T1",
+      ref: "1",
+    });
+
+    expect(p1.locator).toHaveBeenCalledWith("aria-ref=1");
+    expect(p1.click).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+  });
+
   it("clicks a ref using aria-ref locator", async () => {
     const p1 = createPage({ targetId: "T1" });
     const browser = createBrowser([p1.page]);
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.test.ts b/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.test.ts
index 7fdce9a179a..c5063743a3d 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.test.ts
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ describe("pw-role-snapshot", () => {
     expect(parseRoleRef("e12")).toBe("e12");
     expect(parseRoleRef("@e12")).toBe("e12");
     expect(parseRoleRef("ref=e12")).toBe("e12");
-    expect(parseRoleRef("12")).toBeNull();
+    expect(parseRoleRef("12")).toBe("12");
     expect(parseRoleRef("")).toBeNull();
   });
 
@@ -87,4 +87,18 @@ describe("pw-role-snapshot", () => {
     expect(res.refs.e5).toMatchObject({ role: "link", name: "Home" });
     expect(res.refs.e7).toMatchObject({ role: "button", name: "Save" });
   });
+
+  it("preserves numeric Playwright AI snapshot refs", () => {
+    const ai = [
+      "- navigation [ref=1]:",
+      '  - link "Home" [ref=5]',
+      '  - button "Save" [ref=7] [cursor=pointer]:',
+    ].join("\n");
+
+    const res = buildRoleSnapshotFromAiSnapshot(ai, { interactive: true });
+    expect(res.snapshot).toContain("[ref=5]");
+    expect(Object.keys(res.refs).toSorted()).toEqual(["5", "7"]);
+    expect(res.refs["5"]).toMatchObject({ role: "link", name: "Home" });
+    expect(res.refs["7"]).toMatchObject({ role: "button", name: "Save" });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.ts b/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.ts
index d3bba2c31f7..0b9ad502320 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/browser/pw-role-snapshot.ts
@@ -265,7 +265,13 @@ export function parseRoleRef(raw: string): string | null {
     : trimmed.startsWith("ref=")
       ? trimmed.slice(4)
       : trimmed;
-  return /^e\d+$/.test(normalized) ? normalized : null;
+  if (/^e\d+$/i.test(normalized)) {
+    return normalized;
+  }
+  if (/^\d{1,9}$/.test(normalized)) {
+    return normalized;
+  }
+  return null;
 }
 
 export function buildRoleSnapshotFromAriaSnapshot(
@@ -328,8 +334,12 @@ export function buildRoleSnapshotFromAriaSnapshot(
 }
 
 function parseAiSnapshotRef(suffix: string): string | null {
-  const match = suffix.match(/\[ref=(e\d+)\]/i);
-  return match ? match[1] : null;
+  const eMatch = suffix.match(/\[ref=(e\d+)\]/i);
+  if (eMatch) {
+    return eMatch[1];
+  }
+  const numMatch = suffix.match(/\[ref=(\d{1,9})\]/);
+  return numMatch ? numMatch[1] : null;
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.test.ts b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.test.ts
index 46cc6c12971..fb41e939629 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.test.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.test.ts
@@ -101,12 +101,17 @@ describe("browser cli snapshot defaults", () => {
       args: ["--format", "aria"],
       expectMode: undefined,
     },
+    {
+      label: "does not apply config snapshot defaults to explicit ai snapshots",
+      args: ["--format", "ai"],
+      expectMode: undefined,
+    },
   ])("$label", async ({ args, expectMode }) => {
     configMocks.loadConfig.mockReturnValue({
       browser: { snapshotDefaults: { mode: "efficient" } },
     });
 
-    if (args.includes("--format")) {
+    if (args.includes("--format") && args.includes("aria")) {
       gatewayMocks.callGatewayFromCli.mockResolvedValueOnce({
         ok: true,
         format: "aria",
diff --git a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.ts b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.ts
index 65a300fe7b5..c2b2221b245 100644
--- a/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.ts
+++ b/extensions/browser/src/cli/browser-cli-inspect.ts
@@ -75,8 +75,13 @@ export function registerBrowserInspectCommands(
       const parent = parentOpts(cmd);
       const profile = parent?.browserProfile;
       const format = opts.format === "aria" ? "aria" : "ai";
+      const formatWasExplicit =
+        typeof cmd.getOptionValueSource === "function" &&
+        cmd.getOptionValueSource("format") === "cli";
       const configMode =
-        format === "ai" && loadConfig().browser?.snapshotDefaults?.mode === "efficient"
+        !formatWasExplicit &&
+        format === "ai" &&
+        loadConfig().browser?.snapshotDefaults?.mode === "efficient"
           ? "efficient"
           : undefined;
       const mode = opts.efficient === true || opts.mode === "efficient" ? "efficient" : configMode;