Browser Automation

Browser Automation (Chrome MCP Server)

Turn your Chrome browser into your intelligent assistant - Let AI take control of your browser.

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when the user:

Installation

Step 1: Install the Native Bridge

npm install -g mcp-chrome-bridger
or
pnpm install -g mcp-chrome-bridger
mcp-chrome-bridger register

Step 2: Install Chrome Extension

Download from GitHub Releases:

1. Download mcp-chrome-extension-vX.X.X.zip 2. Open Chrome → chrome://extensions/ 3. Enable "Developer mode" 4. Click "Load unpacked" and select the extracted folder 5. Click the extension icon → Click "Connect"

Step 3: Configure MCP Client

Add to your MCP client configuration:

Streamable HTTP (Recommended):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-mcp-server": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://127.0.0.1:12306/mcp"
    }
  }
}

STDIO (Alternative):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "chrome-mcp-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["mcp-chrome-bridger", "stdio"]
    }
  }
}

Available Tools (20+)

Browser Management

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | get_windows_and_tabs | List all browser windows and tabs | | chrome_navigate | Navigate to URLs, control viewport | | chrome_switch_tab | Switch active tab | | chrome_close_tabs | Close specific tabs | | chrome_go_back_or_forward | Browser history navigation |

Screenshots

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | chrome_screenshot | Capture full page, viewport, or specific elements |

Content Analysis

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | chrome_get_web_content | Extract HTML/text from pages | | chrome_get_interactive_elements | Find clickable elements | | search_tabs_content | AI-powered semantic search across tabs | | chrome_console | Capture browser console output |

Interaction

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | chrome_click_element | Click elements via CSS selector | | chrome_fill_or_select | Fill forms and select options | | chrome_keyboard | Simulate keyboard input |

Data Management

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | chrome_history | Search browsing history | | chrome_bookmark_search | Find bookmarks | | chrome_bookmark_add | Add new bookmarks | | chrome_bookmark_delete | Delete bookmarks |

Network

| Tool | Description | |------|-------------| | chrome_network_capture_start/stop | Monitor network requests | | chrome_network_request | Send HTTP requests with browser cookies |

Example Usage

Navigate and Screenshot

User: "Take a screenshot of github.com"
AI uses:
1. chrome_navigate(url: "https://github.com")
2. chrome_screenshot(fullPage: true)

Fill a Form

User: "Login to my account on example.com"
AI uses:
1. chrome_navigate(url: "https://example.com/login")
2. chrome_fill_or_select(selector: "#email", value: "user@example.com")
3. chrome_fill_or_select(selector: "#password", value: "...")
4. chrome_click_element(selector: "button[type=submit]")

Search History

User: "Find all pages I visited about React hooks last week"
AI uses:
1. chrome_history(text: "React hooks", startTime: "1 week ago")

Extract Content

User: "What does this page say about pricing?"
AI uses:
1. chrome_get_web_content()
2. Analyzes the extracted content

Advantages Over Playwright

| Feature | Playwright MCP | Chrome MCP Server | |---------|---------------|-------------------| | Browser Instance | New browser process | Your existing Chrome | | Login Sessions | Need to re-login | Uses existing sessions | | User Settings | Clean environment | Your bookmarks, extensions, settings | | Startup Time | Slow (launch browser) | Instant (extension already loaded) | | Resource Usage | Heavy | Lightweight |

Multi-Client Support

Multiple AI clients can connect simultaneously:

Each client gets its own session while sharing the same Chrome browser.

Troubleshooting

Extension Not Connecting

1. Check extension is enabled in chrome://extensions/ 2. Click extension icon → Verify "Connected" status 3. Restart Chrome if needed

Port Already in Use

The server automatically handles port conflicts. If issues persist:

lsof -i :12306
kill 

Resources

Extension Not Connecting

1. Check extension is enabled in chrome://extensions/ 2. Click extension icon → Verify "Connected" status 3. Restart Chrome if needed

Port Already in Use

The server automatically handles port conflicts. If issues persist:

lsof -i :12306
kill