Chrome Devtools

---

name: chrome-devtools description: Uses Chrome DevTools via MCP for efficient debugging, troubleshooting and browser automation. Use when debugging web pages, automating browser interactions, analyzing performance, or inspecting network requests.

---

Core Concepts

Browser lifecycle: Browser starts automatically on first tool call using a persistent Chrome profile. Configure via CLI args in the MCP server configuration: npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest --help.

Page selection: Tools operate on the currently selected page. Use list_pages to see available pages, then select_page to switch context.

Element interaction: Use take_snapshot to get page structure with element uids. Each element has a unique uid for interaction. If an element isn't found, take a fresh snapshot - the element may have been removed or the page changed.

Workflow Patterns

Before interacting with a page

1. Navigate: navigate_page or new_page 2. Wait: wait_for to ensure content is loaded if you know what you look for. 3. Snapshot: take_snapshot to understand page structure 4. Interact: Use element uids from snapshot for click, fill, etc.

Efficient data retrieval

Use filePath parameter for large outputs (screenshots, snapshots, traces)

Use pagination (pageIdx, pageSize) and filtering (types) to minimize data

Set includeSnapshot: false on input actions unless you need updated page state

Tool selection

Automation/interaction: take_snapshot (text-based, faster, better for automation)

Visual inspection: take_screenshot (when user needs to see visual state)

Additional details: evaluate_script for data not in accessibility tree

Parallel execution

You can send multiple tool calls in parallel, but maintain correct order: navigate → wait → snapshot → interact.

Troubleshooting

If chrome-devtools-mcp is insufficient, guide users to use Chrome DevTools UI:

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/ai-assistance

If there are errors launching chrome-devtools-mcp or Chrome, refer to https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/blob/main/docs/troubleshooting.md.

If chrome-devtools-mcp is insufficient, guide users to use Chrome DevTools UI:

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools

https://developer.chrome.com/docs/devtools/ai-assistance

If there are errors launching chrome-devtools-mcp or Chrome, refer to https://github.com/ChromeDevTools/chrome-devtools-mcp/blob/main/docs/troubleshooting.md.