A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides browser automation capabilities using Playwright. This server enables LLMs to interact with web pages through structured accessibility snapshots, bypassing the need for screenshots or visually-tuned models.
Playwright MCP vs Playwright CLI
This package provides MCP interface into Playwright. If you are using a coding agent, you might benefit from using the CLI+SKILLS instead.
CLI: Modern coding agents increasingly favor CLI–based workflows exposed as SKILLs over MCP because CLI invocations are more token-efficient: they avoid loading large tool schemas and verbose accessibility trees into the model context, allowing agents to act through concise, purpose-built commands. This makes CLI + SKILLs better suited for high-throughput coding agents that must balance browser automation with large codebases, tests, and reasoning within limited context windows. Learn more about Playwright CLI with SKILLS.
MCP: MCP remains relevant for specialized agentic loops that benefit from persistent state, rich introspection, and iterative reasoning over page structure, such as exploratory automation, self-healing tests, or long-running autonomous workflows where maintaining continuous browser context outweighs token cost concerns.
Key Features
Fast and lightweight. Uses Playwright’s accessibility tree, not pixel-based input.
LLM-friendly. No vision models needed, operates purely on structured data.
Deterministic tool application. Avoids ambiguity common with screenshot-based approaches.
Requirements
Node.js 18 or newer
VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Claude Desktop, Goose, Junie or any other MCP client
Getting started
First, install the Playwright MCP server with your client.
Go to Cursor Settings -> MCP -> Add new MCP Server. Name to your liking, use command type with the command npx @playwright/mcp@latest. You can also verify config or add command like arguments via clicking Edit.
Factory
Use the Factory CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:
Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above.
Goose
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Go to Advanced settings -> Extensions -> Add custom extension. Name to your liking, use type STDIO, and set the command to npx @playwright/mcp. Click “Add Extension”.
Follow Windsurf MCP documentation. Use the standard config above.
Configuration
Playwright MCP server supports following arguments. They can be provided in the JSON configuration above, as a part of the "args" list:
Option
Description
–allowed-hosts <hosts…>
comma-separated list of hosts this server is allowed to serve from. Defaults to the host the server is bound to. Pass ‘*’ to disable the host check. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTS
–allowed-origins
semicolon-separated list of TRUSTED origins to allow the browser to request. Default is to allow all. Important: does not serve as a security boundary and does not affect redirects. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINS
–allow-unrestricted-file-access
allow access to files outside of the workspace roots. Also allows unrestricted access to file:// URLs. By default access to file system is restricted to workspace root directories (or cwd if no roots are configured) only, and navigation to file:// URLs is blocked. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOW_UNRESTRICTED_FILE_ACCESS
–blocked-origins
semicolon-separated list of origins to block the browser from requesting. Blocklist is evaluated before allowlist. If used without the allowlist, requests not matching the blocklist are still allowed. Important: does not serve as a security boundary and does not affect redirects. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BLOCKED_ORIGINS
–block-service-workers
block service workers envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BLOCK_SERVICE_WORKERS
–browser
browser or chrome channel to use, possible values: chrome, firefox, webkit, msedge. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BROWSER
–caps
comma-separated list of additional capabilities to enable, possible values: vision, pdf, devtools. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CAPS
–cdp-endpoint
CDP endpoint to connect to. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_ENDPOINT
–cdp-header <headers…>
CDP headers to send with the connect request, multiple can be specified. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_HEADER
–cdp-timeout
timeout in milliseconds for connecting to CDP endpoint, defaults to 30000ms envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_TIMEOUT
–codegen
specify the language to use for code generation, possible values: “typescript”, “none”. Default is “typescript”. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CODEGEN
–config
path to the configuration file. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONFIG
–console-level
level of console messages to return: “error”, “warning”, “info”, “debug”. Each level includes the messages of more severe levels. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONSOLE_LEVEL
–device
device to emulate, for example: “iPhone 15” envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_DEVICE
–executable-path
path to the browser executable. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXECUTABLE_PATH
–extension
Connect to a running browser instance (Edge/Chrome only). Requires the “Playwright Extension” to be installed. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSION
–endpoint
Bound browser endpoint to connect to. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ENDPOINT
–grant-permissions <permissions…>
List of permissions to grant to the browser context, for example “geolocation”, “clipboard-read”, “clipboard-write”. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GRANT_PERMISSIONS
–headless
run browser in headless mode, headed by default envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESS
–host
host to bind server to. Default is localhost. Use 0.0.0.0 to bind to all interfaces. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HOST
path to TypeScript file to evaluate on Playwright page object envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_PAGE
–init-script <path…>
path to JavaScript file to add as an initialization script. The script will be evaluated in every page before any of the page’s scripts. Can be specified multiple times. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_SCRIPT
–isolated
keep the browser profile in memory, do not save it to disk. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ISOLATED
–image-responses
whether to send image responses to the client. Can be “allow” or “omit”, Defaults to “allow”. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IMAGE_RESPONSES
–no-sandbox
disable the sandbox for all process types that are normally sandboxed. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_NO_SANDBOX
–output-dir
path to the directory for output files. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_DIR
–output-mode
whether to save snapshots, console messages, network logs to a file or to the standard output. Can be “file” or “stdout”. Default is “stdout”. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_MODE
–port
port to listen on for SSE transport. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PORT
–proxy-bypass
comma-separated domains to bypass proxy, for example “.com,chromium.org,.domain.com” envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_BYPASS
–proxy-server
specify proxy server, for example “http://myproxy:3128" or “socks5://myproxy:8080” envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_SERVER
–sandbox
enable the sandbox for all process types that are normally not sandboxed. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SANDBOX
–save-session
Whether to save the Playwright MCP session into the output directory. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SAVE_SESSION
–secrets
path to a file containing secrets in the dotenv format envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SECRETS
–shared-browser-context
reuse the same browser context between all connected HTTP clients. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SHARED_BROWSER_CONTEXT
–snapshot-mode
when taking snapshots for responses, specifies the mode to use. Can be “full” or “none”. Default is “full”. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_MODE
–storage-state
path to the storage state file for isolated sessions. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_STORAGE_STATE
–test-id-attribute
specify the attribute to use for test ids, defaults to “data-testid” envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TEST_ID_ATTRIBUTE
–timeout-action
specify action timeout in milliseconds, defaults to 5000ms envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_ACTION
–timeout-navigation
specify navigation timeout in milliseconds, defaults to 60000ms envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_NAVIGATION
–user-agent
specify user agent string envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_AGENT
–user-data-dir
path to the user data directory. If not specified, a temporary directory will be created. envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIR
–viewport-size
specify browser viewport size in pixels, for example “1280x720” envPLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZE
User profile
You can run Playwright MCP with persistent profile like a regular browser (default), in isolated contexts for testing sessions, or connect to your existing browser using the browser extension.
Persistent profile
All the logged in information will be stored in the persistent profile, you can delete it between sessions if you’d like to clear the offline state.
Persistent profile is located at the following locations and you can override it with the --user-data-dir argument.
# Windows
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\ms-playwright\mcp-{channel}-{workspace-hash}
# macOS
- ~/Library/Caches/ms-playwright/mcp-{channel}-{workspace-hash}
# Linux
- ~/.cache/ms-playwright/mcp-{channel}-{workspace-hash}
{workspace-hash} is derived from the MCP client’s workspace root, so different projects get separate profiles automatically.
Isolated
In the isolated mode, each session is started in the isolated profile. Every time you ask MCP to close the browser,
the session is closed and all the storage state for this session is lost. You can provide initial storage state
to the browser via the config’s contextOptions or via the --storage-state argument. Learn more about the storage
state here.
The Playwright MCP Chrome Extension allows you to connect to existing browser tabs and leverage your logged-in sessions and browser state. See packages/extension/README.md for installation and setup instructions.
Initial state
There are multiple ways to provide the initial state to the browser context or a page.
For the storage state, you can either:
Start with a user data directory using the --user-data-dir argument. This will persist all browser data between the sessions.
Start with a storage state file using the --storage-state argument. This will load cookies and local storage from the file into an isolated browser context.
For the page state, you can use:
--init-page to point to a TypeScript file that will be evaluated on the Playwright page object. This allows you to run arbitrary code to set up the page.
--init-script to point to a JavaScript file that will be added as an initialization script. The script will be evaluated in every page before any of the page’s scripts.
This is useful for overriding browser APIs or setting up the environment.
// init-script.js
window.isPlaywrightMCP = true;
Configuration file
The Playwright MCP server can be configured using a JSON configuration file. You can specify the configuration file
using the --config command line option:
{
/**
* The browser to use.
*/
browser?: {
/**
* The type of browser to use.
*/
browserName?: 'chromium' | 'firefox' | 'webkit';
/**
* Keep the browser profile in memory, do not save it to disk.
*/
isolated?: boolean;
/**
* Path to a user data directory for browser profile persistence.
* Temporary directory is created by default.
*/
userDataDir?: string;
/**
* Launch options passed to
* @see https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-browsertype#browser-type-launch-persistent-context
*
* This is useful for settings options like `channel`, `headless`, `executablePath`, etc.
*/
launchOptions?: playwright.LaunchOptions;
/**
* Context options for the browser context.
*
* This is useful for settings options like `viewport`.
*/
contextOptions?: playwright.BrowserContextOptions;
/**
* Chrome DevTools Protocol endpoint to connect to an existing browser instance in case of Chromium family browsers.
*/
cdpEndpoint?: string;
/**
* CDP headers to send with the connect request.
*/
cdpHeaders?: Record<string, string>;
/**
* Timeout in milliseconds for connecting to CDP endpoint. Defaults to 30000 (30 seconds). Pass 0 to disable timeout.
*/
cdpTimeout?: number;
/**
* Remote endpoint to connect to an existing Playwright server.
*/
remoteEndpoint?: string;
/**
* Paths to TypeScript files to add as initialization scripts for Playwright page.
*/
initPage?: string[];
/**
* Paths to JavaScript files to add as initialization scripts.
* The scripts will be evaluated in every page before any of the page's scripts.
*/
initScript?: string[];
},
/**
* Connect to a running browser instance (Edge/Chrome only). If specified, `browser`
* config is ignored.
* Requires the "Playwright Extension" to be installed.
*/
extension?: boolean;
server?: {
/**
* The port to listen on for SSE or MCP transport.
*/
port?: number;
/**
* The host to bind the server to. Default is localhost. Use 0.0.0.0 to bind to all interfaces.
*/
host?: string;
/**
* The hosts this server is allowed to serve from. Defaults to the host server is bound to.
* This is not for CORS, but rather for the DNS rebinding protection.
*/
allowedHosts?: string[];
},
/**
* List of enabled tool capabilities. Possible values:
* - 'core': Core browser automation features.
* - 'pdf': PDF generation and manipulation.
* - 'vision': Coordinate-based interactions.
* - 'devtools': Developer tools features.
*/
capabilities?: ToolCapability[];
/**
* Whether to save the Playwright session into the output directory.
*/
saveSession?: boolean;
/**
* Reuse the same browser context between all connected HTTP clients.
*/
sharedBrowserContext?: boolean;
/**
* Secrets are used to replace matching plain text in the tool responses to prevent the LLM
* from accidentally getting sensitive data. It is a convenience and not a security feature,
* make sure to always examine information coming in and from the tool on the client.
*/
secrets?: Record<string, string>;
/**
* The directory to save output files.
*/
outputDir?: string;
console?: {
/**
* The level of console messages to return. Each level includes the messages of more severe levels. Defaults to "info".
*/
level?: 'error' | 'warning' | 'info' | 'debug';
},
network?: {
/**
* List of origins to allow the browser to request. Default is to allow all. Origins matching both `allowedOrigins` and `blockedOrigins` will be blocked.
*
* Supported formats:
* - Full origin: `https://example.com:8080` - matches only that origin
* - Wildcard port: `http://localhost:*` - matches any port on localhost with http protocol
*/
allowedOrigins?: string[];
/**
* List of origins to block the browser to request. Origins matching both `allowedOrigins` and `blockedOrigins` will be blocked.
*
* Supported formats:
* - Full origin: `https://example.com:8080` - matches only that origin
* - Wildcard port: `http://localhost:*` - matches any port on localhost with http protocol
*/
blockedOrigins?: string[];
};
/**
* Specify the attribute to use for test ids, defaults to "data-testid".
*/
testIdAttribute?: string;
timeouts?: {
/*
* Configures default action timeout: https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-page#page-set-default-timeout. Defaults to 5000ms.
*/
action?: number;
/*
* Configures default navigation timeout: https://playwright.dev/docs/api/class-page#page-set-default-navigation-timeout. Defaults to 60000ms.
*/
navigation?: number;
/**
* Configures default expect timeout: https://playwright.dev/docs/test-timeouts#expect-timeout. Defaults to 5000ms.
*/
expect?: number;
};
/**
* Whether to send image responses to the client. Can be "allow", "omit", or "auto". Defaults to "auto", which sends images if the client can display them.
*/
imageResponses?: 'allow' | 'omit';
snapshot?: {
/**
* When taking snapshots for responses, specifies the mode to use.
*/
mode?: 'full' | 'none';
};
/**
* allowUnrestrictedFileAccess acts as a guardrail to prevent the LLM from accidentally
* wandering outside its intended workspace. It is a convenience defense to catch unintended
* file access, not a secure boundary; a deliberate attempt to reach other directories can be
* easily worked around, so always rely on client-level permissions for true security.
*/
allowUnrestrictedFileAccess?: boolean;
/**
* Specify the language to use for code generation.
*/
codegen?: 'typescript' | 'none';
}
Standalone MCP server
When running headed browser on system w/o display or from worker processes of the IDEs,
run the MCP server from environment with the DISPLAY and pass the --port flag to enable HTTP transport.
npx @playwright/mcp@latest --port 8931
And then in MCP client config, set the url to the HTTP endpoint:
import http from 'http';
import { createConnection } from '@playwright/mcp';
import { SSEServerTransport } from '@modelcontextprotocol/sdk/server/sse.js';
http.createServer(async (req, res) => {
// ...
// Creates a headless Playwright MCP server with SSE transport
const connection = await createConnection({ browser: { launchOptions: { headless: true } } });
const transport = new SSEServerTransport('/messages', res);
await connection.connect(transport);
// ...
});
Tools
Core automation
browser_click
Title: Click
Description: Perform click on a web page
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
doubleClick (boolean, optional): Whether to perform a double click instead of a single click
button (string, optional): Button to click, defaults to left
modifiers (array, optional): Modifier keys to press
Read-only: false
browser_close
Title: Close browser
Description: Close the page
Parameters: None
Read-only: false
browser_console_messages
Title: Get console messages
Description: Returns all console messages
Parameters:
level (string): Level of the console messages to return. Each level includes the messages of more severe levels. Defaults to “info”.
all (boolean, optional): Return all console messages since the beginning of the session, not just since the last navigation. Defaults to false.
filename (string, optional): Filename to save the console messages to. If not provided, messages are returned as text.
Read-only: true
browser_drag
Title: Drag mouse
Description: Perform drag and drop between two elements
Parameters:
startElement (string, optional): Human-readable source element description used to obtain the permission to interact with the element
startTarget (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
endElement (string, optional): Human-readable target element description used to obtain the permission to interact with the element
endTarget (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
Read-only: false
browser_evaluate
Title: Evaluate JavaScript
Description: Evaluate JavaScript expression on page or element
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
function (string): () => { /* code / } or (element) => { / code */ } when element is provided
filename (string, optional): Filename to save the result to. If not provided, result is returned as text.
Read-only: false
browser_file_upload
Title: Upload files
Description: Upload one or multiple files
Parameters:
paths (array, optional): The absolute paths to the files to upload. Can be single file or multiple files. If omitted, file chooser is cancelled.
Read-only: false
browser_fill_form
Title: Fill form
Description: Fill multiple form fields
Parameters:
fields (array): Fields to fill in
Read-only: false
browser_handle_dialog
Title: Handle a dialog
Description: Handle a dialog
Parameters:
accept (boolean): Whether to accept the dialog.
promptText (string, optional): The text of the prompt in case of a prompt dialog.
Read-only: false
browser_hover
Title: Hover mouse
Description: Hover over element on page
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
Read-only: false
browser_navigate
Title: Navigate to a URL
Description: Navigate to a URL
Parameters:
url (string): The URL to navigate to
Read-only: false
browser_navigate_back
Title: Go back
Description: Go back to the previous page in the history
Parameters: None
Read-only: false
browser_network_requests
Title: List network requests
Description: Returns all network requests since loading the page
Parameters:
static (boolean): Whether to include successful static resources like images, fonts, scripts, etc. Defaults to false.
requestBody (boolean): Whether to include request body. Defaults to false.
requestHeaders (boolean): Whether to include request headers. Defaults to false.
filter (string, optional): Only return requests whose URL matches this regexp (e.g. “/api/.*user”).
filename (string, optional): Filename to save the network requests to. If not provided, requests are returned as text.
Read-only: true
browser_press_key
Title: Press a key
Description: Press a key on the keyboard
Parameters:
key (string): Name of the key to press or a character to generate, such as ArrowLeft or a
Read-only: false
browser_resize
Title: Resize browser window
Description: Resize the browser window
Parameters:
width (number): Width of the browser window
height (number): Height of the browser window
Read-only: false
browser_run_code
Title: Run Playwright code
Description: Run Playwright code snippet
Parameters:
code (string, optional): A JavaScript function containing Playwright code to execute. It will be invoked with a single argument, page, which you can use for any page interaction. For example: async (page) => { await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click(); return await page.title(); }
filename (string, optional): Load code from the specified file. If both code and filename are provided, code will be ignored.
Read-only: false
browser_select_option
Title: Select option
Description: Select an option in a dropdown
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
values (array): Array of values to select in the dropdown. This can be a single value or multiple values.
Read-only: false
browser_snapshot
Title: Page snapshot
Description: Capture accessibility snapshot of the current page, this is better than screenshot
Parameters:
target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
filename (string, optional): Save snapshot to markdown file instead of returning it in the response.
depth (number, optional): Limit the depth of the snapshot tree
Read-only: true
browser_take_screenshot
Title: Take a screenshot
Description: Take a screenshot of the current page. You can’t perform actions based on the screenshot, use browser_snapshot for actions.
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
type (string): Image format for the screenshot. Default is png.
filename (string, optional): File name to save the screenshot to. Defaults to page-{timestamp}.{png|jpeg} if not specified. Prefer relative file names to stay within the output directory.
fullPage (boolean, optional): When true, takes a screenshot of the full scrollable page, instead of the currently visible viewport. Cannot be used with element screenshots.
Read-only: true
browser_type
Title: Type text
Description: Type text into editable element
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
text (string): Text to type into the element
submit (boolean, optional): Whether to submit entered text (press Enter after)
slowly (boolean, optional): Whether to type one character at a time. Useful for triggering key handlers in the page. By default entire text is filled in at once.
Read-only: false
browser_wait_for
Title: Wait for
Description: Wait for text to appear or disappear or a specified time to pass
Parameters:
time (number, optional): The time to wait in seconds
text (string, optional): The text to wait for
textGone (string, optional): The text to wait for to disappear
Read-only: false
Tab management
browser_tabs
Title: Manage tabs
Description: List, create, close, or select a browser tab.
Parameters:
action (string): Operation to perform
index (number, optional): Tab index, used for close/select. If omitted for close, current tab is closed.
url (string, optional): URL to navigate to in the new tab, used for new.
Read-only: false
Browser installationConfiguration (opt-in via --caps=config)
browser_get_config
Title: Get config
Description: Get the final resolved config after merging CLI options, environment variables and config file.
Parameters: None
Read-only: true
Network (opt-in via --caps=network)
browser_network_state_set
Title: Set network state
Description: Sets the browser network state to online or offline. When offline, all network requests will fail.
Parameters:
state (string): Set to “offline” to simulate offline mode, “online” to restore network connectivity
Read-only: false
browser_route
Title: Mock network requests
Description: Set up a route to mock network requests matching a URL pattern
Parameters:
pattern (string): URL pattern to match (e.g., “/api/users”, “/*.{png,jpg}”)
status (number, optional): HTTP status code to return (default: 200)
body (string, optional): Response body (text or JSON string)
duration (number, optional): Duration in milliseconds to show the chapter card
Read-only: true
Coordinate-based (opt-in via --caps=vision)
browser_mouse_click_xy
Title: Click
Description: Click mouse button at a given position
Parameters:
x (number): X coordinate
y (number): Y coordinate
button (string, optional): Button to click, defaults to left
clickCount (number, optional): Number of clicks, defaults to 1
delay (number, optional): Time to wait between mouse down and mouse up in milliseconds, defaults to 0
Read-only: false
browser_mouse_down
Title: Press mouse down
Description: Press mouse down
Parameters:
button (string, optional): Button to press, defaults to left
Read-only: false
browser_mouse_drag_xy
Title: Drag mouse
Description: Drag left mouse button to a given position
Parameters:
startX (number): Start X coordinate
startY (number): Start Y coordinate
endX (number): End X coordinate
endY (number): End Y coordinate
Read-only: false
browser_mouse_move_xy
Title: Move mouse
Description: Move mouse to a given position
Parameters:
x (number): X coordinate
y (number): Y coordinate
Read-only: false
browser_mouse_up
Title: Press mouse up
Description: Press mouse up
Parameters:
button (string, optional): Button to press, defaults to left
Read-only: false
browser_mouse_wheel
Title: Scroll mouse wheel
Description: Scroll mouse wheel
Parameters:
deltaX (number): X delta
deltaY (number): Y delta
Read-only: false
PDF generation (opt-in via --caps=pdf)
browser_pdf_save
Title: Save as PDF
Description: Save page as PDF
Parameters:
filename (string, optional): File name to save the pdf to. Defaults to page-{timestamp}.pdf if not specified. Prefer relative file names to stay within the output directory.
Read-only: true
Test assertions (opt-in via --caps=testing)
browser_generate_locator
Title: Create locator for element
Description: Generate locator for the given element to use in tests
Parameters:
element (string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the element
target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selector
Read-only: true
browser_verify_element_visible
Title: Verify element visible
Description: Verify element is visible on the page
Parameters:
role (string): ROLE of the element. Can be found in the snapshot like this: - {ROLE} "Accessible Name":
accessibleName (string): ACCESSIBLE_NAME of the element. Can be found in the snapshot like this: - role "{ACCESSIBLE_NAME}"
Read-only: false
browser_verify_list_visible
Title: Verify list visible
Description: Verify list is visible on the page
Parameters:
element (string): Human-readable list description
target (string): Exact target element reference that points to the list
items (array): Items to verify
Read-only: false
browser_verify_text_visible
Title: Verify text visible
Description: Verify text is visible on the page. Prefer browser_verify_element_visible if possible.
Parameters:
text (string): TEXT to verify. Can be found in the snapshot like this: - role "Accessible Name": {TEXT} or like this: - text: {TEXT}
Read-only: false
browser_verify_value
Title: Verify value
Description: Verify element value
Parameters:
type (string): Type of the element
element (string): Human-readable element description
target (string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot
value (string): Value to verify. For checkbox, use “true” or “false”.
Playwright MCP
A Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that provides browser automation capabilities using Playwright. This server enables LLMs to interact with web pages through structured accessibility snapshots, bypassing the need for screenshots or visually-tuned models.
Playwright MCP vs Playwright CLI
This package provides MCP interface into Playwright. If you are using a coding agent, you might benefit from using the CLI+SKILLS instead.
CLI: Modern coding agents increasingly favor CLI–based workflows exposed as SKILLs over MCP because CLI invocations are more token-efficient: they avoid loading large tool schemas and verbose accessibility trees into the model context, allowing agents to act through concise, purpose-built commands. This makes CLI + SKILLs better suited for high-throughput coding agents that must balance browser automation with large codebases, tests, and reasoning within limited context windows.
Learn more about Playwright CLI with SKILLS.
MCP: MCP remains relevant for specialized agentic loops that benefit from persistent state, rich introspection, and iterative reasoning over page structure, such as exploratory automation, self-healing tests, or long-running autonomous workflows where maintaining continuous browser context outweighs token cost concerns.
Key Features
Requirements
Getting started
First, install the Playwright MCP server with your client.
Standard config works in most of the tools:
Amp
Add via the Amp VS Code extension settings screen or by updating your settings.json file:
Amp CLI Setup:
Add via the
amp mcp addcommand belowAntigravity
Add via the Antigravity settings or by updating your configuration file:
Claude Code
Use the Claude Code CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:
Claude Desktop
Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above.
Cline
Follow the instruction in the section Configuring MCP Servers
Example: Local Setup
Add the following to your
cline_mcp_settings.jsonfile:Codex
Use the Codex CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:
Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file
~/.codex/config.tomland add:For more information, see the Codex MCP documentation.
Copilot
Use the Copilot CLI to interactively add the Playwright MCP server:
Alternatively, create or edit the configuration file
~/.copilot/mcp-config.jsonand add:For more information, see the Copilot CLI documentation.
Cursor
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Go to
Cursor Settings->MCP->Add new MCP Server. Name to your liking, usecommandtype with the commandnpx @playwright/mcp@latest. You can also verify config or add command like arguments via clickingEdit.Factory
Use the Factory CLI to add the Playwright MCP server:
Alternatively, type
/mcpwithin Factory droid to open an interactive UI for managing MCP servers.For more information, see the Factory MCP documentation.
Gemini CLI
Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above.
Goose
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Go to
Advanced settings->Extensions->Add custom extension. Name to your liking, use typeSTDIO, and set thecommandtonpx @playwright/mcp. Click “Add Extension”.Junie
To add the Playwright MCP server in Junie CLI:
/mcpCtrl+Ato add a new MCP serverAlternatively, add to
.junie/mcp/mcp.json:For more information, see the Junie MCP configuration documentation.
Kiro
Follow the MCP Servers documentation. For example in
.kiro/settings/mcp.json:LM Studio
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Go to
Programin the right sidebar ->Install->Edit mcp.json. Use the standard config above.opencode
Follow the MCP Servers documentation. For example in
~/.config/opencode/opencode.json:Qodo Gen
Open Qodo Gen chat panel in VSCode or IntelliJ → Connect more tools → + Add new MCP → Paste the standard config above.
Click
Save.VS Code
Click the button to install:
Or install manually:
Follow the MCP install guide, use the standard config above. You can also install the Playwright MCP server using the VS Code CLI:
After installation, the Playwright MCP server will be available for use with your GitHub Copilot agent in VS Code.
Warp
Go to
Settings->AI->Manage MCP Servers->+ Addto add an MCP Server. Use the standard config above.Alternatively, use the slash command
/add-mcpin the Warp prompt and paste the standard config from above:Windsurf
Follow Windsurf MCP documentation. Use the standard config above.
Configuration
Playwright MCP server supports following arguments. They can be provided in the JSON configuration above, as a part of the
"args"list:env
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOWED_HOSTSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOWED_ORIGINSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ALLOW_UNRESTRICTED_FILE_ACCESSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BLOCKED_ORIGINSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BLOCK_SERVICE_WORKERSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_BROWSERenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CAPSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_ENDPOINTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_HEADERenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CDP_TIMEOUTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CODEGENenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONFIGenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_CONSOLE_LEVELenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_DEVICEenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXECUTABLE_PATHenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_EXTENSIONenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ENDPOINTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_GRANT_PERMISSIONSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HEADLESSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_HOSTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IGNORE_HTTPS_ERRORSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_PAGEenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_INIT_SCRIPTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_ISOLATEDenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_IMAGE_RESPONSESenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_NO_SANDBOXenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_DIRenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_OUTPUT_MODEenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PORTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_BYPASSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_PROXY_SERVERenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SANDBOXenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SAVE_SESSIONenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SECRETSenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SHARED_BROWSER_CONTEXTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_SNAPSHOT_MODEenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_STORAGE_STATEenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TEST_ID_ATTRIBUTEenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_ACTIONenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_TIMEOUT_NAVIGATIONenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_AGENTenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_USER_DATA_DIRenv
PLAYWRIGHT_MCP_VIEWPORT_SIZEUser profile
You can run Playwright MCP with persistent profile like a regular browser (default), in isolated contexts for testing sessions, or connect to your existing browser using the browser extension.
Persistent profile
All the logged in information will be stored in the persistent profile, you can delete it between sessions if you’d like to clear the offline state. Persistent profile is located at the following locations and you can override it with the
--user-data-dirargument.{workspace-hash}is derived from the MCP client’s workspace root, so different projects get separate profiles automatically.Isolated
In the isolated mode, each session is started in the isolated profile. Every time you ask MCP to close the browser, the session is closed and all the storage state for this session is lost. You can provide initial storage state to the browser via the config’s
contextOptionsor via the--storage-stateargument. Learn more about the storage state here.Browser Extension
The Playwright MCP Chrome Extension allows you to connect to existing browser tabs and leverage your logged-in sessions and browser state. See packages/extension/README.md for installation and setup instructions.
Initial state
There are multiple ways to provide the initial state to the browser context or a page.
For the storage state, you can either:
--user-data-dirargument. This will persist all browser data between the sessions.--storage-stateargument. This will load cookies and local storage from the file into an isolated browser context.For the page state, you can use:
--init-pageto point to a TypeScript file that will be evaluated on the Playwright page object. This allows you to run arbitrary code to set up the page.--init-scriptto point to a JavaScript file that will be added as an initialization script. The script will be evaluated in every page before any of the page’s scripts. This is useful for overriding browser APIs or setting up the environment.Configuration file
The Playwright MCP server can be configured using a JSON configuration file. You can specify the configuration file using the
--configcommand line option:Configuration file schema
Standalone MCP server
When running headed browser on system w/o display or from worker processes of the IDEs, run the MCP server from environment with the DISPLAY and pass the
--portflag to enable HTTP transport.And then in MCP client config, set the
urlto the HTTP endpoint:Security
Playwright MCP is not a security boundary. See MCP Security Best Practices for guidance on securing your deployment.
Docker
NOTE: The Docker implementation only supports headless chromium at the moment.
Or If you prefer to run the container as a long-lived service instead of letting the MCP client spawn it, use:
The server will listen on host port 8931 and can be reached by any MCP client.
You can build the Docker image yourself.
Programmatic usage
Tools
Core automation
element(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectordoubleClick(boolean, optional): Whether to perform a double click instead of a single clickbutton(string, optional): Button to click, defaults to leftmodifiers(array, optional): Modifier keys to presslevel(string): Level of the console messages to return. Each level includes the messages of more severe levels. Defaults to “info”.all(boolean, optional): Return all console messages since the beginning of the session, not just since the last navigation. Defaults to false.filename(string, optional): Filename to save the console messages to. If not provided, messages are returned as text.startElement(string, optional): Human-readable source element description used to obtain the permission to interact with the elementstartTarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorendElement(string, optional): Human-readable target element description used to obtain the permission to interact with the elementendTarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorelement(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorfunction(string): () => { /* code / } or (element) => { / code */ } when element is providedfilename(string, optional): Filename to save the result to. If not provided, result is returned as text.paths(array, optional): The absolute paths to the files to upload. Can be single file or multiple files. If omitted, file chooser is cancelled.fields(array): Fields to fill inaccept(boolean): Whether to accept the dialog.promptText(string, optional): The text of the prompt in case of a prompt dialog.element(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorurl(string): The URL to navigate tostatic(boolean): Whether to include successful static resources like images, fonts, scripts, etc. Defaults to false.requestBody(boolean): Whether to include request body. Defaults to false.requestHeaders(boolean): Whether to include request headers. Defaults to false.filter(string, optional): Only return requests whose URL matches this regexp (e.g. “/api/.*user”).filename(string, optional): Filename to save the network requests to. If not provided, requests are returned as text.key(string): Name of the key to press or a character to generate, such asArrowLeftorawidth(number): Width of the browser windowheight(number): Height of the browser windowcode(string, optional): A JavaScript function containing Playwright code to execute. It will be invoked with a single argument, page, which you can use for any page interaction. For example:async (page) => { await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Submit' }).click(); return await page.title(); }filename(string, optional): Load code from the specified file. If both code and filename are provided, code will be ignored.element(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorvalues(array): Array of values to select in the dropdown. This can be a single value or multiple values.target(string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorfilename(string, optional): Save snapshot to markdown file instead of returning it in the response.depth(number, optional): Limit the depth of the snapshot treeelement(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectortype(string): Image format for the screenshot. Default is png.filename(string, optional): File name to save the screenshot to. Defaults topage-{timestamp}.{png|jpeg}if not specified. Prefer relative file names to stay within the output directory.fullPage(boolean, optional): When true, takes a screenshot of the full scrollable page, instead of the currently visible viewport. Cannot be used with element screenshots.element(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectortext(string): Text to type into the elementsubmit(boolean, optional): Whether to submit entered text (press Enter after)slowly(boolean, optional): Whether to type one character at a time. Useful for triggering key handlers in the page. By default entire text is filled in at once.time(number, optional): The time to wait in secondstext(string, optional): The text to wait fortextGone(string, optional): The text to wait for to disappearTab management
action(string): Operation to performindex(number, optional): Tab index, used for close/select. If omitted for close, current tab is closed.url(string, optional): URL to navigate to in the new tab, used for new.Browser installation
Configuration (opt-in via --caps=config)
Network (opt-in via --caps=network)
state(string): Set to “offline” to simulate offline mode, “online” to restore network connectivitypattern(string): URL pattern to match (e.g., “/api/users”, “/*.{png,jpg}”)status(number, optional): HTTP status code to return (default: 200)body(string, optional): Response body (text or JSON string)contentType(string, optional): Content-Type header (e.g., “application/json”, “text/html”)headers(array, optional): Headers to add in “Name: Value” formatremoveHeaders(string, optional): Comma-separated list of header names to remove from requestpattern(string, optional): URL pattern to unroute (omit to remove all routes)Storage (opt-in via --caps=storage)
name(string): Cookie name to deletename(string): Cookie name to getdomain(string, optional): Filter cookies by domainpath(string, optional): Filter cookies by pathname(string): Cookie namevalue(string): Cookie valuedomain(string, optional): Cookie domainpath(string, optional): Cookie pathexpires(number, optional): Cookie expiration as Unix timestamphttpOnly(boolean, optional): Whether the cookie is HTTP onlysecure(boolean, optional): Whether the cookie is securesameSite(string, optional): Cookie SameSite attributekey(string): Key to deletekey(string): Key to getkey(string): Key to setvalue(string): Value to setkey(string): Key to deletekey(string): Key to getkey(string): Key to setvalue(string): Value to setfilename(string): Path to the storage state file to restore fromfilename(string, optional): File name to save the storage state to. Defaults tostorage-state-{timestamp}.jsonif not specified.DevTools (opt-in via --caps=devtools)
element(string, optional): Human-readable element description used when adding the highlight; must match the value passed to browser_highlight.target(string, optional): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorelement(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorstyle(string, optional): Additional inline CSS applied to the highlight overlay, e.g. “outline: 2px dashed red”.step(boolean, optional): When true, execution will pause again before the next action, allowing step-by-step debugging.location(string, optional): Pause execution at a specific :filename(string, optional): Filename to save the video.size(object, optional): Video sizetitle(string): Chapter titledescription(string, optional): Chapter descriptionduration(number, optional): Duration in milliseconds to show the chapter cardCoordinate-based (opt-in via --caps=vision)
x(number): X coordinatey(number): Y coordinatebutton(string, optional): Button to click, defaults to leftclickCount(number, optional): Number of clicks, defaults to 1delay(number, optional): Time to wait between mouse down and mouse up in milliseconds, defaults to 0button(string, optional): Button to press, defaults to leftstartX(number): Start X coordinatestartY(number): Start Y coordinateendX(number): End X coordinateendY(number): End Y coordinatex(number): X coordinatey(number): Y coordinatebutton(string, optional): Button to press, defaults to leftdeltaX(number): X deltadeltaY(number): Y deltaPDF generation (opt-in via --caps=pdf)
filename(string, optional): File name to save the pdf to. Defaults topage-{timestamp}.pdfif not specified. Prefer relative file names to stay within the output directory.Test assertions (opt-in via --caps=testing)
element(string, optional): Human-readable element description used to obtain permission to interact with the elementtarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshot, or a unique element selectorrole(string): ROLE of the element. Can be found in the snapshot like this:- {ROLE} "Accessible Name":accessibleName(string): ACCESSIBLE_NAME of the element. Can be found in the snapshot like this:- role "{ACCESSIBLE_NAME}"element(string): Human-readable list descriptiontarget(string): Exact target element reference that points to the listitems(array): Items to verifytext(string): TEXT to verify. Can be found in the snapshot like this:- role "Accessible Name": {TEXT}or like this:- text: {TEXT}type(string): Type of the elementelement(string): Human-readable element descriptiontarget(string): Exact target element reference from the page snapshotvalue(string): Value to verify. For checkbox, use “true” or “false”.